About mILp

Who We Are

Promoting Independence for People with Disabilities

mILp is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and one of four Centers of Independent Living (CIL) in the state of Montana. We are funded in part by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended in 1992 (Title VII – Independent Living Services) and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (Disability Services Division).The following is a definition of a CIL from Section 702 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended:

The term ‘center for independent living’ means a consumer‑controlled, community‑based, cross‑disability, nonresidential private nonprofit agency that is designed and operated within a local community by individuals with disabilities and provides an array of independent living services.

mILp helps consumers live and work as independently as they desire. This includes providing access to necessary services as well as recreational pursuits to promote quality of life within one’s own residence and community. mILp serves as a leader in our communities, assuring disability rights for all Montanans by enthusiastically encouraging and effecting community inclusion, integration, and independence for people living with disabilities.

A Brief History

Timeline

1980

mILp and Summit Independent Living Logos

Two Montana advocacy groups wrote grants to the Department of Education for Independent Living and received their grants in 1981. These advocacy groups became known as mILp and Summit Independent Living Center.

1985

mILp establishes offices in Helena, Bozeman, and Butte. mILp services 14 counties in southwest Montana, including Beaverhead, Broadwater, Deer Lodge, Gallatin, Granite, Jefferson, Lewis and Clark, Madison, Meagher, Park, Powell, Silver Bow, Sweet Grass, and Wheatland.

1988

North Central Independent Living Services (NCILS) opens in Great Falls and Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow (LIFTT) opens in Billings.

1990

Photo Credits: Tom Olin/Disability History Museum

The “Capitol Crawl” protest takes place on March 12, 1990. Over 60 disabled activists deserted mobility devices and crawled up the steps of the Capitol to advocate for civil rights and equality for people with disabilities.
Source: share.america.gov

2008

Photo Credit: White House Archives

The ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) was signed by President George W. Bush on September 25, 2008. This act made a number of significant changes to the meaning and interpretation of the ADA definition of “disability” to ensure that definition would be broadly construed and applied without extensive analysis.
Source: ADA.gov

2020

mILp is one of four Centers for Independent Living in the State of Montana and is governed by a consumer-controlled Board of Directors whose lives have been personally impacted by a disability. We are funded in part by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended in 1992 (Title VII- Independent Living Services), and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (Disability Services Division).