2010 IL Symposium | 2010 Youth Symposium
20th Anniversary ADA Celebrations
Sponsors | Sponsorship/Vendor Information
You Have the Power. Live the Dream.
2010 Statewide Independent Living Symposium
Summit will be hosting the 2010 Independent Living Symposium, entitiled You Have the Power. Live the Dream., at the Hilton Garden Inn in Missoula on July 26th and 27th .
This year's symposium, sponsored by the Statewide Independent Living Council and Montana's four Centers for Independent Living, will have a strong focus on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and celebrating the ADA's 20th anniversary as well as provide us the opportunity to bring advocates from across the state together to start finalizing the legislative priorities Montana's Centers for Independent Living will be focusing on during the 2011 Legislative Session.
If you are interested in attending this year's symposium, please contact the Summit office in Missoula or, if you do not live in Summit's service area, the IL Center closest to you for more information.
There will also be sponsorship and vendor opportunities at this years symposium. If you or your business, organization, or agency are interested in having a vendor booth at the July symposium to give out information, demonstrate a product, or to simply just promote yourself, please visit our sponsorship/vendor information page or contact the Summit office in Missoula for availability and pricing.
Agenda coming soon!
2010 Statewide Independent Living Youth Symposium
Following the Statewide Independent Living Symposium on July 26th and 27th, there will be a Youth Post-Symposium entitled You Have the Power! To Transform the Future. The Youth Post-Symposium will be held on the morning of July 28th at the Hilton Garden Inn in Missoula and will end at the 20th ADA Anniversary celebration at the Out-tTo-Lunch event at Caras Park.
- No Registration Fee for Youth (up to age 30)
- Limited Travel Scholarships Available
- Connect with young leaders with disabilities from across the state
- Expand on your Leader ship Skills
- What does Independent Living mean for you?
For More information contact Mike Beers or Mary Olson at Summit's Missoula office.
Agenda coming soon!
Celebrating 20 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act
On the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Montana's Centers for Independent Living will hold a celebration of the ADA where we will reflect on where we were, celebrate how far we've come, and reaffirm our commitment to move forward in our work towards ensuring that all Americans, including people with disabilities, have full access to their rights of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” through full participation and equal opportunities in all areas of life.
Upon passage of the ADA on July 26th, 1990, President George H.W. Bush described the ADA as "the world's first comprehensive declaration of the equality of people with disabilities," declaring that "every man woman and child with a disability can now pass through once closed doors, into a bright new era of equality, independence and freedom."
Since that July day 20 years ago, a lot has changed. It is now illegal for the government and employers to discriminate on the basis of disability, public places and businesses must now be accessible to people with disabilities, educational services must be available to and usable by people with disabilities, and more. However, some of this change has been slow and much is yet to be done. Many communities still have a long ways to go to becoming fully accessible and all to often disability still carries with it a negative connotation in society.
Yet, while there is still much more work for us to do for millions of Americans with disabilities to realize the full potential of the ADA, we have come a long way since 1990 and with the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act fast approaching, we have plenty to celebrate and on July 26, 2010, we will do just that.
The first of two Americans with Disabilities Act 20th Anniversary celebrations will take place on Monday, July 26th, 2010 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm near the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula in Missoula. The celebration will include barbeque and other good food, speakers, activities and music.
The second ADA celebration will be held in partnership with the Missoula Out-To-Lunch event following the Youth Symposium on Wednesday, July 28th, 2010 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm during the Out-To-Lunch event at Caras Park.
Everyone is welcomed and encouraged to join us for both events as we celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. For more information about both of these events, please contact the Summit office in Missoula.