Join host Bruce Drake of ARISE – EFR as he sits down with statewide systems advocate Phil Phren to unpack how meaningful systems-change happens in the world of disability rights and independent living.
 In this episode, we explore:

• What it really means to be a systems advocate and how that role differs from direct service. 
  
  
• Phil’s roots in community organizing, his own connection to disability via his sister, and how that experience shaped his work. 
  
  
• The function of independent living centers—what sets them apart and how they empower people with disabilities. 
  
  
• Real wins in advocacy: from improvements to accessible voting equipment to protections around source-of-income discrimination. 
  
  
• The balance between policy-wonk detail and person-centered organizing, and why trust and credibility matter in this work. 

Whether you’re a disability-rights advocate, policy-enthused citizen, or simply curious about how grassroots effort connects to institutional change, this episode offers a powerful look at how lasting impact is built—one relationship, one system, one community at a time.

Tune in to discover how empowerment, organizing, and policy intersect to move the needle on justice and inclusion.