A NATIONAL COALITION ADVANCING RIGHTS TO SELF-DETERMINATION
Liberators for Justice (L4J) is a coalition that supports an individual’s right to exercise choice and control over their lives. We strongly oppose the use of guardianship as a tool for institutionalization and other rights infringements against people with disabilities. Guardianship, by diminishing our self-determination, dignity, and community participation, is wholly incompatible with the Independent Living philosophy and the disability rights movement.
MISSION
Our mission is to dispel implicit biases and end all systems of oppression that segregate our people by removing their right to self-determination, dignity, and community participation. Protection and restoration of rights are central to the work of L4J.
L4J works under five priorities:
Individual Advocacy
L4J provides individual advocacy in three ways:
- L4J’s Center for Independent Living (CIL) members provide paths to independent living for those at risk of or in institutional settings. CIL staff may identify individuals who have been forced into guardianship and institutionalization, offer community-based services or advocate on their behalf in the courts, to allies or relatives.
- L4J may organize or support direct actions or campaigns designed to raise public awareness of an individual who is subjected to protective measures against their wishes and who requests L4J’s intervention.
- L4J is organizing platforms for peer support in group forums and one-on-one co-sponsorships.
Legal Education
L4J is currently in working relationships with university legal clinics and other entities to develop educational materials and programs for legal professionals and the judiciary on least restrictive alternatives to guardianship and institutionalization.
Legislative Reform
Members of L4J work on state and federal levels to advance least restrictive measures in legislation and policies. L4J actively promotes reform in agencies and administrations that impact individuals whose self-determination is at risk
Stakeholder Partnerships
L4J advocates for empowering disability-led organizations to be influential partners with organizations and agencies that impact rights to self-determination and community integration. For instance, L4J fully supports Protection & Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) councils to be fully engaged in the Protection & Advocacy (P&A) systems nationally on behalf of people at risk of guardianship and other restrictive measures. L4J also advocates for centers for independent living to share investigative and monitoring powers with P&A systems.
Story Gathering
L4J raises the voices of individuals experiencing guardianship or other restrictive measures through individual narratives and aggregated information.