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LIFTT Team attends the MT IL Symposium

50 Years Strong, Still Moving Forward

The LIFTT team gathered at the 2026 Montana Independent Living Symposium in Billings, surrounded by moments of learning, advocacy, disability leadership, participation, and joy.

For two remarkable days, August 18 and 19, 2026, the entire LIFTT team stepped away from its regular routines and gathered in Billings with advocates from across the state for the 2026 Montana Independent Living Symposium: “50 Years Strong, Empowering Independence, Driving Change.”

This was much more than a professional conference. It was a celebration of a movement, a classroom for the present, and a workshop for imagining the future.

For 50 years, the Independent Living movement has challenged society to understand that disabled people are not problems to be managed, but citizens entitled to direct their own lives, make their own choices, participate fully in their communities, and help shape the policies that affect them. The symposium honored that history while asking an equally important question: What must we do next?

For LIFTT, bringing the entire team to the symposium was an investment in that future.

Learning Together Strengthens Our Work

LIFTT’s employees serve consumers in many different ways. Some provide Independent Living services, employment support, transportation, personal-care assistance, advocacy, outreach, data management, administration, and other essential programs. Although our responsibilities may differ, we share one mission: empowering aging and disabled people to live independently through education, support, and opportunity.

Attending the symposium together allowed us to listen, learn, exchange ideas, and see how every part of our organization contributes to that mission. Professional development is not time away from LIFTT’s work: it is part of the work. When the entire team learns together, we return with a stronger shared language, a broader understanding of disability rights, and a renewed commitment to the people and communities we serve.

The symposium opened with a celebration of five decades of Independent Living in Montana. Participants reflected on the courage, persistence, and advocacy that built the movement while also considering the challenges and possibilities ahead.

From History to Action

Throughout the two-day gathering, LIFTT team members participated in presentations, panels, task forces, and breakout conversations covering many of the issues at the heart of Independent Living.

Sessions examined the future of Independent Living over the next five years, legislative advocacy, youth transition, grassroots organizing, coalition building, and the power of telling our stories. A keynote presentation by Jessica Podesva, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy for the National Council on Independent Living, connected local community experiences with the larger national movement for disability rights and equality.

The symposium also created opportunities for focused work through task forces addressing: (a) Community living; (b) Native American engagement; (c) Accessible transportation; (d) Self-advocacy; and (e) Youth employment and transition.

These are not abstract subjects for LIFTT. They are part of the realities our consumers encounter every day.

Accessible transportation can determine whether someone reaches work, a medical appointment, a grocery store, or a community event. Youth transition services can influence whether a young person enters adulthood with choices and support. Self-advocacy can transform a person’s relationship with schools, employers, healthcare providers, public agencies, and the wider community. Coalition building can turn one person’s concern into lasting systems change.

The symposium reminded us that Independent Living is both deeply personal and unmistakably public. It begins with individual choice, but it also requires accessible communities, responsive institutions, informed public policy, and the removal of barriers that prevent full participation.

Disability Leadership at the Center

One of the symposium’s most meaningful qualities was the visibility of disabled people as leaders, presenters, advocates, professionals, and experts in their own lives.

Independent Living has always insisted upon a simple but revolutionary principle: decisions affecting disabled people must not be made without disabled people at the table. The movement is grounded in consumer control, dignity of risk, self-determination, peer support, and the conviction that lived experience is a vital form of knowledge.

The presentations and conversations in Billings brought those principles to life. They also challenged all of us to continue examining our own work: Are we listening carefully enough? Are consumers directing their own goals? Are our programs truly accessible? Are we building opportunities, or unintentionally creating new barriers? Are we telling our stories in ways that change public understanding and public policy?

These are questions LIFTT must continue asking, not only during a symposium, but every day.

A Team Renewed

The photographs capture something the formal agenda cannot fully express: colleagues learning together, people sharing their experiences, advocates leading conversations, and a great deal of laughter along the way.

There was joy in the room, and that matters.

Movements are sustained not only by policies, meetings, and strategic plans, but also by relationships. They grow when people recognize one another, exchange stories, discover common purpose, and remember that difficult work can also be hopeful work.

