Mission
Partnerships
Utah Statewide Independent Living Council
(USILC)
Purpose of the State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL)
Centers for Independent Living (CILs)
Assistive Technology (AT)
Community Integration Program (CIP)
Older Blind Program
Our mission is to support the Independent Living (IL) philosophy and services in Utah to help individuals with disabilities live independently in their homes and communities.
Activities include:
Supporting services to unserved and underserved people with disabilities
by CILs.
Increasing awareness of IL services and IL philosophy.
Helping existing CILs to serve persons with disabilities.
Promoting the development of new CILs.
Developing and monitoring contracts.
USOR emphasizes the IL philosophy and vision of people with disabilities controlling the decisions in their lives. People with disabilities do not need to be “fixed.” Rather, the locus of problems lies in inaccessible environments, organizations, agencies, businesses, communities, and attitudes.
The USOR IL Program, CILs, and USILC work together to support Independent Living in Utah. USOR helps to provide coordination of services, technical assistance, and development of services. USOR also acts as a funding agent and contract monitor of state and federal funds to the CILs and of federal funds to USILC. The USOR IL Program fully endorses and supports the IL philosophy and works to meet all the IL provisions in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended in 1998, including consumer control. Follow the links to USILC and the CILs for more information on the IL philosophy, history, and services.
Utah Statewide Independent Living Council (USILC)
USILC is a not-for-profit statewide planning and advocacy organization. The Rehabilitation Act requires each state to create an autonomous Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) to develop a state plan for independent living. USILC and USOR, with input from CILs, develop the SPIL, as outlined below. USILC is not a service provider, nor does it fund or directly monitor services. At least 51% of the USILC board must be individuals with disabilities. Board members are elected with consideration of state wide representation. Members work on community and system change in their areas and statewide.
For more information, visit the USILC website.
State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL)
The purpose of the SPIL is to develop a strategy to ensure these activities occur statewide:
Independent Living Services.
Development and support of Centers for Independent Living, including a plan
for the development of the future network of CILs.
Promotion of relationships between service programs for persons with disabilities.
A copy of the current SPIL is available at the USILC website.
Centers for Independent Living (CILs)(click
for listing of Utah CILs)
CILs are local not-for-profit- service and advocacy organizations. The CILs must have a board of directors and staff, including decision makers, with at least 51% consisting of persons with disabilities. CILs are non-residential, community based, cross-disability organizations. They serve all people with disabilities regardless of age, gender, race, disability and religion.
CILs embrace the following IL philosophy: All people, regardless of disability,
have the right and responsibility to make their own choices, to live independently
as possible in the community, and to participate as full and equal citizens
in their community and in society. CILs promote this philosophy through services,
education, and advocacy.
Consistent with the IL philosophy, a primary emphasis is on working with communities and systems to make them more accessible, eliminating stereotyping, increasing consumer options and control. The focus here of CILs, and the Utah IL partnership as a whole, is to increase the integration, freedom to act on civil rights, dignity, and independent living of all people with disabilities.
Utah CILs provide a variety of IL services. The core IL services provided by CILs are:
Information and Referral
Peer support
Independent living skill training
Advocacy
Depending on the needs of the community, CILs may also provide:
Transportation coordination and arrangement
Assistance in locating accessible housing
Transition from nursing facilities and assistance to prevent entering a nursing
facility.
Technical assistance and information on laws and compliance requirements
Disability awareness training
Community integration services through advocacy and recreation
Assistive Technology
Assistance to older people who have blindness or visual impairment
Many other activities to enable people with disabilities to control their
own lives
The Association for Independent Living in Utah (AILU) consists of the Executive
Directors of each of the six CILs in Utah. The overall purpose of AILU is
to promote independent living philosophy, coordinate services and activities
regarding independent living, advocacy, and to effect systems change. As stated
in the partnerships area above, CILs are one of the three partners regarding
independent living in Utah. AILU is the unified voice of the CILs and an integral
member of this partnership.
Assistive Technology is devices and services to help people with disabilities
increase their independence. CILs either employ or coordinate with AT Coordinators
who work with consumers to determine the types and costs of AT which will
best meet their needs.
CILs have loan AT loan banks to help consumers try out AT devices to help
determine with solution will work best before purchasing it. CIL staff will
help consumers pursue funding from agencies and organizations which seem most
appropriate given the consumer’s plans. If no other funding sources
are available, CIL staff can work with eligible consumers in obtaining AT
from state funds managed by the USOR IL Program.
Community Integration Program (CIP)
The purpose of the Community Integration Program is to expand opportunities for community-based recreation activities. Consistent with IL philosophy, all people with disabilities may participate in a wide range of recreation and integration activities to enhance their mobility, socialization, employability, and independence. The objectives of this program include expanding opportunities of people with disabilities to participate in existing community-based activities, increasing the accessibility of community-based recreation facilities, programs, services, and activities to people with all types of disabilities, and improving information and referral concerning accessible recreation opportunities and adapted recreation equipment.
The Older Blind Program, also known as Chapter 2 (reference to Title VII (IL) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended in 1998, provides independent living services to people who are older (at least age 55) and blind or visually impaired. CIL staff work together with staff from the Utah Division of Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired (DSBVI) to help increase the independence of these individuals. Objectives include offering community-based independent living services to maximize their independence, increasing program participation through outreach activities, and providing training and support regarding individual and systems advocacy. In addition to the four core services listed in the CILs section, and CIP activities listed above, services and activities may include:
Orientation, mobility, and follow-up services
Equipment services
Low vision services
Housing services
Transportation