NATIONAL COUNCIL ON INDEPENDENT LIVING

NCIL'S ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON INDEPENDENT LIVING NCIL'S ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON INDEPENDENT LIVING WAS A WORLDCLASS, ACCESSIBLE, VIRTUAL CONFERENCE THAT BROUGHT TOGETHER OVER 800 PARTICIPANTS FROM ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. THE CONFERENCE THEME WAS LIBERTY, INDEPENDENCE, FREEDOM, AND EQUITY. THESE FOUR CONCEPTS REPRESENT THE PILLARS OF THE WORK WE MUST DO. WE WILL FIGHT FOR THE LIBERTY OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES INCARCERATED IN INSTITUTIONS, INCLUDING NURSING HOMES, PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTIONS, INTERMEDIATE CARE FACILITIES, JAILS AND PRISONS, AND OTHER CONGREGATE SETTINGS. WE WILL FIGHT FOR THE INDEPENDENCE AND FREEDOM OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO LEAD OUR OWN LIVES. WE WILL FIGHT FOR EQUITY IN ALL THAT WE DO TO ACHIEVE A MORE JUST, ANTIRACIST, AND EQUITABLE SOCIETY AND INDEPENDENT LIVING MOVEMENT. WE MISSED BEING TOGETHER IN PERSON, BUT NCIL WAS STILL ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH ALL WE GATHER TO DO. WE HOSTED AN OUTSTANDING VIRTUAL RALLY AND DAY ON CAPITOL HILL, ELECTED BOARD MEMBERS, ADOPTED AN IMPORTANT RESOLUTION OPPOSING APPLIED BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS (ABA), AND HOSTED OVER 25 WORKSHOPS TO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND PEER SUPPORT. CENTENE BARRIER REMOVAL FUND CENTENE CONTRACTS WITH NCIL TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR ITS BARRIER REMOVAL FUND (BRF) PROJECT. THE BRF IS A COMPETITIVE RFP OPPORTUNITY FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS IN CENTENE'S NETWORK TO RECEIVE GRANTS TO REMOVE ACCESS BARRIERS IN THEIR OFFICES / BUILDINGS. NCIL SUBCONTRACTS WITH CENTERS FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING (CILS) OR OTHER ADA EXPERTS TO PROVIDE ONSITE DISABILITY ACCESSIBILITY REVIEWS TO PROVIDERS TO ASSESS THEIR PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS AND RECOMMEND OTHER ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS. NCIL AND CENTENE HAVE COMPLETED THE PROJECT IN FLORIDA, ILLINOIS, KANSAS, TEXAS, NEW MEXICO, OHIO, INDIANA, PENNSYLVANIA, CALIFORNIA, HAWAII, IOWA, LOUISIANA, MICHIGAN AND GEORGIA. IN 2022, NCIL HAD OVER 120 APPLICANTS IN THE THREE STATES AND PROVIDED GRANTS TO APPROXIMATELY 35 APPLICANTS. ELEVATE WEBINAR SERIES NCIL HOSTED THE ELEVATE: CAMPAIGN TRAINING FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. ELEVATE IS A NONPARTISAN CAMPAIGN TRAINING PROGRAM TO PROMOTE RUNNING FOR OFFICE AND CAMPAIGN WORK FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. THE SERIES COVERED A BROAD RANGE OF SKILLS AND RESOURCES ON CORE CAMPAIGN SKILLS SUCH AS FUNDRAISING, VOTER OUTREACH, AND BUILDING A BRAND AS A CANDIDATE. "ELEVATE TRAINED OVER 50 PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO RUN FOR OFFICE OR WORK ON A CAMPAIGN. "ELEVATE IS THE ONLY CAMPAIGN TRAINING WITH CART CAPTIONING, ASL, AND SCREEN READER ACCESSIBLE MATERIALS FOR ALL CONTENT. THE WEBINAR RECORDINGS AND MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE, FREE OF CHARGE TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO USE THEM. "ELEVATE FEATURES SPEAKERS FROM CONGRESS AND OTHER LEGISLATORS. NCIL AND THE KU RTC/PICL HOME MODS FACT SHEET NCIL PRODUCED THE HOME MODS FACT SHEET IN PARTNERSHIP WITH KU'S RTC / PICL TO SHARE HOME MODS DATA AND RESOURCES WITH CILS, ALONG WITH PROMISING PRACTICES AND REAL WORLD EXAMPLES FROM SEVERAL CILS WITH SUCCESSFUL HOME MODIFICATION PROGRAMS: ACCESSABILITY IN INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA THE ABILITY CENTER OF GREATER TOLEDO IN OHIO AND PLACER INDEPENDENT LIVING RESOURCE SERVICES (PIRS) IN AUBURN, CALIFORNIA.