The symposium gave LIFTT’s team time to strengthen those relationships and recognize how much we accomplish together. It reminded us that no single employee, program, or office carries LIFTT’s mission alone. Each person contributes something necessary to the whole.

Carrying the Experience Forward

The value of the symposium will ultimately be measured by what happens after we return to our offices and communities.

LIFTT’s team returns from the 2026 Independent Living Symposium with new knowledge, stronger connections, important questions, and renewed energy. We will carry these lessons into our work with consumers, our community partnerships, our advocacy, our transportation initiatives, our employment and transition services, and every conversation about accessibility and inclusion.

Fifty years of Independent Living in Montana is an extraordinary achievement—but it is not a conclusion. It is a foundation.

The barriers have not disappeared. The work continues. And LIFTT is proud to be part of a movement that remains courageous enough to imagine more, organized enough to demand change, and hopeful enough to build communities in which everyone belongs.

For more information on how to be part of this exciting adventure, please visit www.liftt.org or call one of our offices at (406) 259-5181 in Billings or (406) 948-8500 in Glendive.

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 people with disabilites and aging indivduals with programs, services, resources and advocacy 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

Our Vision: Empowering aging individuals and people with disabilities to LIFTT themselves above the barriers of life.

Our Mission: Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow’s (LIFTT’s) mission as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Center for Independent Living serving Southeastern Montana is to empower aging individuals and people with disabilities to live independently through education, support, and opportunities.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

Living Well, Learning Together, and Preparing for What Comes Next

A group of people in an office setting sitting around a table one is a wheelchair user

Living Well in the Community brings people together to exchange ideas, develop skills, and support one another’s journey toward greater independence. Stock photo by Kampus Production via Pexels.

What does independent living look like in everyday life?

Sometimes it looks like learning a new skill. Sometimes it starts with a conversation, a shared challenge, or realizing others have faced similar barriers. It can also mean developing the confidence to make decisions, advocate for yourself, improve your health, and participate more fully in your community.

These ideas were at the heart of LIFTT’s work with the Montana Disability and Health Program during the program year that ran from August 1, 2025, through July 31, 2026.

Living Well in the Community

One of the year’s central activities was Living Well in the Community, commonly known as LWC. This peer-led program helps people with disabilities explore practical ways to strengthen their health, independence, self-advocacy, problem-solving abilities, and connection with the community.

LIFTT’s trained LWC facilitators, Pam Ramirez, IL Program Manager, Tanya Thomas, Peer Program Coordinator, and Rachial Combs, former IL Specialist, did much more than present information. They created opportunities for participants to learn from one another, identify personal goals, exchange ideas, and recognize their own strengths.

The facilitators also participated in the LWC Rendezvous and bi-monthly facilitator calls. These gatherings connected them with facilitators from other communities, allowing them to share successes, discuss challenges, discover new activities, and learn strategies for engaging people with different experiences, needs, and learning styles.
In other words, the facilitators were learning while they were helping others learn—and everyone benefited from that exchange.

A Small Group with Growing Energy

LIFTT’s fall Living Well workshop began at the Billings office on September 11, 2025, with two participants. As the sessions continued, something encouraging happened: the group grew.

By the third session, four people were participating. All four remained involved through the final session and celebrated their graduation on November 20.

The numbers may appear small, but each one represents a person. Each participant brought personal experiences, questions, challenges, abilities, and goals into the room. Completing the workshop reflected more than attendance; it represented commitment, perseverance, and a willingness to invest in greater independence.

The fall workshop also demonstrated an important lesson: meaningful programs do not always need a large audience to produce a real impact. A small, engaged group can create a supportive environment in which people feel comfortable participating, sharing, and growing together.

When the Second Workshop Did Not Go as Planned

A second Living Well workshop began on May 12, 2026, with three participants. This time, attendance became inconsistent. One participant withdrew early, another missed too many sessions to qualify for a certificate, and the third did not attend the final sessions. Consequently, the workshop did not conclude with graduation.

Although this was disappointing, it was also educational.

Independent Living programs serve people whose lives may be affected by transportation difficulties, health concerns, personal-care needs, housing instability, changing schedules, and many other barriers. Inconsistent attendance does not necessarily mean that participants lacked interest or motivation. It can remind us that making a program available is only the beginning; we must also consider what people need to participate consistently.

