About Us
Independent Living is about freedom of choice. It is about being included. It celebrates people with disabilities living a quality life.
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
~ Martin Luther King Jr.
What is Independent Living?
PHILOSOPHY
Independent living is about having the right to make choices, to make one's own mistakes, and to learn from them in the same way that people without disabilities can. People with disabilities must be empowered to take control of their own lives.
"CILs promote a philosophy of consumer control, peer support, self-help, self-determination, equal access, and individual and systems advocacy in order to maximize the leadership, empowerment, independence, and the integration and full inclusion of individuals with disabilities into the mainstream of American society." (RSA, 1992)
HISTORY
The first CILs were established in the early 1970s and were defined much as they are today as consumer-controlled, community-based, cross-disability, nonresidential, private, nonprofit agencies. To learn more about the history of independent living see:
FUNDING
Our staff must be 50% people with disabilities. Our Board must be at least 51% people with disabilities.
WRILC Staff Directory
Carla Scott
Executive Director ext. 102
Carla@wrilc.org
Debbie Morris
Assistant Director ext. 103
Debbie@wrilc.org
Shalia Koehl
Independent Living Specialist
Meka Miller
Independent Living Specialist ext. 106
Meka@wrilc.org
Tammy Hartman
Transition Coordinator ext. 104
Tammy@wrilc.org
Cindie Casterline
Youth Transition Coordinator ext 109
Carl Clemens
Advocate ext. 108
punkpitstp@aol.com
Our Board must be made up of 51% of people with disabilities. Our full board meets every other month on Tuesday. Our Executive Board meets every other opposite month.
Board Members
Vince Stigliano, President
Tony Sforza
Carolyn Frost
Jackie Lanterman
Rousel Whipkey
Jennifer Boarts
Susan Laird - Advisory Board
About Us
Western Reserve ILC is a local 501-C-3 non-profit agency servicing the needs of persons with disabilities in Ashtabula, Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull Counties.
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