08/24/2026
Check it out!
🎉 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆, 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿! 🎉
At our annual Celebrating Independence Picnic, Independence, Inc. was proud to recognize Holden Boully as our 2026 Youth Advocate of the Year!
For Holden, disability rights are personal.
Growing up with a disability and receiving special education services through an Individualized Education Program (IEP), Holden experienced firsthand many of the barriers young people with disabilities can face. Along the way, he learned something incredibly important: his voice mattered.
Holden learned to advocate for himself during his own IEP meetings, making sure he was included in decisions about his education and received the accommodations and support he needed to succeed. Those experiences helped shape his passion for disability rights and his belief that every young person deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Today, Holden is using his experiences to help other young people find their own voices.
Through Youth POV, presentations, educational programs, and community outreach, Holden works to give youth with disabilities the knowledge, confidence, and resources they need to understand their rights, break down barriers, make their own choices, and advocate for the futures they want.
That is what the Independent Living Movement is all about.
Nothing About Us Without Us begins when young people understand that they deserve a seat at the table and that their experiences and opinions matter.
Congratulations, Holden! We are proud to recognize you as the 2026 Youth Advocate of the Year and excited to see the difference you will continue to make in our community and in the disability rights movement. 💙