The experience will help LIFTT think more carefully about scheduling, communication, transportation, participant follow-up, accessibility, and other forms of support when planning future workshops.

Accessibility Requires More Than Good Intentions

LIFTT also designated Jed Barton as its Accessibility Ambassador. This role supports the important work of identifying physical, communication, and programmatic barriers that may prevent disabled people from participating fully in community life.

The year’s original plans included completing two ADA assessments or accessibility audits. These assessments were not completed because of reduced staffing, competing program responsibilities, additional training needs, and unexpected operational demands.

The delay provides another valuable lesson: accessibility reviews must be supported by trained people, sufficient time, careful documentation, and clear organizational planning. Accessibility is too important to approach casually. A meaningful assessment should do more than identify a doorway, counter, restroom, sign, or pathway that may be difficult to use. It should help an organization understand how its environment and practices affect real people.

LIFTT intends to carry this understanding into its future accessibility work.

Learning from What We Completed, and What We Did Not

The year-end report also records that LIFTT did not complete a planned Linkage Wellness Workshop and did not participate in the Montana Disability and Inclusive Health Summit.

A report should not hide what remains unfinished. Instead, it should help an organization understand where its plans met reality, where barriers emerged, and what must change.

That is one of the most useful purposes of evaluation. It is not simply a checklist of successes and shortcomings. It is a tool for learning.

During this program year, LIFTT saw how an engaged Living Well group can grow and succeed. We also saw how inconsistent attendance can prevent a promising workshop from reaching completion. We strengthened our facilitators’ knowledge through statewide connections, while recognizing that staffing capacity and additional preparation will be necessary to complete future accessibility assessments and wellness activities.

The Work Continues

Independent living is not a destination that someone reaches after attending a single workshop. It is an ongoing process of making choices, building skills, navigating barriers, discovering resources, advocating for change, and participating in community life.

The same is true for organizations.

LIFTT celebrates the four people who completed the fall Living Well workshop and the facilitators who guided and encouraged them. We appreciate every person who participated in either workshop, including those who were unable to complete the program. Their experiences help us understand how our services can become more responsive and accessible.

We also recognize the work that remains before us.

The past year gave LIFTT accomplishments worth celebrating, challenges worth examining, and lessons worth carrying forward. That combination—achievement, honesty, learning, and renewed effort—is how organizations grow.

And it is how we continue building communities in which aging and disabled people have the knowledge, opportunities, support, and freedom to live well and independently.

For more information about LWC, visit liftt.org or call one of our offices at (406) 259-5181 in Billings or (406) 948-8500 in Glendive.

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 people with disabilites and aging indivduals with programs, services, resources and advocacy 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

Our Vision: Empowering aging individuals and people with disabilities to LIFTT themselves above the barriers of life.

Our Mission: Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow’s (LIFTT’s) mission as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Center for Independent Living serving Southeastern Montana is to empower aging individuals and people with disabilities to live independently through education, support, and opportunities.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

Seeing Ability Beyond Disability

When people hear the word disability, they often think first about limitations. But disability is simply one part of the human experience. Millions of people live with physical, intellectual, sensory, or invisible disabilities, contributing to their families, workplaces, schools, and communities every day.

Unfortunately, stigma continues to create barriers that are often more challenging than the disability itself. Misunderstandings, stereotypes, and assumptions can lead to exclusion, discrimination, or the belief that someone with a disability is less capable. These attitudes can affect opportunities for employment, education, healthcare, and social connection.

The truth is that disability does not define a person’s worth, intelligence, or potential. Every individual has unique strengths, talents, and perspectives. Many innovations, works of art, scientific discoveries, and acts of leadership have come from people who live with disabilities. Their success reminds us that ability comes in many forms.

When we replace stigma with understanding, we create a community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Instead of seeing disability as a weakness, we can recognize it as one of the many ways people experience the world. By embracing differences and focusing on shared humanity, we build stronger, kinder, and more welcoming communities for all.

Here in Eastern Montana, Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow (LIFTT) is helping turn those opportunities into reality. With offices in Glendive and Billings, LIFTT empowers people with disabilities and older adults to live independently by providing information and referrals, advocacy, independent living skills training, peer support, and assistance in accessing housing, transportation, employment, and other community resources. LIFTT serves residents across southeastern Montana while working to remove the physical, social, and attitudinal barriers that stand in the way of full community participation.

