Accessibility Now: Stories About Disability Rights in Georgia

In this episode, Ester DuRante, Assistant Director of the Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia, shares how organizations across the state are building partnerships to close critical gaps in emergency preparedness for people with disabilities. From the response to Hurricane Helene to outdated federal training materials, Ester breaks down where the system falls short and what real collaboration looks like. The conversation also digs into advocacy, self-determination, and why speaking from the heart matters more than proving your worth. If you care about disability rights in Georgia, subscribe and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.Chapters0:00 - Meet Ester DuRante and the Statewide Independent Living Council2:00 - How Hurricane Helene sparked new partnerships across Georgia3:49 - Outdated federal training tools and the push to modernize5:10 - Emergency transportation and disability safety5:44 - What gets overlooked in emergency preparedness for people with disabilities6:39 - Why communication in emergencies is never one-size-fits-all8:43 - Preparing before the storm, not just reacting after11:22 - Advocacy beyond emergency preparedness13:13 - Speaking clearly about who we are without limitations14:49 - Self-determination and the power of choice17:50 - Being heard in healthcare and valuing lived experience21:49 - Leading with heart and finding self-awareness in advocacy24:02 - Closing reflections on courage and curiosityLinksStatewide Independent Living Council of Georgia (SILCGA) — Ester DuRante's organization https://www.silcga.org/LIFE, Inc. — Living Independence for Everyone — Center for Independent Living serving Southeast Georgia https://lifecil.com/FODAC — Friends of Disabled Adults and Children — Provided equipment support during Hurricane Helene and ice storms https://fodac.org/National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) — National cross-disability grassroots organization mentioned by Matt https://ncil.org/Centers for Independent Living in Georgia — Directory of all Georgia CILs https://www.silcga.org/cils/Accessibility Now Podcast on Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/accessibility-now-stories-about-disability-rights-in/id1621302132Coastal Alliance of CILs — https://www.coastalallianceofcils.org/

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

In this episode of Accessibility Now, we speak with Lee Ann Pendergrass, who became the first Statewide Independent Living Coordinator for Georgia’s Division of Rehabilitation Services in the 1990s. Lee Ann worked closely with the Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia (SILCGA) during its formation and played a behind-the-scenes but crucial role in shifting power and funding directly to community-led Centers for Independent Living (CILs). She reflects on the cultural and political shift that occurred as people with disabilities asserted control over their own services—and offers a call to action for the next generation to carry that work forward.00:00 – Intro01:08 – Lee Ann’s early work in Florida’s CIL network03:00 – Becoming Georgia’s first statewide IL coordinator05:00 – Partnering with Pat Puckett and the early formation of SILCGA07:25 – Bridging tensions between the state and grassroots advocates10:05 – Navigating “militant” advocacy and state constraints13:05 – When the council and state began aligning toward shared goals15:45 – Major milestone: local CILs gaining control from state employees17:55 – Expanding advocacy: nursing homes, ramps, employment, and the ADA19:55 – Georgia’s culture and the shift toward direct self-advocacy22:30 – 30 years of SILCGA: why it matters and what it made possible24:10 – A message to the next generation: “Don’t give up.”

In this heartfelt tribute, members of Georgia’s independent living community gather to celebrate the life and leadership of Shelly Simmons, the late Executive Director of the Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia (SILCGA). Through powerful reflections, they share how Shelly’s compassion, wisdom, and advocacy shaped their lives and the future of disability rights in Georgia.Featuring:Becky Tuttle – Executive Director, SILCGAReshell Baldini – Board Member, SILCGAEtrudy Taylor Mitchell – CEO, Whole InclusionJordan Hall – Mobility Coordinator, SILCGAEster Durante – Advocate & Outreach Coordinator, SILCGAVictor McRae – Housing Policy Coordinator, SILCGAChapters00:00 – Introduction00:00 – Becky Tuttle (SILCGA Executive Director): Remembering Shelly’s leadership and legacy02:53 – Reshell Baldini (SILCGA Board Member): A life of inclusion and laughter04:22 – Etrudy Taylor Mitchell (CEO, Whole Inclusion): Mentorship and inspiration for new leaders07:18 – Jordan Hall (SILCGA Mobility Coordinator): Finding opportunity and empowerment through Shelly’s belief13:42 – Ester Durante (SILCGA Advocate & Outreach Coordinator): Connection, growth, and living authentically18:36 – Victor McRae (SILCGA Housing Policy Coordinator): Compassion in action and Shelly’s everyday impact

