Independent Living Centers Help People with Disabilities

Independent living centers are non-residential places that provide essential services to people with disabilities so that they can live independently in their communities. They provide four core services - individual and systems advocacy, independent living skills training, peer counseling, and information and referral. Some centers also help people transition from nursing facilities back into the community.

There are independent living centers in every state. A unique feature of these centers is that they are consumer-controlled, meaning that 51% of staff and 51% of the Board of Directors are people with disabilities. People with all types of disabilities are served.

For over twenty years, I have either worked for, or served on the Board of Directors of independent living centers in several states. I currently work as a Systems Advocate for a center in upstate New York. I will describe the core services in more detail.

Advocacy

There are two types of advocacy - individual and systems. Individual advocacy is when a person is helped to solve a problem or address an issue. One example of individual advocacy is helping someone to obtain Social Security benefits.

Systems advocacy is addressing issues that affect a large number of people. This could include working with a store owner to make his business wheelchair-accessible, insuring that the state Board of Elections doesn't enact policies that segregate voters with disabilities, or working to pass national legislation that mandates home and community-based services for people with disabilities and seniors wanting to live in their own homes.

Independent living skills training

This involves teaching skills such as cooking, money management, mobility training, and dealing with their personal care attendant.

Peer counseling

It's easier to cope with something when one receives support from those in similar situations. I know from personal experience that others with disabilities will understand what I'm going through far better than a non-disabled person.

Information and referral

When a center doesn't provide the particular service that someone may need, he or she is given information about agencies that are able to help. Sometimes the independent living center will work with another agency to get the client the services they need.