Creating a more inclusive community begins with each of us. By challenging stereotypes, using respectful language, and recognizing the strengths and abilities of every individual, we help build a community where everyone belongs. Organizations like LIFTT remind us that independence, dignity, and opportunity should be available to all. When we replace stigma with understanding, we create a stronger, more welcoming Glendive and Eastern Montana for everyone.

Thomas Wilker is an Independent Living Specialist based out of LIFTT’s Glendive Office.

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 people with disabilites and aging indivduals with programs, services, resources and advocacy 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

Our Vision: Empowering aging individuals and people with disabilities to LIFTT themselves above the barriers of life.

Our Mission: Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow’s (LIFTT’s) mission as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Center for Independent Living serving Southeastern Montana is to empower aging individuals and people with disabilities to live independently through education, support, and opportunities.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

Free Seed Envelopes at Seed Saving Workshop 9/12

Garrett Mills, Chair of LIFTT’s Board of Directors, will bring several hundred practical, resealable seed envelopes to share with participants at the Community Seed Library’s Seed Saving Workshop on Saturday, September 12, from 10-11:30 a.m. at the Billings Public Library. Photo courtesy of Garett Mills.

Plant a Little Knowledge Today and Grow Something Wonderful Tomorrow

Every seed carries a story. It remembers the plant from which it came, holds the promise of another growing season, and reminds us that even the smallest beginning can produce something extraordinary.

On Saturday, September 12, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to noon, the Billings Community Seed Library will present Basic Seed Saving in the Community Room of the Billings Public Library, located at 510 North Broadway in Billings.

During this informative presentation, participants will learn how to collect, save, and properly store seeds from heirloom vegetables and native plants. The workshop will explore plant life cycles, the differences between hybrids and heirloom varieties, effective harvesting techniques, and helpful germination methods for the next growing season.

Whether you are an experienced gardener or planting your first vegetables and flowers, seed saving offers a practical, rewarding way to become more self-sufficient, preserve favorite plants, reduce future gardening costs, and share something valuable with neighbors and friends. It is also a wonderful reminder that sustainability often begins with simple actions taken close to home.

LIFTT will be represented at the workshop by Garrett Mills, Chair of LIFTT’s Board of Directors, who plans to attend and bring a special gift for participants. Garrett has obtained several hundred small seed envelopes that he will distribute at no cost while supplies last. The envelopes are practical, resealable, and made with a plastic liner and clear window, making them ideal for organizing, identifying, protecting, and storing seeds for future planting.

Gardening and seed saving reflect many of the values at the heart of Independent Living: knowledge, choice, self-direction, resourcefulness, community participation, and the confidence to create something meaningful. A handful of seeds can become food, flowers, habitat for pollinators, or a gift passed from one gardener to another. It can also become a quiet declaration of hope: there will be another season, and we are preparing for it.

Come learn something new, meet other members of the gardening community, and take home ideas that can continue growing long after the workshop ends. Be sure to find Garrett and pick up some of his seed envelopes before they are gone!

Workshop Information

Basic Seed Saving with the Billings Community Seed Library
Saturday, September 12, 2026
10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Community Room, Billings Public Library
510 North Broadway, Billings, MT 59101

For the official program description and any updated information, visit the Billings Public Library event page or call the library at (406) 657-8258.

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 people with disabilites and aging indivduals with programs, services, resources and advocacy 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

Our Vision: Empowering aging individuals and people with disabilities to LIFTT themselves above the barriers of life.

Our Mission: Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow’s (LIFTT’s) mission as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Center for Independent Living serving Southeastern Montana is to empower aging individuals and people with disabilities to live independently through education, support, and opportunities.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

Boiler Modernization Project on Schedule

The Boiler Modernization project at the Billings LIFTT office remains on schedule as crews remove the old boiler system and install piping and other components of the new system. Photo collage from photos by LIFTT team members.

The Boiler Modernization Project at LIFTT’s Billings office is moving forward as planned. Crews installed new copper piping throughout the building, and the project remains on schedule.