In this episode of Accessibility Now, recorded live at the 2025 National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) Conference in Washington, D.C., we share conversations with disability advocates from across the United States. Each guest talks about the work they are doing in their communities to advance accessibility, equity, and independent living.You will hear about advocacy on women’s health and accessibility, statewide disability policy, community-based services, housing initiatives, youth transitions, disaster preparedness, Medicaid waiver programs, transportation training, and the importance of having people with disabilities at decision-making tables.Watch or listen to the full episode here, or jump to a specific interview using the timecodes below. To see all 20 interviews recorded at NCIL, visit the link in the show notes.Timecodes:00:00 Intro & Monique Stamps – NC Statewide Independent Living Council / Women Embracing Abilities Now 02:20 Harry Weissman – Disability Policy Consortium (Massachusetts) 05:30 Cynthia Coffin – Disability Empowerment Center (Seattle) 07:10 Colleen Roche – New Jersey Statewide Independent Living Council 10:00 Christie Graves – Northern Regional Center for Independent Living (NY) 12:10 Patrick Frozini – Center for Independent Living (South Florida) 16:50 June Kailes – Disability Policy Consultant (Los Angeles) 18:00 Katrina Parsons – Disability Link (Tucker, GA) 19:30 Karen Annette & Mindy – Independence Center (Northern Virginia) 21:00 Yao Appiadu – Harlem Independent Living Center (NY)Link to all 22 interviews from NCIL 2025: https://www.disabilityrightspodcasts.org/ncil-conference

On this episode of Accessibility Now, we speak with Tiffany Clifford, a longtime leader in Georgia’s independent living movement. She recounts her early days at Walton Options and reflects on the critical role the Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia (SILCGA) played in expanding independent living services throughout the state. Tiffany also provides a clear explanation of how SILCs and Centers for Independent Living work together—clarifying common misconceptions—and offers a candid assessment of how proposed federal budget cuts could undermine decades of progress.

In this special 30th anniversary episode, Pat Puckett, former longtime executive director of the Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia (SILCGA), reflects on the early years of the Independent Living movement in Georgia. From the humble beginnings of a rented office funded out-of-pocket to the historic Olmstead Supreme Court decision, Pat shares the defining moments that helped shape services and support for Georgians with disabilities. She recounts key milestones, including building the first Centers for Independent Living, pioneering supported employment programs, and pushing for home- and community-based services. With honesty, humor, and deep wisdom, Pat reminds us what’s possible when advocacy is grounded in persistence, collaboration, and compassion. This episode is both a tribute to the past and a call to action for the future.

In this episode of the SILCGA podcast, we talk with Kip Slade, a seasoned advocate and grant manager with decades of experience in disability employment initiatives. Kip discusses the evolution of customized employment, the importance of self-employment for people with disabilities, and the funding mechanisms that make these opportunities possible. He also addresses the potential threats to disability-related funding at the federal level and how policy changes could impact the future of inclusive employment.

Join us for the SILCGA end-of-the-year retrospective podcast as we celebrate the progress and challenges of Georgia’s Independent Living Movement in 2024. Hear from SILCGA staff as they share updates about expanding services, improving accessibility, and building a more inclusive future. Together, we reflect on the milestones of the past year and look ahead to exciting opportunities in 2025.

In this episode, Victor McRae shares his journey from experiencing vision loss as a child to becoming an advocate for accessible housing in Georgia. Victor discusses his work with the Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia, where he tackles housing disparities for people with disabilities. He reflects on the systemic challenges, such as geographic resource gaps and rising housing costs, that disproportionately impact the disability community. Victor also offers insights on how listeners can support legislative efforts to expand accessible housing options across the state.

Jordan Hall, the Mobility coordinator for the Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia, has personally encountered obstacles to mobility and transportation as a person who uses a motor wheelchair. She discusses with us her path to this position of mobility coordinator at SILCGA, and how being hired was an introduction to the resources provided by Centers for Independent Living, which she had spent her life living without. She also explains why sharing her experiences and listening to the experiences of others with disabilities have been some of her greatest assets in fostering change. To close, she shares with us the biggest obstacle that she is trying to address in terms of mobility for Georgians with disabilities.

