Importance of Mentorship and Community in Independent Living | Accessibility Now!

In this episode of Accessibility Now, Parker Glick shares how a youth advisory council in Florida pulled him into disability advocacy and the independent living movement. Parker talks about working in Centers for Independent Living, serving with SILCGA, and helping young disabled leaders find their own voices. He also tells a powerful story about a car accident that nearly pushed him into a nursing home, and how community advocacy and home and community based services kept him living independently. The conversation closes with a focus on the personal care attendant crisis, the current political moment, and why community, mentorship, and self care are essential for staying in the fight.Chapters00:00 Welcome to Accessibility Now and intro to Parker00:55 Parker’s path into advocacy and the independent living movement05:00 Youth work, CIL experience, and moving to Georgia and SILCGA08:15 Georgia’s advocacy network and key SILCGA projects12:40 Employment First, 14(c), and policy lessons from SILC work16:35 Advice for young advocates and finding mentors19:10 Car accident, waivers, and community preventing institutionalization23:40 Mentors, relationships, and the personal care attendant crisis26:30 Today’s political moment, avoiding gatekeeping, and closing thoughts