Visible progress is now evident throughout the facility as crews finish installing piping to support the new boiler system, complete electrical connections, and install the water tank and new boilers. We appreciate the patience and cooperation of staff, consumers, and visitors while this important investment in the building’s long-term safety, efficiency, and reliability continues.

Next Phase Begins Tuesday, September 8

Beginning Tuesday, September 8, 2026, crews will install the new water tank and boilers. The old boiler has been removed, and the old boiler room has been completely remodeled. A Montana-certified asbestos abatement contractor completed the asbestos abatement in the work area without incident. Required containment, access controls, and other safety measures were in place. Until the full project is complete, however, staff, consumers, and visitors should continue to follow all posted signs and remain outside restricted work areas. The work is being managed so the building can continue operating safely during this phase.

Temporary Closure of the ADA-Accessible Restroom

The ADA-accessible restroom will be unavailable while the boiler modernization project is completed. If a consumer or community member needing the accessible restroom has an appointment scheduled during this time, LIFTT team members are to coordinate with their supervisor and:

Offer to meet at another accessible location,
Arrange a phone or virtual appointment, or
Reschedule the on-site meeting until the restroom reopens.

Thank You

Thank you for your flexibility as this project moves into its next phase. These temporary disruptions are helping LIFTT complete a major facility improvement that will serve staff, consumers, and the community for years to come.

Questions or concerns?

Please contact LIFTT’s Billings Office at (406) 259-5181 or send us a message at liftt.org/contact.

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 people with disabilites and aging indivduals with programs, services, resources and advocacy 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

Our Vision: Empowering aging individuals and people with disabilities to LIFTT themselves above the barriers of life.

Our Mission: Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow’s (LIFTT’s) mission as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Center for Independent Living serving Southeastern Montana is to empower aging individuals and people with disabilities to live independently through education, support, and opportunities.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

Billings upLIFTT Thrift Manager Sought

Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT) is seeking an experienced, dependable, and community-minded manager to lead the Billings upLIFTT Thrift Store.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with thrift store or retail management experience who wants to support LIFTT’s mission. Revenue generated by upLIFTT helps strengthen the organization’s financial sustainability and supports programs serving people with disabilities throughout our community.

The ideal candidate will be a team player who can think like a manager, make sound decisions, solve problems, and create a welcoming environment for customers, donors, volunteers, and employees. Responsibilities will include overseeing daily store operations, organizing merchandise and donations, supporting and directing team members, providing excellent customer service, and helping the store grow.

The store is located at 1201 Grand Avenue. Regular store hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

If you have the experience, judgment, and leadership skills needed to manage a thrift store, and you would like your work to make a meaningful difference, we encourage you to apply.

For more information about the position or application process, please contact LIFTT’s Human Resources at (406) 259-5181.

Join the upLIFTT team and help turn donated goods into opportunities, independence, and lasting community impact.

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 people with disabilites and aging indivduals with programs, services, resources and advocacy 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

Our Vision: Empowering aging individuals and people with disabilities to LIFTT themselves above the barriers of life.

Our Mission: Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow’s (LIFTT’s) mission as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Center for Independent Living serving Southeastern Montana is to empower aging individuals and people with disabilities to live independently through education, support, and opportunities.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

LIFTT Seeks an Independent Living Specialist

A young African-American woman, sitting on a sofa talks to a white woman seated in a chair across from her. Stock photo by Vitaly Gariev via Pexels

An Independent Living Specialist listens to a consumer and helps identify goals, choices, and community resources. Stock photo by Vitaly Gariev via Pexels.

Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT) is seeking a compassionate, dependable, and community-minded Independent Living Specialist to join our team in Billings.

This full-time position offers an opportunity to make a meaningful difference by helping aging individuals and people with disabilities achieve their goals, make informed choices, and live more independently. The Independent Living Specialist will provide services rooted in self-direction, dignity, inclusion, and the belief that people with disabilities are the experts in their own lives.

As a member of LIFTT’s Independent Living Program Team, the specialist will provide the five core services of independent living: advocacy, information and referral, peer support, independent-living skills training, and transition support. This includes helping consumers develop person-centered Independent Living Plans and connecting them with housing, public benefits, healthcare, accessibility resources, transportation, employment supports, and other community services.

