About the League

• Mission
• Philosophy
  
• History
• Board of Directors
• Staff
• Consumers

The mission of the League of Human Dignity is to actively promote the full integration of individuals with disabilities into society. To this end, we will advocate their needs and rights, and provide quality services to involve these persons in becoming and remaining independent citizens.

League members are people from the citizenry, government, and the business community who recognize that human dignity comes only through equal opportunity for all citizens. We recognize that society as a whole benefits when all its members are enabled to contribute freely in accordance with their potential and without regard to their disabilities.

The League of Human Dignity realizes that the rights of the minority are many times overlooked or ignored by the majority. It is essential that there be an organization performing an advocacy role of, by, and for people with these disabilities.

The League firmly believes that a comprehensive service and advocacy program requires that the person with a disability play a primary role in the development, implementation, completion, and evaluation of all programs and services designed to meet their specific needs.

The League recognizes that many barriers confront persons with disabilities. Some of these barriers are physically constructed, some are legislated, some are attitudinally instilled, and others exist within people with disabilities themselves. Our programs and services are designed to remove these barriers so that all persons can move within an accessible environment.

The League's programs and services benefit from partnerships with the government, the business community, and the public so that change may occur through a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation. Our programs and services couple good "common sense" with the reality that some problems have unconventional solutions.

The long-range goal of the League of Human Dignity is for persons with disabilities to fully integrate into society where they can contribute as independent members of the community.

A revolutionary idea—independent living.

As the civil rights movement began sweeping the country in the late 1960s and early 70s, the independent living movement for those with disabilities was also gaining ground.

Spearheaded by Ed Roberts, a student at the University of California at Berkeley, the movement was based on a revolutionary idea—taking charge of your own life through self-empowerment and consumer control. It's the founding aspiration for all the League of Human Dignity's activities.

Midwesterners are known for taking their time accepting new ideas and concepts. But we are proud to say this was not the case with disability rights. Thanks to the vision of our founders, the League of Human Dignity was active in the early days of the disability rights revolution.

It all started with a newspaper ad...

Discontent with the barriers facing those with disabilities in 1971, Jean Scanlon placed a classified ad in a Lincoln, Nebraska, newspaper hoping to find others with similar concerns.

She was pleasantly surprised when more than a dozen responded to her request to join forces. The group began working to remove barriers, coordinate community services, and improve public transportation—eventually founding the League of Human Dignity.

This grassroots effort has expanded to 62 counties throughout Nebraska and Southwest Iowa. We now serve thousands of consumers through our Centers for Independent Living in Lincoln, Norfolk, Omaha, Council Bluffs, and our Panhandle Medicaid Waiver Office in Scottsbluff.

The League of Human Dignity is a nonprofit, consumer-controlled, nonresidential, community-based organization promoting a more independent lifestyle for those with disabilities.

To ensure that we continue to provide quality service, we insist that at least 60 percent of those serving on our Board of Directors are individuals who experience disabilities. The Board meets regularly to set policy, discuss current issues, monitor finances, and establish budgets for League and Mobility Options programs and projects.

League staff, board of directors, and other volunteers are committed to the independent living philosophy. Our goal is to help you achieve and maintain a more independent lifestyle. When you request League services, our staff members will begin working closely with you. League staff members travel regularly to the homes of thousands of consumers throughout our 62-county service area, helping them achieve their independent living goals.

Our consumers are the most important members of the League of Human Dignity family. As a consumer-based organization, we are run by and for people with disabilities. We work with individuals from cross-disability, multicultural populations to help them acquire the services and equipment they need to achieve or maintain an independent living style.

You may have noticed that at the League of Human Dignity, we do not refer to you as a client or a patient. You are a consumer with the power to make your own decisions. Our job is to help you find ways to take charge of your own life.