ABOUT THE LEAGUE
We at the League of Human Dignity are concerned with the rights and quality of life of people with disabilities. We believe in emphasizing likeness not difference, ability not disability, normality not abnormality, and integration not segregation. We work with people who have disabilities to promote independent living and ensure social, economic, and political equality.
LEAGUE EXTENDS INDEPENDENT LIVING SERVICES IN NEBRASKA
People with disabilities in Southeast Nebraska now have better access to the services they need to live independently.
The League of Human Dignity’s Lincoln Center for Independent Living expanded its service area late in 2018 to include five underserved Southeast Nebraska counties – Richardson, Pawnee, Nemaha, Johnson and Otoe. The center has been offering Independent Living services in Lincoln, Lancaster County and other Southeast Nebraska counties since 1971.
The League of Human Dignity operates Centers for Independent Living in Lincoln, Norfolk, Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa. In addition, the League offers services at our North Platte office.
For more information, call the Lincoln Center for Independent Living at 402-441-7871 or email info@leagueofhumandignity.com.
The expansion follows a similar move in North Central Nebraska earlier in 2018. The League’s Norfolk Center for Independent Living expanded its service area to include Boyd, Brown Cherry, Holt, Keya Paha and Rock. The Norfolk center has offered Independent Living services in 14 Northeast Nebraska counties since 1982.
For more information, call the Norfolk Center for Independent Living at 402-371-4475 or email info@leagueofhumandignity.com.
OUR HISTORY
A revolutionary idea — independent living.
As the civil rights movement swept the country in the late 1960s and early 70s, the independent living movement for people 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 residents 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 — and eventually founded the League of Human Dignity.
This grassroots gradually expanded and today is active in Nebraska and Southwest Iowa. We serve thousands of consumers through our Centers for Independent Living in Lincoln, Norfolk, Omaha, and Council Bluffs, and our office in North Platte.
The League of Human Dignity is a nonprofit, consumer-controlled, nonresidential, community-based organization promoting a more independent lifestyle for people with disabilities.
Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC)
The League of Human Dignity operates an Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) in partnership with the Nebraska State Unit on Aging. The ADRC is for Nebraskans age 60 or older, people with disabilities of all ages, and their family members, caregivers and advocates.
The ADRC provides the following services:
Information & Referral
Information about a full range of public and private long-term care programs, including services, providers, and resources.
Options Counseling
Helping people who need long-term care and their representatives to make informed choices about the services and settings that best meet their needs.
Transitional Options Counseling
Developing, implementing, assessing, and following up on plans for transition support. This includes the evaluation, treatment, and care of people experiencing a specific, time-limited problem, such as a transition from hospitalization or a group setting.
Benefits Assistance
Assisting individuals who have difficulty understanding or obtaining grants, payments, services, or other benefits for which they may be eligible.
Mobility Training
Promoting the use of public transportation services by people who do not own or cannot operate an automobile.
The State Unit on Aging
The State Unit on Aging oversees funding to help Nebraskans stay in their homes. These funding sources include the Older Americans Act, the Nebraska Community Aging Services Act, and the Aging & Disability Resource Center Act. Services promote health, safety, and long-term independence.
Services May Be Available to You
If you are an older adult, a person with a disability, or a caregiver. Contact us to see how we can help. Call us from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 402-441-7871; call our ADRC line at 833-800-5643 or email info@leagueofhumandignity.com
The ADRC is here to help you navigate through what can be a time consuming and complicated maze of services and programs. We will collaborate and partner with multiple community providers to obtain and access information and services for you. All of our information and assistance is free and confidential.
Find Out Your Benefits
Throughout our history, members of the League of Human Dignity have influenced state legislation and city policy on accessibility and disability rights issues. We are also prepared to advocate with you on a personal level and to help you advocate for yourself. We want to be sure you receive the services, accommodation—and respect—you deserve. If you feel you are being discriminated against because you experience a disability, contact the League of Human Dignity.
Find Out Your Rights
The League of Human Dignity believes that all of us have the right to decide where we live, work, and play. At some point in our lives most of us will experience limitations that affect our personal independence. Whether these disabilities are temporary, progressive, or permanent, they should not prevent us from living the lives we choose. In addition to physical, mental, or emotional disabilities, we may also be faced with external barriers.
Our Mission
We believe people who experience disability have the right to expect the same opportunity as anyone else to live, work and play in their communities. They have the same right to access benefits, services, resources and facilities. They have the same right to contribute freely, according to their potential, regardless of their disability. People with disabilities have the right to make their own decisions, to live independently and should never be forced to live in institutions.