Learn more about Independent Living and find nearby resources to help you achieve a greater measure of personal freedom (external links will open in new windows):
Background Information:
What's an Independent Living Center? Here's our introduction to the Independent Living movement, which includes brief discussion of various types of Independent Living Centers (ILC's, also sometimes referred to as CIL's). You might also want to look at the BarrierFreeChoices Reference Shelf, which features several important articles on the history of the Independent Living Movement.
U.S. Dept of Education's Independent Living Program provides support for the planning, conduct, administration, and evaluation of centers for independent living that comply with the standards and assurances in Section 725 of the Rehabilitation Act, consistent with state plans for establishing statewide networks of centers that are consumer-controlled, community-based, cross-disability, nonresidential, private, nonprofit agencies, designed and operated within local communities by individuals with disabilities. Centers provide an array of independent living services, including the core services of: Information and referral; independent living skills training; peer counseling; and individual and systems advocacy. Detailed discussion of grant availability and requirements included for individuals or groups interested in setting up new Centers locally.
Independent Living Center Directories:
Important: Several groups nationwide operate independent living centers, with what appears to be minimal information exchange between (or among) these various groups. We have included two of the most comprehensive directories here, and recommend that you review them both when looking for an ILC in your area. Some ILC's are listed in more than one directory, and we have found much information that needs updating.
• ILRU Directory of Independent Living Centers Organized by State, the ILRU list can be searched either by clicking on a map or State names on an alphabetical list. ILRU (Independent Living Research Utilization) is a project of TIRR (The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research), a nationally recognized medical rehabilitation facility for persons with disabilities.
• Statewide Independent Living Councils List of Council Officers (by State) who oversee the various independent living programs within each State. This list is also maintained and updated by ILRU. This is NOT a list of Independent Living Centers, but these people are valuable contacts if you can't find an ILC in your area.
• Independent Living USA's ILC List by State Probably the most comprehensive list we've seen to date, although a little cumbersome to navigate. List requires much scrolling, but clicking on the two-letter State abbreviations at the beginning of the list will shorten your journey.
Additional Helpful Resources:
Independent Living USA Homepage Maintained by the New York State Institute on Disability, Inc., and the Independent Living Center of the Hudson Valley, Inc., (with funding by private sources and a number of corporate sponsors), ILUSA's website contains a fascinating and ever-changing potpourri of (mostly) disability-related news items, commentaries, humor, and interesting stuff from all over the world. It's easy to spend several hours there. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page to make sure you don't miss anything.
Mobility-Advisor.com is an educational resource with articles on wheelchairs, scooters, accessories, wheel chair sports, disabled travel, transportation, and assistive technology to enhance the lives of individuals of all ages who need mobility assistance.
