Recently I attended the NASILC (National Association of Statewide Independent Living Councils) SILC Congress 2024. I came away with so much on my mind about how we struggle, how we are divided, how we have trouble with focus. On the other side, I saw desire to find collaboration, commitment to make human rights equal for all, and passion. It made me think how the Independent Living Movement needs to be more interdependent.
We are all supposed to be on the same path. Making sure all have the right and the access to live as they want to live. I’m not trying to say we should all be in mansions with fancy cars. But we all should be able to make our own decisions, have no barriers to success beyond our own skills and to be treated as a human that exists, that contributes and that CAN.
Quoting a song from Emeli Sandé – Read All About It Part III, “I wanna sing, I wanna shout, I wanna scream ’til the words dry out. So put it in all of the papers, I’m not afraid, They can read all about it.”
It is time. To work together not apart. To realize we are striving to achieve the same goal. We can disagree on exact methodology and STILL be there for each other. I’ll even use the cliché of raising each other up. We advocate that we are more alike than different, yet we can’t seem to apply that to each other. Years ago, I authored an article on radical collaboration.
The High Points of that article are:
- Energy
- Ego Struggles Resolution
- Get People Interested
- Make It Personal
- The Power of Groups
- Be Open to Letting Go
- Be Available and Accessible
- Let Go of Leadership
Read the full article on 8 Keys to Radical Collaboration
Over the next few months, I am going to help break down the components of a new letter from Liberators4Justice asking all to sign a recommitment letter to the Independent Living Movement. And how it is OK to have some disagreement with parts of it and yet sign on to the spirit of it.
The big bullets are:
- Civil Rights & Disability Justice
- Disability Leadership And Staffing
- Choice, Control & Community Supported Self-Determination
- Advocacy
- Deinstitutionalization
- Non-Conflicted Services
- Financial Equity And Integration
- Respect & Empathy
The first paragraph begins with the statement, “The Independent Living movement has reached an inflection point where we must decide whether to build on our hard-won victories for self-determination, community integration, and self-leadership, or face increasing irrelevance in our disability communities and broader society.” Like this letter, let’s choose the former.
You can find the full letter here and make the choice to sign on if you wish. Go to the letter and signature page of the IL Movement Recommitment Letter.
Want to talk about it? Reach out to The Information Tamer.
