Judi’s Room
“Back to Our Roots, Forward in Power: Chris Palames on Renewing the Independent Living Movement”
Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Time: 6 PM Eastern Time, 5 PM Central, 4 PM Mountain, 3 PM Pacific
Platform: Zoom – Pregistration is Required (see link below)
Registration link
About the Conversation
“Back to Our Roots, Forward in Power: Chris Palames on Renewing the Independent Living Movement”
In the wake of yesterday’s election, many of us share deep concerns that our hard-won principles and disability protections are beginning to slip away. Chris Palames brings not only decades of policy and advocacy experience, but also the rare perspective of someone who helped build the Independent Living movement from its foundational days.
During this discussion, Chris will help us contextualize the critical challenges before us and explore how we can organize to reclaim, defend, and strengthen the independent living vision.
Chris’s advocacy began in the earliest years of the movement. In 1974, he founded the Stavros Center for Independent Living—one of the nation’s first CILs serving a largely rural, multi-county region. He later assisted in developing the Vermont Center for Independent Living, expanding the vital framework that disabled people must have peer support, systemic advocacy, and practical resources to direct our own lives in our own communities.
During the mid-1980s, Chris served in Massachusetts state government as Assistant Director for Programs at the Massachusetts Office on Disability. His work centered on reforming accessibility regulations and advancing system-wide accessibility and disability-rights compliance across state agencies.
Those formative years remind us of what was at stake—and what our community organized to win. In the 1980s, we fought for Independent Living as an uncompromising core principle: the right of disabled people to make our own decisions, direct our own services, live in the community, and participate fully in every aspect of public life.
Chris Palames is seated outdoors in his wheelchair in a rural setting. He is light skinned, bearded, and wears a dark sun hat and sunglasses.
Disability Pride Flag symbolizingunity, identity, and grassroots resistance
About Judi’s Room
Named in honor of celebrated human rights activist Judi Chamberlin, Judi’s Room is a free monthly event presented jointly by MindFreedom International (MFI) and I Love You, Lead On to cultivate ongoing cross-disability dialogue. Each gathering features a presentation by expert panelists followed by an open community discussion.
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Accommodations: If you require accommodations (such as ASL interpretation or CART captioning), please email office@mindfreedom.org at least three business days prior to the event.
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Mailing List: To receive email notices for future events, send a message to office@mindfreedom.org with “Add me to Judi’s Room” in the subject line.
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Event Recording: A recording will be archived and shared on MFI’s official YouTube channel following the presentation.
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Support: If you wish to support Judi’s Room and accessible programming, please consider donating to MindFreedom International and I Love You, Lead On.
MindFreedom International
Website: mindfreedom.org | Email: office@mindfreedom.org | Phone: (301) 363-9248
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Physical Office: 454 Willamette St., Suite 216, Eugene, OR 97401-2643
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Mailing Address: P.O. Box 11284, Eugene, OR 97440
Copyright © 2026 MindFreedom International. All rights reserved.
Link to Judi’s Room* https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82375518189
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