If you read me, you know I promised to break down the new letter from Liberators4Justice asking all to sign a recommitment letter to the Independent Living Movement. I want to talk about the second part of the recommitment letter, Non-Conflicted Services
The big bullets are:
- Civil Rights & Disability Justice
- Disability Leadership and Staffing
- Choice, Control & Community Supported Self-Determination
- Advocacy
- Deinstitutionalization
- Non-Conflicted Services
- Financial Equity and Integration
- Respect & Empathy
Let’s talk about the Sixth bullet, Non-Conflicted Services
The letter says the following:
“We commit to having in place rigorous conflict of interest (COI) policies and procedures that forbid staff, board members or affiliates from supporting systems, policies, programs, or practices that are counterproductive to the IL movement, such as:
- serving on the boards of long-term care facilities, intermediate care facilities, sheltered workshops or other segregated and financially exploitive institutions
- holding financial interests in these institutions or in entities that significantly invest in such institutions;
- serving as professional guardians, conservators or surrogates for another adult;
- delivering guardianship services or entering into partnerships with entities that provide guardianship services.”
Talking Points
- What Non-Conflicted Services Means:
- Making sure Independent Living Centers (CILs) and Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILCs) are free from financial or leadership ties that undermine disability rights and self-determination.
- Requiring clear policies and enforcement around conflict of interest—especially where money, influence, or leadership positions are involved.
- Ensuring IL organizations aren’t connected to systems or services that promote segregation, institutionalization, or exploitation.
- Where Conflicts Can Show Up:
- Board members or staff serving on boards of long-term care facilities, group homes, or sheltered workshops.
- Staff or leadership holding financial investments in companies that run these types of institutions.
- IL organizations themselves partnering with or providing guardianship services, which can directly contradict self-determination principles.
- Why This Matters for IL Organizations:
- It protects the trust and credibility of IL organizations in their communities.
- It prevents mission drift—making sure IL stays focused on rights and choice, not financial gain or system appeasement.
- It helps ensure all advocacy and service delivery comes from a place of true independence and alignment with the movement’s values.
We can promote a more inclusive and equitable society where individuals with disabilities have the opportunity to live with dignity, autonomy, and full participation in their communities. And when I say we, I mean all of us. We are all responsible to make the world the best place for everyone in it. And remembering that equal rights for one group does NOT diminish the equal rights of another.
The letter to commit to standing behind and reigniting the Independent Living Movement is still taking sign-ons. You can find the full letter here and make the choice to sign on if you wish. Go to the letter and signature page of the IL Movement Recommitment Letter.
Want to talk about it? Reach out to The Information Tamer.
