Western Reserve Independent Living Center
4076 Youngstown Rd. SE
Warren, OH 44484
United States
ph: 330-372-3325
fax: 330-373-1826
info
Independent Living is about freedom of choice. It is about being included. It celebrates people with disabilities living a high quality life.
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 over 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 main stream of American society." (RSA, 1992)
Includes classes on how to hire and manage personal assistants or manage a personal household and budget, plus ways to access public transportation systems or deal with discriminatory behaviors. One-on-one and group supports are also available to help people get the skills necessary for independent lifestyles.
Staff members with like disabilities who are living independently are always available to talk with and provide support for consumers. Problem solving in areas such as learning to use community services more effectively, adjusting to a newly acquired disability, or a change in living accommodation are only a few topics that can be discussed. Individual and group support through role models encourages consumers to seek ways to enhance their quality of life and to contribute to their communities.
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
~ Martin Luther King Jr.
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:
Centers provide three kinds of advocacy:
Centers maintain comprehensive data files on resources in their service areas. Staff can provide information on accessible housing, transportation, available personal care assistants, interpreters or readers. Training materials, lending libraries, equipment or technical resources and lists of contractors or re-modelers may also be utilized.
Copyright 2010 Western Reserve Independent Living Center. All rights reserved.
Western Reserve Independent Living Center
4076 Youngstown Rd. SE
Warren, OH 44484
United States
ph: 330-372-3325
fax: 330-373-1826
info