I Shouldn’t Have to Wait to Live Independently

November 15, 2021
Taylor HeaglerLike many young adults, I was eager to move out of my childhood home as soon as I could. At age 15, I had dreams of taking NYC by storm and backpacking across Europe as soon as I got out of college. It wasn’t until I realized that living independently is way harder for people with disabilities when you live in a state that has a waitlist for Community Home Care services that can last as long as 15 years. Forty-one states have Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) waiting lists totalling more than 800,000 people, according to a February 2020 report by the Kaiser Family Foundation that surveyed state waiting lists. Texas, where I currently reside, leads the way with 385,000 people waiting on independence. [...]

Voices from the Past Remain Relevant as Groundbreaking Guide for Disabled Girls and Women is Reissued Online

March 7, 2019
DREDF's No More Stares, a groundbreaking guide for disabled girls and women, now Available on the Internet in Celebration of International Women's Day 37 Years After its Historic Release.
Originally published by Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) in 1982, No More Stares is now available on DREDF's website for the first time in celebration of International Women's Day!

Support the Center for Independent Living – Kathmandu, Nepal

Staff at CIL – KathmanduAt the end of 2013, I had the good fortune to visit Nepal as part of an exchange on disability and leadership. While I was in Kathmandu, I visited the Center for Independent Living - Kathmandu and discovered what an amazing crew they are. Before the earthquake, the CIL-Kathmandu was already doing very cool work in a very inaccessible environment. After the news of the earthquake,I could only imagine what it must be like for them and our sisters and brothers with disabilities now, so I checked in with CIL-K, and indeed they are working in an even more challenging environment.
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