Dear Advocates and Friends,
We are pleased to announce that NCIL’s 2017 Annual Report is now available at our website.
- Open the NCIL 2017 Annual Report in PDF, Word, or plain text.
2017 was an extraordinary year for the Independent Living Movement. We were tested on every front. Some battles were won, and others lost, but we rose to every challenge, demonstrating the strength, commitment, and resiliency of the disability community.
We joined forces to defeat attacks on healthcare. We fought attempts to weaken the Americans with Disabilities Act and erode our civil rights. We forced disability rights to the forefront of debates led by people who had no intention of including us. We worked diligently to initiate a global Independent Living network in order to create a world in which people with disabilities are truly valued equally and participate fully.
Nevertheless, many members of our community are paying the price for misguided and discriminatory policies on immigration, policing, access to healthcare and in-home services, and segregated workplaces and classrooms.
Helen Keller said, “It is in the most trying times that our real character is shaped and revealed.” We are humbled to be part of a community that displays such bravery and commitment to the principles of justice and equality. NCIL members have carried us through a difficult year with grace, determination, and grit.
2018 will be another critical year for our Movement. Frightening changes threaten programs and services for people with disabilities. NCIL will fight back when the mechanisms that enable our freedom are threatened. We’re not giving up and we know you won’t either. We will move forward, relying on Independent Living principles, to overcome these challenges together. We will, as always, become the heroes of our own story.
NCIL continues to provide first class member benefits, including training and technical assistance, insurance benefits, and a world class Annual Conference. Most importantly, NCIL provides its members with representation on Capitol Hill, ensuring that our voices are heard by those with the power to enact our priorities. I hope you will join us as we build a future of independence for all.
For these reasons and so many more, I ask that you become a NCIL member. In Washington, DC and in every state, Independent Living advocates will work on every front until we achieve a world in which people with disabilities are truly valued equally and participate fully.
Sincerely,
Kelly Buckland
Executive Director
