A Center of Independent Living
Ability Montana (Ability Montana) is a nonprofit and one of four Centers of Independent Living (CIL) in the state of Montana. Ability Montana’s mission is to promote independence and advocate for people living with disabilities. To do this, we stand by three values: empowerment, advocacy, and community. We aim to break down the barriers to accessibility and to empower people to live independently, whatever that looks like to them. We advocate for people living with disabilities, and for their right to a self-directed life.
About Our Programs
As with other Centers for Independent Living (CILs), we believe in the power of community and human connection and are proud of the peer-led aspect of CILs. To achieve that, we offer a variety of services and programs built around the five core pillars of independent living.
Each Center for Independent Living in the United States must provide programs and resources around these five core pillars of services.
Our Core Values
Empowerment
Advocacy
Community
The Ability Montana Mission
Ability Montana’s mission is to promote independence and advocate for people living with disabilities. Ability Montana believes that people have the right to live and work as independently as they desire. Our programs are built around that belief and mission, and we work hard to provide the necessary services and support that people need to pursue a self-directed life. Ability Montana is a leader in our Montana communities. We are proud to empower people to live independently, to build a community focused on human connection, and to strip away the barriers to helpful resources that get in the way of living a self-directed life.
Center for Independent Living Defined
Ability Montana 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.
Serving Montana Communities
Ability Montana 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. Ability Montana 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.