Advocacy
Our Roots
Fello is deeply rooted in a tradition of advocacy that creates and empowers inclusive communities.
Our story began in 1961, when a group of families came together to fight for the rights and futures of their children with disabilities. At that time, their belief that people with disabilities deserved the same rights and opportunities as anyone else was groundbreaking.
Our founders knew then what we know today to be true: our community is stronger when everyone is included and has access to the resources and support they need.
More than six decades later, Fello continues to be a leader and change-maker throughout the region, dedicated to building the services that people with disabilities tell us they want and need and removing the barriers people face in accessing their communities.
Society has come a long way, but the work continues.
Since our founding, we have been an integral part of the Civil Rights Movement, and that work continues today. People with disabilities still face many inequities in their everyday lives, and a large part of Fello’s work in the community is actively working alongside them to remove those barriers.
This advocacy takes many forms, evolving from year to year and even day-to-day in the dynamic environment of legislative sessions and executive rulemaking. Our work includes everything from improving the enforcement of laws to expanding or creating funding for essential programs to educating stakeholders on what inclusion and equality really mean to our communities.
As an organization with a reputation of more than 60 years advocating for the rights of people with disabilities, Fello holds a unique position in the community to advocate alongside people with disabilities for important policy and community-wide changes.
Promoting Self-Advocacy
Fello’s self-advocacy group, Living Boldly, provides access to important information and helps people form their own ideas and opinions about what they really want.
Self-advocacy is an essential part of Fello’s work in the community. For too long, decisions have been made for and about people with disabilities without any thought or consideration of their wants and needs. Living Boldly creates a safe space for people with disabilities to speak and make their voices heard on important issues, help each other grow, and encourage more independence.