Michigan CILs are scrambling to demonstrate that their organizations are
staffed and directed by a majority of people with significant disabilities.
In response to Peer Action Alliance’s advocacy to bring consumer control to
Michigan’s Independent Living Program, state regulators at Michigan
Rehabilitation
Services have begun an administrative review of Michigan Centers for
Independent Living (CILs).
Right on cue, the non-disabled Executive Director of Muskegon’s CIL –
Disability Network West Michigan –
has begun identifying as disabled
in order to keep her illegitimate paycheck. Instead of making good faith
efforts to recruit, hire, and promote people with significant disabilities as
required
by law, Michigan CILs have decided to fabricate the illusion of compliance by
asking non-disabled individuals to identify any diagnosis that might legitimize
them as members of the disability community.
Tamera Collier, Executive Director of
Disability Network West Michigan,
has repeatedly confirmed to local advocates that she is not a person with a
disability.
“This is a tremendous insult to our intelligence,” said local Independent
Living Advocate Eleanor Canter. “Are we to understand that she’s had a recent
epiphany, seemingly inspired by nothing but an attempt to shield herself from
criticism?
“The solution to a lack of consumer control isn’t to convince non-disabled
people that they are disabled. That solves nothing. The solution is to hire and
appoint people with significant disabilities to control our CILs. Disability
Network West Michigan has learned to talk the talk but they cannot walk the
walk until they begin recruiting, hiring, and promoting people with significant
disabilities to lead the organization – as required by law.
“Ms. Collier will be welcomed as a member of the disability community when she
begins to work as an ally instead of an adversary. Appropriating disability
identity as an excuse to continue excluding people with significant
disabilities from our Center for Independent Living will not be tolerated.”
Diagnosis is not the same as disability. The Rehabilitation Act defines
significant disability for the purpose of consumer control in Centers for
Independent
Living:
“This refers to an individual with a severe physical, mental, cognitive or
sensory impairment whose ability to function independently in the family or
community
or whose ability to obtain, maintain, or advance in employment is substantially
limited and for whom the delivery of IL services will improve the ability
to function, continue functioning, or move toward functioning independently in
the family or community or to continue in employment.”
We will know that Muskegon’s CIL is consumer controlled when people with
significant disabilities are welcomed into the organization. We demand that
Disability
Network West Michigan:
List of 4 items
• End discrimination against people with significant disabilities in employment,
• Allow members of the disability community to apply to sit on the Board of
Directors,
• Post job openings publicly where people with disabilities can find them,
• Work with Muskegon’s disability community to establish advocacy priorities
and address our significant concerns about misuse of state and federal dollars
reserved for organizations controlled by local disability communities.
list end
Local advocates pledge to continue the campaign for consumer control until our
Center for Independent Living comes into full compliance with the law. We
will not be fooled by this pathetic mockery of Independent Living principles.
