2005 Ody manual sliding door won't open
 

The passenger side manual sliding door on our 2005 Ody is stuck closed. I've seen various "fix it" tutorials on the web but it appears that in order to get at the part that has likely failed, the interior door panels need to be removed. I took the car to a local shop and they say that these panels can't be removed if the door is closed. Is that right? Does anyone know how to handle a problem like this?