Since its founding in 1982, The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) has advanced the rights of people with disabilities, envisioning a world in which this community of more than 61 million people has access to independent living and full, equal participation in society.
NCIL, a grassroots organization run by and for people with disabilities, represents thousands of organizations and individuals with and without disabilities, including Centers for Independent Living (CILs), Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILCs), and other groups advocating for the human and civil rights of people with disabilities throughout the United States.
For more than 40 years, NCIL Executive Director Theo W. Braddy has advocated on behalf of people with disabilities. Braddy served as CEO of the Center for Independent Living of Central Pennsylvania from 1988 to 2019 and started the Living Well with a Disability Initiative. Braddy has also served as a Commissioner for the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, on the Pennsylvania Statewide Independent Living Council, and on the State Board of Vocational Rehabilitation. In 2022, Braddy was selected by Senator Robert Casey, Jr. as one of four Black leaders in Pennsylvania who has demonstrated power and persistence in overcoming challenges and creating meaningful change in the state. His contribution was acknowledged on the Senate floor at a congressional hearing.
In this conversation, Braddy shares his thoughts on the current threats to the rights of people with disabilities and discusses where NCIL will focus its efforts in the coming year — and what advocates and allies can do to help.
ADA Watch: Thanks for talking with us, Theo. What are NCIL’s top priorities right now?
Theo W. Braddy: Many of our priorities can be found here. While until recently, our legislative priorities have focused on supporting independent living through bills aimed at expanding funding for home- and community-based services, things have shifted due to the Trump administration agenda and executive orders that have widespread ramifications for people with disabilities and the independent living network. This has caused NCIL to refocus our efforts on the protection and preservation of the basic civil rights of people with disabilities, amid rising threats to key legislation and programs, including the Department of Health and Human Services restructuring that includes ACL, Rehabilitation Act’s Section 504, Medicaid, Olmstead, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Affordable Care Act.
ADAW: Given this shift, what will NCIL focus on in the upcoming year?
TWB: Our goal now is to ensure that independent living funding is maintained with no major cuts, and to reduce the harm caused by the new administration’s rollout of an agenda that threatens people with disabilities and other marginalized groups.
We must stand together and become louder to amplify the positive changes that have resulted from valuing all of America’s diverse citizens.
ADAW: What would you describe as the most critical threats to disability rights and justice that have occurred at the start of the second Trump administration?
TWB: Many leaders and decision-makers who have power and influence have completely bought into the belief that society has become too “woke” — a term that originally had a positive, socially conscious meaning. It was a call to be aware of social injustices, particularly racism, and a way to describe people who were aware of and actively addressing issues of racial, social, and economic injustice.
Now, “woke” has been politicized and weaponized in politics and media. What was once a rallying cry for awareness and justice has been distorted and is being used to dismiss or ridicule efforts for social change.
This is why in the lawsuit Texas vs Becerra, 17 states are currently suing the federal government arguing that Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act — which protects people with disabilities from discrimination — is unconstitutional. They are counting on the politically charged belief that America has become too “woke” and we don’t need to do the things 504 calls for, that it requires too much — that people with disabilities don’t contribute to the betterment of society, we are a drain on budgets, and we should be institutionalized, locked away. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) will be the next target.
ADAW: How do attacks on DEIA initiatives or programs play into this?
TWB: Attacks on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility are another way of controlling groups of people who are devalued within society. When we are devalued, money does not need to be allocated because we become less of a priority.
Like the term “woke,” “diversity,” “equity,” “inclusion,” and “accessibility” have been turned into negative words. The movement is a slippery slope, reminiscent of the “Ugly Laws” of the past, which made it unlawful for a person with a disability to be seen in public view. The hands of time are being turned back.
ADAW: How has your organization and the broader disability rights community responded to these threats so far? Given all that is at stake, why is collaborating across the disability community vital right now?
TWB: We are organizing and collectively gathering our resources. When called upon, we must rally together and combat this movement that aims to return to a time when we were hidden away.
Some may say I am exaggerating. I am not. The writing is on the wall – there is a serious threat to what we have gained and what we can easily lose.
When called upon, we must rally together and combat this movement that aims to return to a time when we were hidden away. Some may say I am exaggerating. I am not. The writing is on the wall – there is a serious threat to what we have gained and what we can easily lose.
ADAW: What actions can advocates and allies take to help advance NCIL and the disability community’s work right now and as the year unfolds?
TWB: Watch for NCIL’s calls to action. Look for our webinar updates on these issues, and keep us informed of what is happening in your states. Many times it will be a state fight as well as a federal fight.
Throughout the year, ADA Watch will watch for and share NCIL calls to action and events.
- Visit the NCIL website and sign up to receive updates and learn more about how to become a member.
- Sign up for email updates from ADA Watch about protecting the rights and freedoms that allow people with disabilities to live, learn, and work.
