F.A.Q

Center for Independent Living. Did you know that Center for Independent Living (CILs) are consumer-controlled, community-based, cross-disability, nonresidential private non-profit agency that are designed and operated within a local community by individuals with disabilities, and provides an array of independent living services?

State Independent Living Council

Did you know that ALL the Centers for Independent Living (CIL) in the U.S. have the same five core services? Those services include:

1. INFORMATION AND REFERRAL – Connecting individuals to the services and supports needed in their community

2. PEER SUPPORT – Mentoring and supporting individuals with shared experiences create empowerment and independence.

3. INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLS TRAINING – Teaching individuals the skills needed to be more independent and have greater control over their lives.

4. SYSTEMS AND INDIVIDUAL ADVOCACY – Preparing individuals to stand up for themselves and access the supports they need. This includes the elimination of barriers and the improvement of systems for individuals with disabilities.

5. TRANSITION SERVICES: Institutional Transition, Youth Transition and Diversion Services

Did you know that The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability?

Did you know that The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability? It was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush in July of 1990?

Did you know that Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was the world's first comprehensive civil rights law for people with disabilities? This Act inspired other nations to pass their own civil rights laws for people with disabilities. The longest sit-in at a federal building to date, a total of 25 days, occurred in San Francisco, C.A. in 1977 and was organized by Judith Heumann, Kitty Cone, and Mary Jane Owen?

Did you know that Justin Whitlock Dart Jr. helped to pass the American with Disabilities Act of 1990 and co-founded the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), and is regarded as the "Godfather of the ADA"?

Did you know that the Independent Living Movement grew out of the disability rights movement? Did you know that the Center for Independent Living began in the early 1960s at Cowell Memorial Hospital? It was located in California. Also, Cowell Memorial Hospital was once listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Ed Roberts established the first ever Center for Independent Living and is known as the “Father of the Independent Living Movement"

Did you know that under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a reasonable accommodation is a modification or adjustment to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done during the hiring process.

Did you know that the Fair Shake Initiative (FSI) is a grassroots organization of West Virginians dedicated to a “fair shake” for people with disabilities and to the belief that diversity makes our communities stronger? They provide an effective voice in the development of public policy, to give people with disabilities a fair shake.

A Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a legal document under United States law that is developed for each public school child in the U.S. who needs special education? It is created through a team of the child's parent(s), teachers, and school personnel who are knowledgeable about the child's needs. IEPs must be reviewed every year to keep track of the child's educational progress.

Did you know that the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is a piece of American legislation that ensures students with a disability are provided with a Free Appropriate Public Education that is tailored to their individual needs? IDEA was previously known as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act from 1975 to 1990.

Did you know that self-advocacy groups have shaped the national conversation around disability? Self-advocacy means representing one's own interests. Such groups include DREDF (Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund), ADAPT (Americans Disabled Attendant Programs Today), and the CIL (Centers for Independent Living).

Did you know that our 32nd President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt had a physical disability requiring the use of a wheelchair?