IL and You

Advocacy services focus on creating positive change on both the individual and community levels. As part of our advocacy services, we seek to make a difference in the lives of individuals with disabilities. This involves removing any barriers that may be preventing someone’s ability to succeed. We ensure individuals in our community have access to public services, education, and the benefits they need. Personal rights are vital for individual growth. We want to empower people and support them in advocating for the rights they deserve. These personal rights may include health care benefits, housing, and more essential services.

We promote systemic change that benefits the lives of members of our community. Policies and daily barriers can make life more difficult for people in our community. Ability Montana staff and consumers come together to change that. We facilitate changes to these systems and advocate for the rights of individuals with disabilities. Whether it’s government policies, transportation, or public accommodation, we want systems to support individuals with disabilities. We want to place our community on a path of continued success.

If you want more information about this pillar, visit our Individual & Systems Advocacy Programs page. If you have any questions about how we can help you achieve your independence goals, reach out to Ability Montana today. We are glad to help in any way possible and look forward to answering any questions.

Ability Montana works in the community to make a difference in the lives of individuals with disabilities by removing barriers and focusing efforts on accessibility to public services, education, and benefits. As an independent living center, we are at the forefront of advocating for access, choice, and self-determination for individuals with disabilities. Ability Montana can help advocate for the rights of individuals living with any type of disability on both an individual and a systems level.

Self-Advocacy

Ability Montana helps individuals learn to advocate for their individual personal rights. These rights may include health care benefits, access to health care and housing, as well as many more essential services.

Self-advocacy is one of the most important skills anyone can have in their tool kit. Ability Montana is dedicated to helping individuals learn to advocate for themselves in order to best maximize their choices and live an independent life.

Systems Advocacy

Ability Montana works to change policies and remove the barriers that people living with disabilities face in their everyday lives. Ability Montana staff and consumers partner to facilitate system changes, including those related to government policies, transportation, public accommodation, and housing.

Transitioning to different stages of life can often be stressful and nerve-wracking. Whether it’s a youth transitioning out of high school or a senior selecting the best nursing homes for their needs, it’s important to have support, guidance, and encouragement during stages of transition. We want to empower individuals during these stages of life and provide them with the assistance and training needed to thrive.  Ability Montana offers transition services to help at a variety of life stages. Our transition services include the following:

• Nursing home and community home transitions
• Finding supportive in-home care services
• Youth employment transitions
• Transitioning to post-secondary education
• Many More

The objectives of our transition service keep the welfare and needs of individuals first and foremost. Ability Montana’s transition services aim to do the following:

• Move people from a facility to the community of their choice.
• Identify and eliminate barriers that prevent people from being able to move to the community.
• Improve the ability of Montana Medicaid to provide in-home services
• Ensure continuous quality improvement of provided in-home services.
• Ensure continual improvement of transition services
• Improve the ability of Montana Medicaid to provide in-home services
• Identify and eliminate barriers that prevent individuals from being able to succeed during stages of transition
• Move individuals from a facility to the community of their choice
• Provide community-focused guidance on how to live independently at any stage of life

If you want more information about this pillar, visit our Programs [link] page. If you have any questions about how we can help you reach your independent living goals, contact Ability Montana today. Our team is here to help answer any questions you have.

Independent Living training gives people living with disabilities equal access to the same opportunities as the rest of society through skills training. People grow through applying what they’ve learned to daily life. We provide the necessary training and instruction to help them reach their independent living goals. Our independent living specialists partner with individuals to work with them on a wide variety of skills. Our training services include the following:

Budgeting [link]
Health and Nutrition [link]
Self Care [link]
Goal Setting [link]
Time Management [link]
More Services [link]

Everyone deserves equal access to tools for personal and life growth. We go above and beyond to ensure those resources are readily available for people living with disabilities. Whether it’s helping in filling out a Medicaid application or sponsoring support group activities, we equip community members with the tools they desire.

If you have any questions about how we can help you reach your independence goals, connect with Ability Montana today. We look forward to answering your questions.

At its core, independent living simply means having equal access to the same opportunities as the rest of society and as specified by the ADA. Ability Montana’s professional staff of Independent Living Specialists provides people living with disabilities with the instruction and training to assist them in living independently. Ability Montana offers the following independent living skills training:

• Teaching daily living skills such as budgeting, menu and meal planning, meal preparation and cooking, and grocery shopping.
• Assisting consumers in researching and applying for community resources such as Medicaid services, waivers, and benefits; food stamps; energy assistance; and Meals on Wheels services.
• Sponsoring consumer recreational and support group activities.

Who to turn to or how to get their questions answered. Ability Montana maintains an information and referral database to connect people to the information they need. From accessibility concerns to the legal information on understanding a disability, our comprehensive database helps point individuals in the right direction. Additionally, we have a Resources page full of information on ADA and disability rights. If we do not have the information someone is looking for, we will find it or connect them to someone who has the information they need. Our information and referral database addresses questions and offers assistance on a variety of topics, including the following:

• Employment
• Transportation
• Public Assistance
• Housing
• And Much More

If you want more information, visit our Programs page. If you have any questions about our resources or programs, connect with Ability Montana today. Our team is ready and here to assist you in any way we can.

Ability Montana maintains an information and referral database to connect people to the information they need. If we do not have the information you are looking for, we will find it or connect you with someone who can. Information and referrals may include:

• Accessibility concerns and resources.
• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) access and employment issues, and legal and legislative news and updates.
• Medical, legal, social, and individualized information on understanding your disability.
• Alternative resources and availability.
• Financial resource opportunities including assistance with pursuing grants and loans for acquiring necessary assistive and adaptive devices.