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Empowering Independent Living for All ↑

Join us to break barriers and empower independent living for individuals with disabilities through advocacy, skills training, and support services in Southwest Missouri. Discover how you can access our programs today!

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Empowering Independent Living for All ↑

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  1. Mission Statement It is the mission of the Southwest Center for Independent Living to remove barriers and empower independent living for all people with disabilities.

  2. Independent Living Movement

  3. Rooted in the Civil Rights movement Ed Roberts started the first Center for Independent Living in Berkeley, California in 1972

  4. “Each time someone stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against an injustice, they send forth a ripple of hope.” ~ Robert F. Kennedy

  5. What is Independent Living? • Support for persons with disabilities in their efforts toward independence • Encouragement for persons with disabilities to make their own choices • A goal of opening doors in the community to full participation and access for all • Advocacy to change policies in government, transportation, employment, and housing

  6. Centers for Independent Living • There are over 400 CILs in the United States • The majority of CIL’s board of directors and staff are persons with disabilities • We believe the strongest and most vibrant communities are those that include and embrace all people • We work toward both immediate and long-term solutions- helping persons with disabilities find housing or a job, equipping a home with assistive technologies, or enhancing the person’s independent living skills • We operate from a “help out” philosophy, rather than a “hand out” philosophy

  7. Missouri has 22 CILs and with 12 branch offices!

  8. How to find your Center • https://www.ilru.org/ The ILRU (Independent Living Research Utilization) program is a national center for information, training, research, and technical assistance in independent living. Its goal is to expand the body of knowledge in independent living and to improve utilization of results of research programs and demonstration projects in this field. It is a program of TIRR Memorial Hermann, a nationally recognized medical rehabilitation facility for persons with disabilities.

  9. Directory of CILS

  10. Counties Served by SCIL/empower:abilities Christian Dallas Greene Lawrence Polk Stone Taney Webster

  11. Center for Independent LivingFive Core Services • Information and Referral • Peer Support and Counseling • Independent Living Skills Training • Advocacy (Individual and Systemic) • Transition

  12. The 3 C’s Consumer Choice Consumer Control Consumer Change

  13. Information and Referral • Access to information and referral services in their area • This service is provided to anyone with or without a disability

  14. Peer Support • Someone with a disability who has achieved independence in their own community. A resource for people to share experiences with other peers

  15. Independent Living Skills Training • Developing skills to gain or re-gain independence. • learning to access transportation • cooking from a wheelchair • budgeting • technology to assist in finding new employment • social and relationship skills

  16. Both Individual and Systems Advocacy are needed. The key is to empower individuals to act themselves by resisting the norms of dependency and working together to ensure that we can live in an integrated community Advocacy

  17. Breaking down Barriers

  18. “Vote as if your life depends upon it, because it does,”. Justin Dart

  19. Transitions • Assistance and resources for individuals currently living in nursing homes or institutions to transition into independent living. • Housing • IL Skills • Advocacy • Assisting young adults transitioning from school to work settings to live successfully. • Youth Programs

  20. Youth Services Advocacy for educational endeavors such as implementation of • IEP’s and 504 plans • Driver’s Education (written portion of the test) • community resource management • social events • and more Your Life Group: consists of both high school and post-high school youth. Meets weekly during the school year and includes special summer program

  21. Community Education and Collaboration Providing education to our community on various issues and needs Providing disability awareness in area schools Networking with community agencies to provide a united approach to services

  22. Workshops and Groups Fun and educational workshops and groups to enhance independence and increase social interaction

  23. Access and Technology Provides technological devices and services to enhance independence • Demonstration room devices available for: • Hard of Hearing or Deaf • Low Vision or Blind • Mobility Disabilities Device Recycling and Exchange: Program accepts durable medical equipment in good working condition. We loan and donate the items to those with no other means of obtaining the equipment they need. • manual wheelchairs • four wheeled walkers • two wheeled walkers • standard folding walkers • quad canes • straight canes

  24. Missouri Telecommunications Access Program - TAP Provides telephone demonstrations for the Missouri Telecommunications Access Program - TAP provides free adaptive telephones for people who cannot use a traditional phone due to a disability such as hearing loss, vision loss, memory loss or mobility limitations Missouri offers the Internet or TAP program which provides free adaptive computer equipment (hardware and software) to people whose disability prevents them from accessing information on the internet. • magnification software • adaptive keyboards and pointing devices • speech recognition software

  25. Hearing Aid Resources Starkey Foundation - https://www.starkeyhearingfoundation.org/Hear-Now • Guidelines • $24,280 Annual income for 1 person • $125 application fee per hearing aid needed (if denied, fee is returned) • https://mcdhh.mo.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2014/06/Financial-Assistance-Programs-for-Hearing-Aids.pdf

  26. Consumer Directed ServicesIn Home Services Consumer Directed Services • Allows people with disabilities to obtain personal care in daily living • Remain in their own home • Hiring and directing their own care • Attendants can be family members (not a spouse) • Available in all 8 counties served Must be Medicaid eligible, and meet level of need Must be at least 18 and not have a guardian In-Home Services • Traditional attendant care program • Attendants hired by the agency • Nursing services • In addition to Medicaid, Private Pay and Veterans benefits are accepted. IHS only available in Christian, Greene and Polk

  27. Ramps • Handrails • Walker-steps • Grab bars • Funded by fee-for-service • Grants • Donations from individuals and businesses • Income must fall within the low income HUD guidelines • Utilizes volunteers Renovation and Modifications Programs (RAMPS)

  28. Medicare CLAIM Partners CLAIM Counselors Contact Information: SCIL / empower:abilities 2864 S. Nettleton Avenue Springfield, MO 65807 (417) 886-1188 www.swcil.org Stacie Amschler - Lead Independent Living Specialist ext 217 samschler@swcil.org for those who are Deaf and use VP - (417) 631-4545 Chelsea Polonus - Independent Living Specialist - ext 216 cpolonus@swcil.org Steve Wright - Transition Specialist - ext 310 swright@swcil.org

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