A Force For Good And Changing The System From Within With Jane Johnson

The Independent Life

Joining us on today’s episode is the one, the only, Jane Johnson. A dear friend and true champion of the Independent Living Network, we welcome Jane back onto the podcast to discuss legislative updates that includes new leadership, new funding opportunities, and keeping the end goal in mind. The Independent Living Network is currently in an expansive phase with opportunities on the horizon that could see tremendous impact within the community for people with disabilities.

Diving straight into the current changes that have already happened at the state level, Jane expresses an opportunity have a great fresh start with new leadership, sensing a much more open communication style and willingness to partner towards efforts that will improve the IL Network and the impact on CILs within their catch-men areas.

They talk in depth about the recent pilots with the Florida Department of Correction, a program conducted with inmates who are incarcerated, to provide an accessible employee readiness program. Through collaboration efforts, a trauma informed curriculum designed and developed for students with disabilities. This tremendous effort would not have been possible without the dedication and commitment from Lindsey Telg, Dr. Jacob Atem, Tony, and Jane to trail blaze this initiative to where it is today. Collectively, they worked to develop this training that every inmate is required to receive prior to being released. The pilot received overwhelming positive feedback from the department of corrections, as well as from the inmates who took the class. As a result of such great outcome, they’re now looking at taking the pilot to the next phase and expanding the program throughout the state. See below for episodes resources related to the creation and impact of this effort.

Jane has also been fundamental in supporting the efforts of the independent living network. She works tirelessly to ensure proper funding to operate initiatives, such as Adult Transitions, which helps to get people out of institutionalize care or prevent them from entering into institutionalized care by providing the necessary services in order to help keep them in the community. This effort also manifests into a lot of different services at Centers For Independent Living.

Jane exemplifies how to be a force for good and how to do this by not getting lost and selling out to the system but instead to be better because of it. She shares how she doesn’t allow herself to be associated with certain legislators or political parties but rather to be associated to the cause, which is independent living. For Jane, that is the one thing - supporting people disabilities to live as independently as possible. For her, that is a constant that doesn’t change no matter who she’s talking to or making a funding request from. The needs are the same: serving at risk and underserved populations. In closing, Jane talks about how diligence is the mother of good luck, that things don’t just happen; its the right time, right place, right people coming together and willing to work together for an outcome.

Episode Resources:

• Occupational Therapy with Lindsey Telg: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5EsAHhJH4LXnLgmzB3jhWa?si=lSfBD9AlTbOQYov2tRPwKg
• Taking Back The Pen and Rewriting Our Story with Lindsey Telg: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3vCwrV3CLVSz96LHPOEtoJ?si=WTOFeXP4Q3SMRLYKTrDqXA
• Choice, Freedom, and The Independent Life with Dr. Jacob Atem: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0NFGGPUub489wk6HMepgHQ?si=EzjahpHLQm6djCzz6I_4CA