What is the Independent Living Philosophy?Ed Roberts is often called the father of Independent Living. Roberts had a severe disability as a result of polio, which he contracted as a teenager. In 1961, he was determined to attend the University of California at Berkley. Influenced by the civil rights movement and the peer support model, Roberts formed a student organization to work for barrier removal and support services for students with disabilities so that they could live independently while attending school. Dignity, peer support, consumer control, civil rights, integration, equal access, and advocacy are core values of independent living and the disability rights movement. |
What is a Center for Independent Living (CIL)?Centers for Independent Living were created by Congress in Title VII of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. A CIL is a non-residential, not-for-profit, community-based, consumer controlled, cross-disability agency providing four core services. These are: In addition, CILs offer a number of other services, generally depending on specific needs of their consumers and lack of availability elsewhere in the community. Today, more than 400 CILs exist throughout the country, funded with a mix of both public and private resources. |
How does a CIL differ from other service organizations?Centers for Independent Living are unique in that they are governed, managed and staffed by a majority of people with a variety of disabilities. This is described as "consumer control", a basic premise of independent living. Unlike other service providers, we are who we serve; we share the same interests and concerns as those we serve; and we are also directly and personally affected by the systems and services we seek to change and improve. CILs have a majority of people with disabilities on their governing boards, and they hire qualified people with disabilities to fill management and service delivery positions, based on the idea that people with disabilities are in the best position to understand what services are needed, and how to assist and advocate in the independent living process. CILs utilize the term "consumer," rather than "client" or "patient," in order to denote this peer relationship. |
What is a disability?A disability is a permanent physical, cognitive, sensory or psychological impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Major life activities include caring for one's self, walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, working, performing manual tasks, and learning. |
What determines eligibility for CILO services?Consumers are eligible for core services based on self identification of their disability. Some auxiliary services may require additional documentation at the request of the particular funding source. |
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