What is People First of Connecticut?
People First of CT is a volunteer group of self-advocates with intellectual and developmental disabilities. People First of CT advocates that ALL people – with and without disabilities – are treated with equity. Everyone must be respected for their strengths.
Members of People First are passionate advocates and fight for the right to be respected for their abilities and make individual lives better. People First advocates for choice, independence, freedom, respect and dignity for everyone. People First advocates that ALL people must have equal access to community living, self-determination, work, and inclusion in all aspects of their lives.
Our story
On September 10, 2020, Jean Bowen, Founder and original advisor to People First of CT, gave a Zoom presentation how People First got started in CT and spread across the country. She talked about the early leadership of People First of CT. She said many of the issues that were important then are still important today. Jean especially talked about the role People First of Connecticut still has in closing Southbury Training School once and for all.
People First of CT was an independent non-profit organization from April 1990 through March 2023.
Come back soon to watch a video about “The History of People First of CT and the Self-Advocacy Movement.”
People First of CT today
People First of CT is no longer an independent private non-profit.
People First of CT has a written agreement with a Fiscal Sponsor. The Fiscal Sponsor manages People First’s money and important paperwork. We use the non-profit status and papers of the Fiscal Sponsor. People First may contract with a grant-writer to fund its projects.
People First of CT’s activities are self-determined. That is, they are planned and completed by members. However, we cannot do anything that jeopardizes our relationship with our Fiscal Sponsor.
Did You Know?
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People First of CT is the ONLY statewide Advocacy Group of Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
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People First has testified about things like the need for agency staff training and community -- not institutional living -- for ALL.
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People First of CT is the only group of people with disabilities who have issues related to their daily freedom, their staff support, how they can spend their money, what they can do with their time, and how agencies deny them adult rights and opportunities.
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For example, many want to work but are still told they can’t. Other rights are denied, too. This makes us angry. This makes us want to change things for the better.