Independence, Inc., a Resource Center for Independent Living

07/26/2025

Celebrating the Legacy of the ADA – 35 Years of Impact

Today, Governor Armstrong declared July 26, 2025, as Americans with Disabilities Act 35th Anniversary Day in North Dakota.

The ADA laid the foundation for groundbreaking change. It led to the Olmstead decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which affirmed that people with disabilities have the right to live in the most integrated setting possible. That ruling led directly to the Olmstead Settlement in North Dakota, a powerful agreement that has helped hundreds of people move safely out of nursing homes and into homes of their own.

This is the real legacy of the ADA: freedom, choice, and dignity. It is what drives our work every single day at Independence, Inc. and across the Independent Living movement.

We honor 35 years of progress, and we keep pushing forward.

07/25/2025

𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐓𝐞𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐞!👕
𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤, 𝐰𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧! 🎶

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐨 Too Dark Designs 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭—𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬. 💚

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜, 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬, 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐯𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐬… 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐛 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞! 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠...https://www.facebook.com/share/1CYfEmQeaF/

#𝐓𝐞𝐞𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐞 #𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐎𝐟𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 #𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐈𝐧𝐜 #𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 #𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 #𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

07/24/2025

🌟 Employee of the Quarter: Katie Schestler 🌟

This quarter, we are proud to recognize Katie Schestler, Assistant Program Director, as our Employee of the Quarter. Katie has been a driving force behind our continued progress, even when the path has been anything but easy. She has taken on significant responsibilities and managed them with a calm, capable presence that inspires confidence in everyone around her.

Through staffing changes, program adjustments, and working with some of the most complex consumer situations, Katie has remained a steady and reliable leader. Our team looks to her for guidance, clarity, and support, and consumers trust her because she listens, follows through, and genuinely cares.

In addition to managing her own workload, Katie has patiently trained and mentored new staff, ensuring that they feel supported and capable in their roles. She consistently advocates for both her colleagues and the people we serve, and her leadership has contributed to a record number of successful consumer transitions this year.

Katie embodies the values of Independence, Inc. and is an example of what it means to lead with both head and heart.

Congratulations, Katie. We are so grateful for your dedication, compassion, and unwavering commitment to our mission.

07/23/2025

At Independence, Inc., we are good at a lot of things:

📞 We provide 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 to thousands of people with disability-related questions.

🏫 Every year, we help hundreds of local students with disabilities gain 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 in their classrooms.

💰 Our programs help North Dakota 𝘁𝗮𝘅𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 by keeping folks living independently at home.

But when it comes to actual landscaping… let’s just say the 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴. 😅

That’s why we’re so grateful to Schultz Property Maintenance LLC for donating their time and talent to make our grounds look as welcoming as the services we provide inside.

Thank you for helping our curb appeal rise to the same level as our impact! 💚

07/22/2025

🎶 ARTIST ANNOUNCEMENT! 🎶

We are excited to welcome Kyle Erickson Comedy to the stage at The Sound of Independence: Celebrating 30 Years of Breaking Barriers as he brings his own special style, the sound of laughs and live comedy!

Kyle is a former board member of Independence, Inc. and a passionate community advocate for accessibility and inclusion here in Minot. Known for using humor as a bridge, Kyle tackles real-life challenges with charm and wit, inviting everyone to find joy while thinking about accessibility in fresh ways.

As a staple on the local comedy circuit, performing at sold out shows like the Summer Comedy Slam and open mic nights around town, Kyle is beloved for sharing stories about life, identity, and disability with honesty and warmth.

🎉 The Sound of Independence is a free community event happening Thursday, August 7, 2025, from 5:30 to 9:00 PM at Citizens Alley in Downtown Minot. Admission is free, and during the evening you can support our BEYOND Program, which helps young people with disabilities build the skills they need to live independently.

Get ready for laughter, community, and connection as Kyle returns to our stage for an evening that truly goes BEYOND. 💙

07/19/2025

🎶𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓! 🎶

We are excited to welcome back Chris Basden to the stage at The Sound of Independence: Celebrating 30 Years of Breaking Barriers !

This year marks Chris’s second appearance with us, and he’s ready to bring his signature sound to Citizens Alley . A proud Minot-based country musician and songwriter, Chris blends a classic '90s twang with fresh, modern energy. His popular singles like "Running out of Beer" and "I Don’t Go Out Anymore" showcase his talent as a singer, multi-instrumentalist (guitar, drums, bass, keys), and producer.

Chris got his start tinkering on his grandmother’s piano as a kid, and today he performs heartfelt ballads and lively anthems that hit close to home. He has built a following here in Minot and beyond, sharing his music on platforms like YouTube and Spotify, and now he’s bringing that sound back to our stage.

🎉 The Sound of Independence is a free community event on Thursday, August 7, 2025, from 5:30 to 9:00 PM at Citizens Alley in Downtown Minot. Admission is free, and during the the evening you can support our BEYOND Program, which helps young people with disabilities learn the skills they need to live independently.

07/18/2025

𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝟓: 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐓𝐞𝐞

𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐞’𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫’𝐬 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭 — 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐭 🎶

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭? 𝐀 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝-𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠.

𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤’𝐬 𝐓𝐞𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐛 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝟕𝐭𝐡!

𝐀 𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬.

✅ 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲! https://www.facebook.com/events/509243708822484

#𝐓𝐞𝐞𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐞 #𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐎𝐟𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 #𝟑𝟎𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 #𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐓𝐞𝐞 #𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐈𝐧𝐜 #𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐀𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬

07/17/2025

🎶 𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗦𝗧 𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧! 🎶

We are proud to welcome back Jennifer Weigel to the stage for The Sound of Independence: Celebrating 30 Years of Breaking Barriers

Jen has performed at every Sound of Independence event, and this year she will once again kick things off as our opening artist. A proud Minot native, Jen brings her powerful country voice and passion for inclusion to every performance and to everything she does.

By day, Jen works as a legal administrative assistant. By night (and often weekends), she’s a proud mom of six and a staple in the local karaoke scene, known for singing at community events, church, and anywhere a mic is open. Her musical style blends classic country with a little rock edge inspired by artists like Halestorm.

For Jen, Sound of Independence isn’t just a gig. It’s a cause. She believes in giving a voice to those who need it and in building a more accessible and inclusive community for everyone. Her heart, voice, and commitment to others make her a perfect fit for this event, year after year.

🎉 The Sound of Independence: Celebrating 30 Years of Breaking Barriers is a free community event happening Thursday, August 7, 2025, at Citizens Alley in Downtown Minot. While admission is free, the night will include opportunities to support our BEYOND Program, which helps young people with disabilities gain the real-world skills they need to live independently.

Let’s give a warm welcome and loud applause to Jen, and get ready for a night that goes BEYOND!

07/16/2025

🎉𝙃𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝘽𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙆𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙧!🎉

As we celebrate 30 years of Independence, Inc., we are taking time to honor the people who helped shape who we are today. One of those people is Colleen Kubler.

Colleen joined Independence Inc. on October 14, 1995, just weeks after we first opened our doors. Over the next 17 years, she took on a wide range of roles including 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁, 𝗔𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁, 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿, 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿, and even 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿.

Through times of change and challenge, Colleen was a steady and reliable leader. Her work may have often been behind the scenes, but her impact was front and center. There is no doubt that Independence Inc. would not be what it is today without her dedication and strength.

Earlier this year, Colleen stopped by our office and spent time visiting with some of our staff. It was a proud moment for all of us to show her the legacy she helped to create and to share how we have continued to grow and serve people with disabilities since she moved on.

Colleen, thank you for everything you gave to this organization and to the Independent Living movement. We are grateful for your continued connection to our mission, and we wish you the happiest of birthdays! 💐🎂

07/16/2025

⏳ 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐮𝐩! 𝐕𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲.

𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫.

🗳️ 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐯𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭.

𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭. 𝐕𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞!
👉 Advocate of the Year - https://go.levitate.ai/?s=bff8HImuht&source=customSurvey

👉 Youth Advocate of the Year - https://go.levitate.ai/?s=bff8m6H3Vj&source=customSurvey

#𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐎𝐟𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 #𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 #𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐲 #𝐕𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐍𝐨𝐰

07/15/2025

🎶 𝑳𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒄. 𝑳𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝑽𝒊𝒃𝒆𝒔. 𝑳𝒐𝒖𝒅 𝑰𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒕. 🎶

This was the scene last week in Citizens Alley. On Thursday, August 7, we’re turning it up for The The Sound of Independence: Celebrating 30 Years of Breaking Barriers from 5:30 to 9:00 PM.

Join us for a free night of live performances, food, and fun as we celebrate 30 years of breaking barriers. But this isn’t just a party, it’s a purpose.

Throughout the evening, you’ll have the chance to support our 𝑩𝑬𝒀𝑶𝑵𝑫 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎, which helps young people with disabilities gain the real-life skills they need to live independently. We are working to raise $30,000 to keep this vital program strong in rural schools across our region, and your support can help make that happen.

Come for the music. Stay for the mission. Let’s make some noise for independence, inclusion, and a future that goes BEYOND.

📍 Citizens Alley | Downtown Minot
🎟️ Free and open to the public

07/14/2025

💰 Final Class: Pinching Pennies!💰

Join us for the last session of our Pinching Pennies class this Thursday at 1 PM! Whether you've been to the others or this will be your first time, you're welcome to come learn some practical money-saving tips in a relaxed, judgment-free space.

Let’s wrap up the series with smart ideas and good conversation. See you there!

📍 Independence, Inc.
🕐 Thursday at 1 PM
📞 Questions? Call 701-839-4724

🍽️ New Free Class Series Alert!

We’re excited to kick off a new hands-on series: Pinching Pennies, taught by Trisha Jessen, NDSU Extension Agent with the Family Nutrition Program!

💰 This class is all about budget-friendly cooking and creating simple, healthy meals using what you already have at home. It's perfect for anyone looking to stretch their grocery dollars without sacrificing nutrition.

🗓️ First class: Wednesday, June 12 at 1 PM
📍 Location: Building Dreams Community Kitchen at the Independence Inc. office
✅ Free to attend
🌟 Open to all individuals with disabilities

Scan the QR code on the flyer or use the link/code in the comments to sign up.

Let’s cook smarter, not harder! 🍳