Building a world where everyone is Known, Valued, & Included

Congratulations to Edgar Morales, Chair of Colorado SILC

[Image description: Outside standing on a sidewalk, with trees in the background, a man with short dark hair wearing dark glasses and a blue collared shirt smiles for the camera.]

We're proud to celebrate Edgar Morales, The IC's Independent Living Skills Specialist, becoming the Chair of the Colorado Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC)! In this role, Edgar will help strengthen independent living efforts and increase disability inclusion across Colorado.

Edgar has been a key member of The IC's Independent Living Team for years, teaching skills classes and providing trainings both at our building and around the Pikes Peak Region. Our Consumers and our Team all love Edgar, and he is a natural choice for this position!

To learn more about what SILC is, what they do, and how you can get involved, visit their website here: https://coloradosilc.org/

Congratulations, Edgar!

[Image description: A man with short brown hair wearing a short sleeved black shirt signs in American Sign Language.]

Standing Up for People with Disabilities at DRAD

[Image description: In the Colorado State Capitol building, seven people smile for the camera. Five have visible IC name badges and one is using a wheelchair.]

On Thursday, February 12, Team members from The IC joined partner organizations from across Colorado at the State Capitol building in Denver to observe and celebrate Disability Rights Advocacy Day (DRAD).

For the past several years, DRAD has been an opportunity to provide visibility and voice to people with disabilities - and the organizations which represent them - to all levels of government in Colorado.

This year, the event featured disability advocates and organizers as well as several Colorado representatives, all of whom outlined upcoming legislation and action being taken to increase accessibility in Colorado. The event was organized by the Boulder-based Center for People With Disabilities (CPWD). Like The IC, CPWD is a Center for Independent Living (CIL), and we're grateful for their hard work making this event happen.

CPWD released a video with highlights and footage from the event at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3Sv3j6ZeF4

This meeting of Colorado's various disability advocates and organizations was a powerful and inspiring reminder of the achievements which have been won, as well as the work yet to do. We encourage everyone to become an advocate, whether through systems-level advocacy or self-advocacy. Let your voice be heard! 

The IC was grateful to participate this year and we're excited for DRAD 2027!

[Image description: A man with short brown hair wearing a short sleeved black shirt signs in American Sign Language.]

Another Exciting Winter Paralympics

[Image description: The opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Paralympics. The Italian delegation is marching out, which has several dozen people, most holding Italian flags. Six of the Italian Paralympians are using wheelchairs.]

Image courtesy of the International Paralympic Committee

The 2026 Winter Paralympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, wrapped up on March 15. As always, this year's Winter Paralympic Games were a spectacular showcase of talent and determination, featuring hundreds of athletes from around the globe competing in a diverse range of winter sports. Since their inception in 1976, the Winter Paralympic Games have celebrated athletic excellence among athletes with physical disabilities.

The Paralympic Games began in 1960 and were focused exclusively on athletes who used wheelchairs, but the 1976 Winter Paralympic Games were the first to expand to allow athletes with other physical disabilities. Since 1992, the Winter Paralympics have been held in the same host city as the Winter Olympic Games, and now these monumental sporting events are intertwined.

The People's Republic of China took home the most medals in this year's events, winning a total of 44, with the United States of America coming in second in the medal count with 24 medals.

Congratulations to all the Paralympians from around the world and to Team USA!

If you'd like to learn more about the Paralympic Games, plan a visit the United States Olympic and Paralympic Museum right here in Colorado Springs! The museum features accessible media, audio descriptions, open caption and American Sign Language (ASL) on video content, and additional accessibility services. 

You can find more info at their website here: https://usopm.org/plan-your-visit/accessibility-and-inclusive-design/

[Image description: A man with short brown hair wearing a short sleeved black shirt signs in American Sign Language.]

Visit Colorado Springs: Adventures In Accessibility with the Rocky Mountain ADA Center

[Image description: A photo of a smiling woman with glasses and a black headband above the text "Adventures in Accessibility".]

Image courtesy of Rocky Mountain ADA Center

Tune in to the Rocky Mountain ADA Center’s latest podcast episode to hear a behind-the-scenes look at accessibility improvements and happenings around the Pikes Peak Region. Sheridan Powell, the Communications Manager at Visit Colorado Springs, chats about the organization’s accessibility initiatives as well as ongoing community collaborations! 

You can listen to it ro at this link: https://rockymountainada.org/podcast/ep-85-sheridan-powell

To learn more about the accessible attractions and activities available throughout our city, visit this link: https://www.visitcos.com/travel-tools/accessible-cos/

[Image description: A man with short brown hair wearing a short sleeved black shirt signs in American Sign Language.]

Peer Support Calendar

Classes and events at The IC provide opportunities to learn new skills, meet new people, and try new things in a supportive environment! An up-to-date listing of classes and events can always be found on our website's event calendar:

https://www.theindependencecenter.org/

[Image description: The logo of The IC next to a QR code. Below, the words "We're hiring" and "Scan to apply! Or visit the-ic.org/employment"]