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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07-06-26 Correspondence - Disability Rights Montana - 250 Years of Working to Make Freedom Real.From:Disability Rights Montana - Growth Rings To:Bozeman Public Comment Subject:[EXTERNAL]250 Years of Working to Make Freedom Real Date:Monday, July 6, 2026 8:10:44 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! 250 Years of Working to MakeFreedom Real NOT another hollow, performatively patriotic, flag-waving, chest-thumping, corporate post about America's 250th birthday READ IN APP Hello friends, July is Disability Pride Month, and this year it feels especially important. As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, disabled Americans have an important reminder to offer our fellow Americans and our disabled brothers and sisters around the world: freedom has never been given by those with power, it has been wrestled from their tight grip. JUL 6 The U.S. and Disability Pride flags behind a picture of the Declaration of Independence and the number 250 America didn’t emerge from our Declaration of Independence without struggle and we didn’t pop out of Great Britain’s womb looking like we do today. 250 years ago we declared our independence from a monarchy, but that declaration was in the voice of only a select few elites. It was not independence for all. Women, African Americans, Indigenous people were explicitly excluded from that initial vision of freedom and many more, like disabled Americans, were implicitly excluded from realizing freedom. “A republic, if you can keep it.” Benjamin Franklin’s response to a question following the Consitutional Convention in 1787 about whether our the new constitution would give us a monarchy or republic For 250 years, individual Americans have worked together to help our nation expand who gets freedom, who gets to belong in American life. That struggle, is what in everyday life we call “advocacy.” If we wanted a world that looked like yesterday, we would have no use for advocacy. However, we know we can, we know we must, do better, so we advocate. The disability rights movement is part of that story. It is the story of bettering America by getting disabled Americans out of segregated institutions and securing our access to schools, workplaces, voting, and full and rewarding lives in the community. Because as disabled Americans have advocated for our own inclusion, we pushed our country closer to more fully realizing our founding principles in the process. We didn’t start with 50 stars and wedidn’t start with liberty and justice forall Images of from the Capitol Crawl - Disability advocacy giants Paul Stephen Miller, Judy Heumann, and Justin Dart in front of a banner reading “‘Injustice Anywhere is a Threat to Justice Everywhere,’ Martin Luther King, Jr.” at a protest in the streets and other pictures of people getting out of their chairs to crawl up the steps of the U.S. Capitol Disability Pride Month is not about pretending life with a disability is always easy or everyone loves us. Just as patriotism is not about pretending we got it perfect day one or even now. Disability Pride and patriotism are both about valuing our shared ideals of equality, liberty, and freedom enough to put in the deliberate, sustained, hard work to move us closer to actually realizing them. The disability rights movement has always pushed our nation to live up to its highest ideals and this month we celebrate that legacy, learn from it, and continue building a Montana and America where disabled people are genuinely welcomed and valued. Do you want to spend your days advocating for the next chapter of disability rights and shaping the future of Montana and America? We are currently recruiting for two key positions: This is a rare opportunity for a strategic leader to help guide Disability Rights Montana’s advocacy, organizing, public policy, and community engagement work. We are looking for someone who can help build people power, strengthen partnerships, and advance systemic change across our state. If you know someone who is passionate about disability rights, coalition building, and creating lasting impact, please encourage them to apply. Advocacy Director Job Posting Disability Rights Montana Is Hiring Advocacy Director We are also seeking a Civil Rights Attorney to help protect and advance the rights of Montanans with disabilities. Disability Rights Montana has a long history of using legal advocacy to challenge discrimination and create meaningful change, and we are looking for someone ready to be part of that work. Please share these opportunities widely. Great organizations become transformative organizations when great people join the team. Civil Rights Attorney Job Posting The Montana Board of Visitors is also seeking a Legal Secretary. The Board of Visitors plays a critical role monitoring conditions and advocating for people living in Montana’s state-operated institutions, including the Montana State Hospital. This position is based in Warm Springs and offers an opportunity to contribute to important oversight and advocacy work. If you know someone who is organized, mission-driven, and interested in public service, please pass this opportunity along. BOV Job Posting One of the most powerful things any of us can do is connect our values to our daily work. Civil Rights Attorney The Board of Visitors Is Still Hiring Help Us Build Montana’s DisabilityFuture Whether you apply for one of these positions, share them with your network, volunteer, advocate, attend community events, or simply continue reading and sharing this newsletter, you are helping build a Montana where disabled people can thrive. Share This Disability Pride Month, let’s celebrate who we are, where we’ve been, and where we’re going together. The future of disability culture in Montana and America will not be built by one organization or one leader. America has always been built by all of us. In solidarity, David Carlson, J.D. Executive Director Disability Rights Montana In case you didn’t know, the disability community has a pride flag. It is the colorful flag pictured below and used above alongside the American flag in the background of the picture at the beginning of this issue. If you would like to learn more about it, like who made it and what the colors mean, you can learn more here: https://www.aapd.com/history-of-disability-pride-month/ Disability Pride Flag with a black background and stripes of red, yellow, white, blue, and green funning from the upper left to lower right. You’re currently a free subscriber to Life Beyond Compliance. Upgrading to paid subscriptions supports Disability Rights Montana’s work across Montana. Federal p.s. Disability Pride Flag 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 © 2026 Disability Rights Montana1022 Chestnut Street, Helena, MT 59601 Unsubscribe