The Independent Living Specialist may meet with consumers in their homes, by telephone, remotely, or at a LIFTT office. The position also involves facilitating classes and workshops on topics such as daily living, budgeting, technology, wellness, disability awareness, and community participation.

Community outreach is another important part of the role. The specialist will represent LIFTT at health fairs, resource expos, community meetings, and educational events while building partnerships throughout LIFTT’s 18-county service area. The position also helps educate the public about disability rights, accessibility, and the Independent Living Philosophy.

The ideal candidate will communicate effectively, maintain accurate and confidential records, work well independently and as part of a team, and build respectful relationships with consumers, coworkers, volunteers, and community partners. Strong computer skills including proficiency with Microsoft Word and working knowledge of Excel, email, internet tools, and database systems are required.

A bachelor’s degree in human services or a related field is preferred; equivalent relevant experience will also be considered. Personal experience with disability and experience working directly with people with disabilities are highly valued.

Applicants must have a valid Montana driver’s license, proof of insurance, reliable transportation, and the ability to travel throughout LIFTT’s service area. The selected candidate must also successfully complete motor-vehicle and background checks.

This is a full-time, hourly position working approximately 40 hours per week. Compensation is based on experience, education, and tenure and is contingent upon continued grant funding.

If you believe in disability rights, consumer choice, dignity, and community inclusion, we encourage you to apply.

For more information about the position or application process, please contact LIFTT’s Human Resources at (406) 259-5181.

Join the LIFTT team and help people overcome barriers, strengthen their independence, and participate fully in their communities.

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 people with disabilites and aging indivduals with programs, services, resources and advocacy 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

Our Vision: Empowering aging individuals and people with disabilities to LIFTT themselves above the barriers of life.

Our Mission: Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow’s (LIFTT’s) mission as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Center for Independent Living serving Southeastern Montana is to empower aging individuals and people with disabilities to live independently through education, support, and opportunities.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

LIFTT Seeks an Employment Specialist

A man in a plad shirt sits a computer while a woman with short hair looks on from behind him. Stock photo by Gary Barnes via Pexels.

An Employment Specialist helps a job seeker develop skills and pursue meaningful employment. Stock photo by Gary Barnes via Pexels.

Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow (LIFTT) is seeking a dedicated, dependable, and community-minded Employment Specialist to join our team in Billings to work on our Vocational Rehabilitation Program.

This full-time position offers an opportunity to make a meaningful difference by helping people with disabilities develop independent-living skills, prepare for employment, and connect with jobs and community resources. The Employment Specialist will work directly with consumers to identify their goals, recognize their strengths, overcome barriers, and build pathways toward greater independence and meaningful employment.

Responsibilities include helping consumers prepare résumés, practice interviewing, develop workplace skills, understand their rights, request reasonable accommodations, and create individualized employment plans. The Employment Specialist will also connect consumers with housing, benefits, healthcare, and other resources while building relationships with employers, schools, workforce programs, and community partners.

The ideal candidate will be a compassionate team player who can also work independently, communicate effectively, make sound decisions, and maintain accurate records. Strong computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office and database systems, are required because much of the position’s work involves electronic documentation and reporting.

A bachelor’s degree in human services, vocational rehabilitation, counseling, or a related field is preferred; equivalent professional or lived experience will also be considered. Experience supporting people with disabilities, providing case management, or assisting with employment services is especially valuable. Lived experience with disability is strongly valued.

The position requires reliable transportation, a valid Montana driver’s license, proof of insurance, and the ability to travel throughout LIFTT’s service area. Applicants must also successfully complete background and motor-vehicle checks.

LIFTT offers medical, dental, and vision insurance; paid time off and holidays; a retirement savings plan with a company match; and paid professional-development opportunities.

If you are passionate about disability inclusion and believe everyone deserves the opportunity to live independently and pursue meaningful employment, we encourage you to apply.

For more information about the position or application process, please contact LIFTT’s Human Resources at (406) 259-5181.

Join the LIFTT team and help people build skills, discover opportunities, and move toward greater independence.

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 people with disabilites and aging indivduals with programs, services, resources and advocacy 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

Our Vision: Empowering aging individuals and people with disabilities to LIFTT themselves above the barriers of life.

