Motherhood has always been a story of improvisation, courage, and unseen labor. But when disability intersects with motherhood — whether in the mother herself, her child, or her community — the story becomes even richer, more intricate, more demanding of the kind of perseverance that builds legacies in silence.
As we approach Mother’s Day, it’s important to acknowledge an often overlooked truth: that many mothers in our communities are engaged daily in strategic living.
They are not only caregivers. They are advocates. They are navigators of invisible systems. They are builders of possibility in landscapes shaped by inaccessibility, misunderstanding, and, too often, indifference.’
For mothers living with disabilities, the world often demands more than should ever be asked. They must raise families while educating schools, employers, policymakers, and even strangers, about their worth and needs. They must plan, adapt, negotiate, and sometimes fight, simply to have the same opportunities that others take for granted.
For mothers raising children with disabilities, every small victory — an accessible playground, a supportive teacher, a working elevator — feels monumental. The work is not just at the bedside or the breakfast table; it is also in the letters written, the meetings attended, the systems challenged, and the dreams defended, day after day.
These mothers are tacticians of resilience. They know how to reimagine plans at a moment’s notice, endure when endurance feels impossible, and celebrate every achievement, however small, with a joy sharpened by the required effort.
At LIFTT, we understand that independence is not a solo journey — it is a collective act, sustained by communities, families, and, very often, by the strategic wisdom of mothers who refuse to give up on a future where all people can belong, thrive, and lead.
This Mother’s Day, we honor these architects of hope. We celebrate their quiet rebellions against barriers, their fierce defense of dignity, and their relentless shaping of spaces where independence is not a dream but a right.
Their work is not always visible, but everywhere—in every ramp built, every opportunity opened, and every life lifted higher.
Happy Mother’s Day to all who mother, nurture resilience, and believe in a world made more inclusive by love and perseverance.
With deep gratitude and respect,
Carlos Ramalho, Executive Director, Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT)
Carlos can be reached at (406) 294-5190 or carlosr@liftt.org
About Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT): LIFTT is a Montana 501(c)3 corporation organized as a Center for Independent Living (CIL). With team members based in Billings and Glendive, LIFTT provides aging and disabled members of the community with programs and services that help empower them to break down the physical, bureaucratic, and cultural barriers that prevent them from being fully independent participants in their lives and communities throughout 18 counties in southeastern and south-central Montana: Big Horn, Carbon, Carter, Custer, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Golden Valley, McCone, Musselshell, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Rosebud, Stillwater, Treasure, Wibaux, and Yellowstone. For more information, please visit liftt.org or download our mobile app for your Apple or Android Device.