Dana Lloyd, an advocate with the Georgia Advocacy Office, shares her journey into the vital civil rights work of advocating for people with disabilities. From her early days of providing direct support to her current role as a Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities (PADD) advocate, Dana discusses the evolution of mindsets about the disability community and how these attitudes influence societal treatment of people with disabilities. She provides an overview of PADD and the Georgia Advocacy Office's role. We also discuss current advocacy issues her office is addressing.

Jimmy Peterson is the Executive Director of the Georgia Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and he is also a person who is deaf himself. We discuss the advocacy and services they provide to Georgians and how translation is the number one need for the deaf and hard of hearing community. Additionally, he shares insights on what people with hearing should know about communicating with deaf individuals. The GCDHH also facilitates and participates in various festivals and live events, such as DEAFest, a biannual event that provides opportunities for deaf and hard-of-hearing people to network and share their businesses, art, and performances. Hearing people are invited to gain an immersive experience of deaf culture. In this interview, we also explore some nuances of American Sign Language (ASL) and the national need for more interpreters. This interview was conducted through an interpreter.

In this episode, we dive into the journey of Garrick Scott, the Executive Director of Multiple Choices in Athens, Georgia. Born with retinitis pigmentosa, Scott shares how his vision loss led him to become a passionate advocate for the disability community. Through initiatives like accessible transportation and community-building events, Multiple Choices under Scott's leadership, is innovating ways to enhance accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities. Join us as we explore how Garrick Scott and Multiple Choices are making Georgia a more inclusive place for everyone.

Living Independence for Everyone, the Savannah-based CIL serving Coastal Georgia, is growing strong. They’re making new hires, building new inroads into the community and practicing truly active listening with their consumers. We spoke with three of their staff, Executive Director Neil Ligon, Associate Director Angel Denardi, and Students for LIFE coordinator Maggie Meade, about the work they’re doing and the results they’re seeing at LIFE.

The Georgia Advocacy Office is a key player in the fight for independent living. They lead accessibility and advocacy initiatives, take on cases, and spearhead investigations into disability rights issues. We sat down with Cheri Mitchell, a GAO advocate specializing in housing, to talk about her 18-year career, her philosophy, and her organization’s work toward making life in Georgia better for all of us.

For many of our episodes of Accessibility Now, we've consulted the expertise of SILCGA's executive director Shelly Simmons. Finally, we've spoken with Shelly about her own story — from California to Georgia, from TV commercial production to disability advocacy — as part of our new segment, States of Accessibility, that will profile the directors of SILCs in each state.

Phoenix Station, a new affordable housing project by LDG, will be an apartment complex in Decatur, just outside downtown Atlanta. It's on track for completion in 2024, with applications opening December 2023. Unlike most affordable housing, 30% of its units will be mobility-accessible, and all units will have the "bones" for easy conversion for accessibility needs. We talked to Shelly Simmons, SILCGA executive director, and Chris Byrd, LDG director of development in the Southeast, about the collaboration that informed the build philosophy of Phoenix Station.

For the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia created Inclusion, a comprehensive and compelling look at the legacy of the struggle for disability rights. We sat down with Ty Hunt, director of Inclusion, to talk about his experiences prior to the project and how it's changed him in the time since.

Disability Connections, the Center for Independent Living in Macon, Georgia, has built a strong digital media presence over the last few years. With their online communities, virtual courses, podcasts and more, they might just be a 21st-century vision of independent living. We spoke with executive Director Michael Leverett and two more traditional, analog consumers, Kimberly Harrell and Debra Davidson, about the work Disability Connections is doing in their area.

Unlock 2.0 is a coalition of organizations fighting for change through legislative action on behalf of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, or IDDs. Much of the resources that help people with IDDs live fulfilling lives are tied up in state programs like Medicaid — that requires activists to change the minds of budget-conscious legislators, telling stories and presenting data in hearings at the Capitol in Atlanta. We spoke with grassroots engagement director Rita Young about her personal story and the experiences that led her to work with Unlock 2.0.