Our Mission: Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow’s (LIFTT’s) mission as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Center for Independent Living serving Southeastern Montana is to empower aging individuals and people with disabilities to live independently through education, support, and opportunities.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

Building Momentum: Every Service, Every Connection and Every Life Matters

Photo collage created from stock photographs by Kampus Production via Pexels. The individuals pictured are not LIFTT consumers.

As we look back on the first three quarters of the 2025-2026 program year (from October 1 to June 30), one thing is abundantly clear: LIFTT continues to grow, strengthen, and transform lives across south-central and eastern Montana.

Every number in our reports represents something much more important than statistics. It represents a person who found hope, a family that received support, a barrier that was removed, or an opportunity that helped someone live more independently.

During the quarter ending June 30, LIFTT served 265 consumers, including 73 individuals who chose to develop Independent Living Plans to achieve their personal goals. These numbers reflect our continued commitment to empowering people with disabilities to make their own choices and direct their own futures.

Our team also continued providing hundreds of independent living services throughout our service area. Information and referral, independent living skills training, peer support, advocacy, preventive services, mobility training, and housing assistance remained among the services consumers most frequently requested. Every one of these services represents a conversation, a solution, and a step toward greater independence.

Our work extends well beyond individual services.

Throughout the spring and early summer, LIFTT staff participated in outreach events, legislative and policy committees, the Olmstead planning process, workforce development initiatives, and community partnerships designed to improve opportunities for Montanans with disabilities. We continued educating our communities, advocating for systems change, and ensuring that the voices of people with disabilities are heard wherever important decisions are made.

At the same time, exciting new opportunities continue to move forward. Preparations for the RideWell accessible transportation program are advancing, outreach activities continue to expand across our eighteen-county service area, and our staff remains committed to developing new partnerships that will strengthen independent living throughout Montana.

None of these accomplishments happen by accident.

They are possible because of an extraordinary team of employees, volunteers, Board members, caregivers, community partners, and supporters who believe that every person deserves the opportunity to live independently, participate fully in community life, and pursue their dreams.

As we conclude the 2025- 2026 program year, we do so with optimism and determination. We know challenges will continue to arise, but we also know that LIFTT has never been defined by obstacles. We are defined by our willingness to work together, innovate, advocate, and never lose sight of the people we serve.

Thank you for being part of this journey. Together, we are not simply providing services. We are building stronger communities, expanding opportunities, and proving every day that independence is possible.

The best is yet to come.

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 people with disabilites and aging indivduals with programs, services, resources and advocacy 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

Our Vision: Empowering aging individuals and people with disabilities to LIFTT themselves above the barriers of life.

Our Mission: Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow’s (LIFTT’s) mission as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Center for Independent Living serving Southeastern Montana is to empower aging individuals and people with disabilities to live independently through education, support, and opportunities.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.

From the Executive Director: New Wheels, New Doors, and a New Year of Possibility

If LIFTT’s summer could be described in one word, it would be movement.

We are moving into a new fiscal year. A new RideWell vehicle is moving toward Glendive. The Billings upLIFTT Thrift Store is preparing to reopen, and the Glendive upLIFTT Store will open on Wedensday, September 9, 2026. Our staff is moving into new training, new technology, and new ways of serving consumers. Even our Billings building is changing as the boiler modernization project moves steadily forward.

There is, quite honestly, more to report than one newsletter article can hold. In October 2026, LIFTT will publish its Annual Report for fiscal year 2025–2026, offering a fuller account of our services, accomplishments, partnerships, challenges, and community impact. For now, here are some of the stories carrying us into the months ahead.

Stronger Foundations: Seen and Unseen

Some of LIFTT’s most important work happens quietly behind the scenes.

During Summer 2026, the Board’s Executive Committee approved several policies designed to strengthen the organization and protect the people we serve. A new Waiting List Policy provides a fair and transparent contingency plan if funding or staffing ever becomes insufficient to begin services immediately for every eligible consumer. We sincerely hope it will never need to be activated, but responsible organizations prepare before a crisis arrives.

The Committee also approved a Statement of Concern supporting stable federal funding for Centers for Independent Living. The statement affirms that predictable funding allows organizations like LIFTT to retain qualified employees, build lasting community partnerships, and provide dependable services.

