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

2025 at The IC: Reflections from CEO Indy Frazee

[Image description: The IC's CEO Indy Frazee, wearing a blue t-shirt which says The Independence Center on the front, stands with her arm around Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade. He is wearing a red sport coat with a stars and stripes tie].

As 2025 comes to a close, I am deeply grateful for the progress we’ve made together this year. Our Team’s dedication has driven meaningful change: improving accessibility with building upgrades, strengthening our advocacy, and deepening partnerships across our community. We celebrated legislative wins, launched strategic planning for the future, and marked the 35th anniversary of the ADA with a joyful gathering that showcased our unity and pride.

Innovation and inclusion have guided our work, from exploring new technologies to ensuring the voices of those we serve remain central to our mission. We welcomed new Board members, built momentum in our programs, and continued to champion accessible housing, technology, and supports for individuals with disabilities.

Our Culture of respect and collaboration has been recognized with the 2025 Gazette’s Best Workplaces Bronze award, a testament to the extraordinary environment we’ve built together. Every achievement this year reflects our commitment to being Known, Valued, and Included.

Looking ahead, I am energized by the possibilities before us. Together, we’ve laid a strong foundation for 2026, and I am excited to see what we will accomplish as we continue to advance independence, inclusion, and opportunity for all.

Cheers to closing out 2025 strong and to embracing 2026 with the confidence we can achieve anything that comes our way together!

In gratitude,

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

The IC is One of the Best Workplaces in Colorado Springs!

[Image description: A graphic of an award ribbon that says "Best Workplaces 2025" and "The Gazette." Below, text says "We won! Thank you to our employees for making us one of the Best Workplaces."]

The IC was once again voted one of the Best Workplaces in Colorado Springs in the Gazette's annual survey! We're proud to have an incredible group of dedicated, passionate Team members who make The IC an amazing place to work. This recognition reflects the intentional investment our organization makes every day to create a Culture where every Team member feels Known, Valued, and Included.

The Gazette's article as well as the video linked below celebrate this accomplishment and feature several members of our team sharing how our Culture impacts their happiness and satisfaction at work. The article also highlights how our Culture inspires people to stay with The IC for the long term.

The article can be found at this link: https://issuu.com/springsgazette/docs/best_workplaces_2025

The video can be found at this link: https://vimeo.com/1136206882/2ae54f9a6f

Want to join our Team? For more information on what makes The IC a great place to work and see our current employment opportunities, click on the following link:

https://www.theindependencecenter.org/employment/

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

Do You Love The IC?

Vote For Us!

[Image description: The logo of The IC next to text that says "Vote The Independence Center for Best Home Care Company & Best In-Home Care Provider." Below, a smiling young woman hugs the shoulders of an older smiling woman from behind.

Thanks to all of you, The IC has been recognized with several "Best Of" awards over the years. Now we have another chance to shine in the Colorado Springs Gazette’s "Best of the Springs" awards!

This year, The IC is nominated for Best In-Home Care Provider & Best Home Care Company. If you’d like to help us go for gold (or silver! or bronze!), it just takes a couple of minutes to cast your vote.

Voting ends on January 11, 2026.

Click on this link to vote: https://gazette.revfluent.com/bestof/portal/a252063b-1b09-4724-89e6-39165601e509

New Accessible Vans for Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation, & Cultural Services

[Image description: An image of two accessible vans in a parking lot parked facing each other. Text overlaid over the image says "Slide to the left... [a bus emoji, a yellow heart emoji] Slide to the right... [an accessible icon emoji] Everybody ride!"

The Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services is adding three new accessible vans to help more members of the community participate in Recreation Division programming. The vans were made possible through a combination of donations from city departments and members of the community.

“These can create more access to our department programs, including for those who use wheelchairs,” the department said in its newsletter. “This upgrade reflects our continued commitment to accessibility and inclusion.”

The department’s Facebook page posted a reel showcasing the new vans and their accessibility features. Watch by following this link: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1543333246797523

See what programs and activities the Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services offers here: https://coloradosprings.gov/recreation

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

The International Day of Persons With Disabilities

[Image description: The Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres, an elderly man with swooping gray hair wearing a dark suit, sits behind a computer screen and microphone and in front of a blue backdrop with the white logo of the United Nations.]

Every December 3, the United Nations (U.N.) promotes a worldwide campaign advocating for the rights of people with disabilities, called the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The day is focused on raising awareness of how people with disabilities must be included in social, cultural, and economic life around the world.

This year's theme is "Fostering disability-inclusive societies for advancing social progress." This is part of our mission at The IC: when people with disabilities are able to live independently and participate fully in their communities, everyone benefits regardless of ability.

To find out what The U.N.'s strategy for making our societies more inclusive of people with disabilities involves, and to see how they observed this year's International Day of Persons with Disabilities, go to this link:

https://www.un.org/en/observances/day-of-persons-with-disabilities

In his annual report on the U.N.'s progress towards their goal of full inclusion, Secretary-General António Guterres pointed out that disability inclusion must become “everyone’s business," and we at The IC couldn't agree more. Let's all work together to make a world where everyone, regardless of ability, is Known, Valued, and Included!

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

The IC Fund Enables Accessibility

$100,000 available for independence-promoting projects improving access for people with disabilities

[Image description: A smiling man with closed eyes and wearing a cap sits in a black and yellow offroad vehicle. Another man with a beard and a baseball cap stands next to the vehicle gesturing towards the controls.]

The Independence Center (The IC) helps create independence and accessibility for people with disabilities. However, we don't only work with individuals; we also support a variety of community projects and organizations through The IC Fund. The Fund awards grants to local-area, non profit organizations for specific projects which will promote independence and increase accessibility for people with disabilities. Applications for the 2026 grant cycle will be open from January 5 through January 30.

In the past, IC Fund grants have paid for things like accessible medical equipment (including wheelchair-accessible exam tables and scales), wheelchair lifts, building and landscape modifications, and outreach programs, to name only a few. Applications aren't limited to a few specific types of projects, but instead are evaluated based on factors such as community impact and alignment with the mission and vision of The IC.

Go to this link for more information about The IC Fund, including eligibility guidelines, and instructions for how to apply:

https://www.theindependencecenter.org/about-us/the-ic-fund/

Applications will be reviewed in February, and grant funds will be awarded in March.

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

The IC's Holiday Schedule

[Image description: Over a blank blue background, The IC's logo and text that says "Holiday office closure."]

As we approach the end of the year, we would like to share our upcoming holiday office closures to help our Consumers and visitors plan accordingly:


The IC offices will be CLOSED Thursday, December 25 through Thursday, January 1, 2026

Our staff will be available remotely on Friday, January 2, 2026; however, our building is closed to the public on Fridays and the building will not be open.


We will resume regular office hours on Monday, January 5, 2026.


We appreciate your understanding and wish you a joyful and peaceful holiday season!

[Image description: A man with short brown hair wearing a short-sleeved polo 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"]