What are some of the ways people with disabilities experience discrimination on a daily basis, and how can we start to address those forms of discrimination? To begin answering those questions, we’re featuring a conversation with Dr. Sue ElHessen, an educator and activist in California specializing in Disability Rights, speaking to us about the topic of ableism. This is a form of discrimination similar to racism and sexism, but one that many of us in our society are still largely unaware of. Dr. Sue has served on the California Commission on Disability Access for the State of California, has taught at multiple universities, and is a member of the school board for the Bellflower Unified School District, among many other roles in education and advocacy.

We’re featuring a conversation with Rosario Palacios, an activist with Caring Across Generations, working on the Care Can’t Wait initiative, a cooperative effort involving multiple organizations including us here at SILCGA. Rosario shared with us about her work, her story, and what motivates her to advocate for change as an activist and a caregiver. We begin our conversation by getting her backstory of growing up undocumented in the United States and how that work laid the groundwork to advocate for change within her community and throughout Georgia. We think you’ll find her story and work as enlightening as we did. Learn more about Rosario's work at the websites for Caring Across Generations https://caringacross.org/ and the Care Can't Wait initiative at https://www.carecantwait.org/. You can also learn about the Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia at https://www.silcga.org/.

Atlanta is an expensive city to live in. Because of that, the city’s center for independent living, disABILITY LINK, places tremendous emphasis on job readiness and navigating the workforce. So much so that disAbility Link starts equipping people with disabilities with professional skills from the center’s earliest interactions with them while they are in the local school system. Kim Gibson, disABILITY LINK’s executive director, joins us on Accessibility Now to discuss the steps that their organization takes to prepare people in the Atlanta area for a career. For her, it boils down to three things that pave the way to real careers: career training, apprenticeships, and internships.

For our fifth episode of Accessibility Now, we talked to the folks at Walton Options in Augusta, Georgia. You may remember them as the CIL for which our last guest, the late Gaylon Tootle, worked. CIL Director Tiffany Crawford spoke with us about the new building for Walton Options, finished in July 2022, and the unique challenges the CIL faces in their area. We also spoke with consumer Mary Reynolds about the life-changing help she received by going to Walton Options.

This is a very special episode of Accessibility Now, featuring an interview with a true champion of disability rights, Gaylon Tootle. Gaylon worked at Walton Options, the CIL in Augusta, and also fought for voting rights for people with disabilities — a timely issue as we have elections just around the corner. We talk about his life’s work, his struggles, victories, and the importance of voting rights. This interview was conducted in September 2021. Gaylon passed away September 10, 2022.

Before becoming staff members at Northwest Georgia Center for Independent Living, Christina, Quinn, and Erna all experienced  what it was like to live with a disability. They also experienced the life-changing implications of getting connected to needed resources, like assistive technology, or learning important skills, like self-advocacy. These experiences of gaining the needed tools and skills made such an impact on their lives that they committed themselves to providing those same opportunities to others. In this episode, we hear from the staff at NWGACIL about why they do the work that they do and the tools and skills that CILs like theirs make available to others.

The needs of people with disabilities vary not only based on their respective disabilities, but also where they are living. In rural areas, the needs that people face can be stark and immediate. Disability Resource Center (DRC) is a Center for Independent Living in Demorest, Georgia, that has been serving 13 rural counties in northeast Georgia for over 20 years. At DRC, the staff confronts a wide variety of needs of their consumers on a daily basis. In this episode, Nancy Peeples and Leah Norton of DRC describe helping consumers with everything from helping them with groceries to tracking down necessary documentation to gain access to social services for those who are currently homeless. We also hear from DRC consumers Tugalo Odister and Ruby Wells about how DRC was able to help them in moments when nobody else could.

Access 2 Independence (A2I) in a Center for Independent Living (CIL) in Columbus, Georgia. We will hear from A2I’s Director Kirk Holcombe about their work transitioning people out of nursing homes so that they can live independently and on their own terms. Not only does this program restore autonomy and dignity to the people transitioning, but getting more people out of nursing homes actually saves the state money in the long run. We will also hear from Donna Greene about how A2I provided her with a ramp so that she could safely get in and out of her home. And former A2I employee Rashad Jones with a vision impairment, who became an A2I consumer when he needed help relocating to the west coast for a new job.