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Ability Montana

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Helena, MT
Ability Montana

Ability MT is 501(c)(3) nonprofit that offers services & resources to those living with disabilities.

mILp Services Include:

Information and Referral: mILp provides timely information to people with disabilities, their families, and the general public through the use of our staff's expertise and access to the internet and other information resources. Independent Living Skills Training: mILp's professional staff of Independent Living Specialists provide people with disabilities with both instruction and training to assist them with living independently. Ex: Daily living skills, Community Resource Acquisition, Support and Recreational Groups, Social Security Assistance. Individual and Group Advocacy: mILp''s staff provides our consumers with information and training regarding individual civil rights and responsibilities regarding local, state, and national issues. We assist consumers in promoting and modeling these interests to others. Peer Advocacy: A person who has experienced a disability may be available to help in a private one-on-one setting to provide peer advice and support to another individual who is experiencing similar adjustment challenges. All peer advocates are trained and supervised by mILp's professional staff members. Self Directed Personal Assistance Services Program (SDPAS): SDPAS is designed especially for consumers who wish to manage their own services by developing a long-term supportive care program in a home setting.

02/25/2026

Alice recently joined Ability Montana for a day on the ski hill. It was her first time skiing, and she shared this about the experience:⁠
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“All my life, I grew up hearing about other people skiing and how much fun they had but didn’t ever think it was something I could do. But with the help of Ability Montana, I got to go skiing under my own steam… Someone accompanied and assisted me the whole time so I felt safe.⁠
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I had such a ball, and even though I had been terrified to try it, after a couple runs down the bunny hill, I thought, ‘Wow, I can do this!’ I felt like I belonged there like everyone else and plan on going again. I never thought that I would ever ski, and here I was, at 63 years old, skiing!!!⁠
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I had been hesitant, but the fine folks at Ability had thought through everything and made sure I was safe and comfortable. I wasn’t pushed to do anything I wasn’t ready for. A whole world opened up for me that day up on the ski hill… I would encourage anyone to try it.”⁠
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Thank you, Alice, for trusting us with your story.

02/18/2026

Ability Montana was proud to sit on a panel recently alongside disability partners to speak directly with the Montana Legislature’s Transportation Interim Committee about real barriers to transportation faced by people with disabilities across our state.⁠
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After the panel, we took legislators into the community for a walk/move audit—showing firsthand how the built environment can either connect people or create barriers. People with disabilities led the conversation, sharing lived experience about what works, what doesn’t, and why inclusive design matters.⁠
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This is systems advocacy in action. Ability Montana remains committed to pushing for policies and design that ensure an accessible, connected future for everyone.

02/13/2026

Helena, Let’s Talk Disability is coming back to town in three months! This powerful community production centers real stories of living with disability and chronic illness, and it’s returning to the stage this spring.⁠
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📅 May 14 and 15, 2026⁠
📍 Carroll College ⁠
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Whether you come to listen, learn, or support, this is a meaningful opportunity to connect with lived experiences from our community. Stay tuned for more details on attendance, and ways to get involved. If you want to buy a ticket, they're ON SALE NOW: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lets-talk-disability-helena-tickets-1254827285189?aff=oddtdtcreator

02/11/2026

At the end of last month, several Ability Montana team members participated in the “Point in Time” outreach event, connecting with community members who are unhoused to share information, resources, and support. The event, coordinated by a coalition of local service providers, also included free lunch and haircuts donated by local businesses, along with care and flu shots provided by nursing students from Montana Technological University.⁠
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We’re grateful to be part of collaborative efforts like this that strengthen community care and access to essential services.

02/04/2026

Grateful to our board member Peter Pauwels for sharing a phrase that so clearly reflects why we do this work. At Ability Montana, we’re here to support people with disabilities in living full, independent, and meaningful lives.

01/28/2026

Advocacy doesn’t have to be intimidating. Sometimes it starts with clear information, a town hall, and a community that’s ready to show up.⁠
Our newest blog highlights Big Sky 55+ and their work to help older Montanans stay informed on the issues that shape everyday life such as healthcare, Medicaid, Social Security, transportation, and more. ⁠
They share weekly legislative bulletins, host town halls year-round, and publish scorecards so voters can see how legislators actually voted. And, because many of these issues overlap directly with disability rights, this work matters to all of us! ⁠
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Read the full blog on our website for the story, the takeaways, and simple ways to plug in. https://abilitymt.org/ability-blog

01/21/2026

Winter fun in Butte is calling! SNöFLINGA () is back from January 30–February 1 this year! It’s a free, community-sponsored winter festival packed with ways to get outside, try something new, and celebrate the season! ⁠
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Ability Montana is proud to partner with SNöFLINGA to help remove barriers to participation. If you or someone you love could benefit from adaptive support, our recreation team can bring equipment, staff, and volunteers wherever we’re requested. Think: stand-up support devices for skiing/skating, sit-skate sleds, track chair access for snowy terrain, and adaptive curling supports. No experience necessary! ⁠
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Polar plunge, nordic skiing, skating, ice hockey, curling, and more! Get the full details (and request Ability MT assistance) on the SNöFLINGA website.