Two additional policies strengthened LIFTT’s internal safeguards. The Document Retention and Destruction Policy brings our legal, financial, employment, grant, Medicaid, privacy, and governance recordkeeping requirements into one clear framework. The Used Medical and Accessibility Equipment Donation Policy protects consumers from the risks associated with used equipment that has not been professionally inspected, sanitized, repaired, or fitted.

Policies may not be the most glamorous part of nonprofit life, but they form the foundation beneath every trustworthy organization. They help LIFTT act consistently, protect confidentiality, manage risk, and remain accountable to our consumers and community.

Services in Motion

LIFTT’s Personal Care Assistance Program continues to serve people who want to remain safe at home, participate in the community, and direct their own lives, while the Independent Living team continues assisting consumers, responding to information and referral requests, and preparing new wellness opportunities. An eight-session Living Well in the Community workshop begins September 9, 2026, with sessions in Roundup and Billings. Recruitment is also underway for future Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) classes.

RideWell Is Gaining Wheels

RideWell, LIFTT’s accessible rural transportation initiative, continues its journey from vision to operation. Our newest vehicle was retrieved from Helena and will receive its LIFTT identity through a new vehicle wrap before traveling to Glendive. At the same time, staff members are working through Medicaid requirements, operating costs, potential pricing, and partnerships with counties and transportation providers.

Building an accessible transportation program across rural Montana cannot happen overnight. It requires patience, careful financial stewardship, strong relationships, and plenty of miles, both literal and figurative. Every step, however, brings us closer to helping more people reach employment, healthcare, shopping, community activities, and one another.

A Fresh Chapter for upLIFTT

There is exciting news in Glendive: a new manager joined the upLIFTT Thrift Store team on August 31, 2026, and the store is preparing to open on September 9. 2026. upLIFTT is more than a place to discover an unexpected treasure. It is part of LIFTT’s effort to increase community visibility, create employment opportunities, build relationships, and pursue greater financial sustainability. We look forward to welcoming shoppers, donors, neighbors, and friends back through the doors.

Success Beyond the Dollar Sign

On August 1, 2026, LIFTT hosted Hidden Treasures & Grand Journeys, our first community event of its kind. Approximately 100 people joined us for dinner, auctions, games, conversation, and laughter. The event did not produce a true financial gain; nevertheless, its value reached beyond the balance sheet. It brought people together, introduced new community members to LIFTT, strengthened relationships, and gave us a chance to show what accessibility looks like in practice. When accessibility concerns arose at the venue, our team secured a compliant 28-foot ramp and an accessible portable restroom. That experience reminded us that inclusion is not merely something we discuss; it is something we must plan, verify, and create.

Fifty Years Strong

On August 18 and 19, 2026, the entire LIFTT team attended the 2026 Independent Living Symposium in Billings to celebrate 50 years of Independent Living in Montana.

For two days, our staff learned together about advocacy, youth transition, community living, Native American engagement, accessible transportation, employment, self-advocacy, coalition building, and the power of telling our stories. Bringing the whole team together was an investment in LIFTT’s future. We returned with new knowledge, renewed energy, and a deeper appreciation for the movement that makes our work possible.

The Road Ahead

LIFTT enters this new fiscal year with momentum and with responsibility.

We are strengthening our policies, modernizing our systems, expanding transportation possibilities, reopening upLIFTT in Billings, opening upLIFTT in Glendive, recruiting new employees, improving our facilities, and continuing to serve aging and disabled Montanans across 18 counties.

There will be challenges. There always are. But there will also be new vehicles, reopened doors, stronger partnerships, creative ideas, and people determined to turn barriers into possibilities.

That spirit is carrying LIFTT forward.

And in October 2026, we look forward to telling you even more.

Carlos A. Ramalho
Executive Director
LIFTT – Living Independently for Today & Tomorrow

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 people with disabilites and aging indivduals with programs, services, resources and advocacy 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

Our Vision: Empowering aging individuals and people with disabilities to LIFTT themselves above the barriers of life.

Our Mission: Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow’s (LIFTT’s) mission as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Center for Independent Living serving Southeastern Montana is to empower aging individuals and people with disabilities to live independently through education, support, and opportunities.

You can donate to LIFTT by clicking here.