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HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-02-25 Correspondence - Disability Rights Montana - Building Power Through IndependenceFrom:Disability Rights Montana - Growth Rings To:Bozeman Public Comment Subject:[EXTERNAL]Building Power Through Independence Date:Tuesday, December 2, 2025 7:06:59 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Forwarded this email? Subscribe here for more Every paid subscription supports Disability Rights Montana’s work across Montana. Federal funding is nowhere near sufficient to meet the advocacy and culture change work that is needed. You can help fund the future you want to see! Building Power ThroughIndependence Montana’s Independent Living Movement READ IN APP On this Giving Tuesday, I would like you to donate to Disability Rights Montana to help fund our statewide disability advocacy. Learn more about donating to DRMT I also encourage you to financially support your local Center for Independent Living. See the article below about why they are so important and for links on how to donate to the Center for Independent Living in your town. DEC 2 Picture of disabled advocates from around the state, includingseveral from Montana’s Centers for Independent Living, in frontof the Joseph P. Mazurek Justice Building before hand deliveringa letter to the Attorney General demanding he back down fromhis lawsuit asking for Section 504, the nation’s oldest disability civilrights law, to be ruled unconstitutional and unenforceable. Imagine living in a rural Montana town with no accessible transportation, no peer support, and no voice in policy decisions. For thousands of Montanans with disabilities, this is reality and why your support matters. In this issue, I want to share a little more about the background of the Independent Living movement and share how you can get involved with them. To start, the Independent Living (IL) Movement began in the 1960s and 70s, initially thought up and led by visionary activist Ed Roberts, often called the father of Independent Living. Paralyzed from polio and denied access to college, Ed fought for his right to attend the University of California, Berkeley, and later helped establish the first Center for Independent Living. His motivation was clear: people with disabilities should have the same civil rights, control over their lives, and opportunities as anyone else. This movement redefined disability. It emphasized choice, autonomy, and community integration as a radical shift in how society viewed disability, not as a medical condition to be “fixed,” but as a natural part of human diversity. At its core, IL is about choice, control, and community. It’s about disabled people leading their own lives, making their own decisions, and shaping the systems that support them. This movement grew from its origin in Berkley to cover the entire country and has even branched out internationally. In Montana, this movement is alive and well thanks to a network of Centers for Independent Living . What Is the Independent LivingMovement? Montana’s Centers for Independent Living Each CIL is a nonprofit, community-based organization, led by and for people with disabilities. They provide five core services: - Information & Referral - Independent Living Skills Training - Peer Support - Individual & Systems Advocacy - Transition Services Each CIL has its own leadership and staff who approach these tasks in their own unique ways. They each serve a different geographic region of our massive state. Below are links to find out more about the CIL serving your town and a link to donate to them if you are able. Map of Montana showing the coverage of the four Centers forIndependent Living. Serving Western Montana with offices in Missoula, Kalispell, Hamilton, and Polson. Donate to Summit Website: https://www.summitilc.org Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/summitilc/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SummitILC YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/summitilc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/summit-independent-living/ (CILs) Summit Independent Living Serving Southwest Montana with offices in Bozeman, Butte, and Helena. Donate to Ability Website: https://abilitymt.org Podcast: https://abilitymt.org/disability-voices Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abilitymontana/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AbilityMontana YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5vy3BEsnqSWrpswiJ5uhtQ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/abilitymontana/ X: https://x.com/AbilityMontana Serving North Central Montana with offices in Black Eagle, Glasgow, and Heart Butte. Donate to NCILS Website: https://ncils.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NCILSMontana Serving Eastern Montana with offices in Billings and Glendive. Donate to LIFTT Website: https://www.liftt.org Ability Montana North Central Independent Living Services (NCILS) Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifttmontana/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LIFTTBillings YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIp_u0djb6Y2P4nQyG07J9A LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/lifttmt/ X: https://x.com/LIFTT The Independent Living Movement is more than a service model, it’s a cultural movement. These organizations are not just providers; they are partners in advocacy, builders of disability pride, and leaders in systems change. They have deep connections to local disability communities and build disability culture on the ground in towns across our state. If you’re a disabled Montanan, a family member, or an ally, these groups are here to support your journey toward independence and inclusion. And if you’re looking to get involved in advocacy, leadership, or community-building, they’re ready to welcome you. Follow these organizations on social media, sign up for their newsletters, consider donating to your local CIL, and join DRMT, the National Federation of the Blind - Montana, and several of the above CILs in developing an army of disabled public policy advocates through The Collective Disruption. Join the Collective Disruption In a state as vast as Montana, independence isn’t just a value, it’s a necessity. Our Centers for Independent Living make that possible. Together, we can make Montana a place where independence is a right, not a privilege. Your Why This Matters to Growth Rings Readers Get Connected support today builds that future. This Giving Tuesday, your donation to Disability Rights Montana and your local Center for Independent Living will help ensure independence and inclusion for all Montanans. Donate to DRMT Donate to Summit Donate to Ability Donate to NCILS Donate to LIFTT In Solidarity, David David Carlson, J.D. Executive Director Disability Rights Montana You’re currently a free subscriber to Life Beyond Compliance. Upgrading to paid subscriptions supports Disability Rights Montana’s work across Montana. Federal funding is no where near sufficient to meet the advocacy and culture change work that is needed. You can help fund the future you want to see! Upgrade to paid LIKE COMMENT RESTACK © 2025 Disability Rights Montana1022 Chestnut Street, Helena, MT 59601 Unsubscribe