https://snoflinga.org/registration-forms/ability-montana-assistance/

01/14/2026

As the Town of Ennis updates its Growth Policy, our community has a special opportunity to pause and imagine what a more inclusive and accessible Ennis could be. This moment inspired conversations about how an I2 Walk Audit—an inclusive, interdisciplinary walking assessment that centers on lived experience—could help us better understand our town from many perspectives and help guide future decisions. Through this process, community members, including people with disabilities, and local stakeholders, walked together to observe how sidewalks, crossings, entrances, and public spaces actually function in everyday life. By walking together and observing our shared spaces, we were able to identify both the strengths of our community and the places where thoughtful improvements could make a real difference.⁠
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One of the most meaningful aspects of the walk audit was the way disabled voices were centered through storytelling and lived experience. Participants also had valuable conversations with local business owners, building awareness and shared commitment to accessibility. ⁠
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The walk sparked excitement around the idea of creating an ADA committee in Ennis - one that could help carry this work forward, follow up on findings, and continue inspiring accessible changes. Together, these conversations and connections are helping lay the groundwork for a more inclusive Ennis for everyone.

01/05/2026

Snow season is here! You can help make it inclusive and have a blast at the same time. We are always looking for more volunteers to support adaptive skiing at . We’ll train you and provide the specialized equipment; you show up ready to learn, encourage, and help riders of all abilities have an incredible day on the mountain. (Bonus: volunteers receive a free lift ticket!)⁠
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Want to learn more first? Join a Q&A webinar on 1/13 or 2/3 from 6-7:30pm where you can ask our recreation manager David any questions you have before you join a training. The next in-person volunteer training is on January 24th! ⁠
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See you on the slopes!

12/22/2025

After almost a year in a nursing home, Ann kept hearing, “You don’t belong here”. Even though she agreed, she just didn’t know how to get out. With support from Ability Montana’s Self Directed Care Program Manager Allison McClure and the Money Follows the Person (MFP) program, Ann transitioned to a community setting in just three weeks. MFP can help cover essentials like moving costs, deposits, basic furnishings, and accessibility modifications while our team handles the paperwork and hands-on support.⁠
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Read more about how Ann found more independence and how MFP can help others do the same: https://abilitymt.org/blog/money-follows-the-person

12/12/2025

This week's public hearing on the ADA Transition Plan in Butte-Silver Bow felt both like a milestone for our community and a testament to years of steady advocacy. Thank you to Suzanne, Michelle, Alice, Jack, Lucy, and Heather for showing up and sharing lived experience; your voices grounded the conversation and kept the focus where it belongs: access, inclusion, and dignity.⁠
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We heard council members describe how this process has changed the way they see our community through the lens of accessibility. Residents and business owners stood in support, recognizing that accessibility benefits everyone. The energy in the room was hopeful, thoughtful, and connected.⁠
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We’re proud of the partners, neighbors, and leaders in Butte who made this moment possible. Let’s keep going across all the communities we serve: attend council meetings, participate in public forums, offer comment, bring the people we serve into these rooms, and be present where policy is decided! Progress grows from showing up again and again.

Address

825 Great Northern Boulevard Ste 105
Helena, MT
59601

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 3pm
Tuesday	9am - 3pm
Wednesday	9am - 3pm
Thursday	9am - 3pm
Friday	9am - 3pm

Telephone

+14064425755

Website

https://abilitymt.org/, https://abilitymt.org/donate/

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Our Story

mILp is one of four Centers for Independent Living in the State of Montana. Section 702 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 defines a center for independent living (CIL) as a consumer‑controlled, community‑based, cross‑disability, nonresidential private nonprofit agency that is designed and operated within a local community by individuals with disabilities to provide an array of independent living services.

mILp’s mission as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and as a Center for Independent Living, is to promote independence for people living with disabilities residing in 14 southwestern Montana counties. Since 1981, mILp has helped consumers live, work, and participate in leisure activities as independently as they desire. This includes, but is not limited to, having access to necessary services and recreational pursuits that promote a quality of life within an individual’s own residence and community.

mILp continues to be a leader in our communities, assuring disability rights for all Montanans by enthusiastically encouraging and effecting community inclusion, integration, and independence for people living with disabilities. To better meet the needs of our consumers, we have three offices located in Helena, Butte, and Bozeman.

mILp is governed by a consumer-controlled Board of Directors whose lives have been personally impacted by a disability. We are funded in part by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended in 1992 (Title VII- Independent Living Services), and the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (Disability Services Division).