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The SILC Mission...
Our Mission is to strengthen the voice of Iowans with disabilities on issues affecting their lives, to build a statewide network of centers for independent living, and to collaborate with our partners in advancing the independence, productivity, and full inclusion of Iowans with disabilities.
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| Iowa SILC Office, 300 East Locust, Suite 330, Des Moines, Iowa |
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The Iowa Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) is an independent nonprofit corporation whose board of directors is appointed by the Governor, and a majority of whom are persons with disabilities. Under the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the SILC has the responsibility to plan for the coordination and expansion of independent living services in Iowa, and to promote the development of a statewide network of Centers for Independent Living (CILs).
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| What Does The SILC Do?
The SILC provides public forums for people with disabilities to identify issues important to them and all people with disabilities, and to obtain their input into the State Plan for Independent Living. We provide technical assistance to CILs and help groups wishing to start new centers. We build partnerships to address disability issues and to promote public policies and programs consistent with independent living values.
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| What Are Independent Living Services?
Independent Living (IL) Services and supports are those which help people with disabilities to accomplish their goals and to live, work, learn, and play in communities of their choice. Building a network of supports for independent living often requires advocacy for changes in the systems that affect the lives of people with disabilities.
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What Is The Independent Living Movement?
The Independent Living Movement had its early origins after World War II, when disabled veterans successfully promoted improved accessibility in downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan, and later when Gini Laurie, a hospital volunteer, founded the Rehabilitation Gazette, which spurred people with polio to start sharing their experiences. One Gazette reader was Ed Roberts, the “Father of Independent Living,” who decided to stop letting health professionals and social workers make decisions for him, and to take responsibility for his own life.
This is the core value of Independent Living: that people with disabilities understand disability issues and their own needs better than anyone else, and that they must take responsibility for removing the barriers that they face in education, employment, housing, and civic and religious life. The Independent Living Movement is based on the philosophy that the “problem” with disability rests not with the individual, who somehow needs to be “fixed,” but with the barriers preventing full inclusion in society, which include public attitudes, physical barriers, and the lack of supports for independence and self determination. It is these barriers that need to be fixed, so that people with disabilities can live, work, acquire assets, have families, and participate in society just like anyone else.
The Independent Living Movement is an arm of the disability rights movement which has had a significant impact on current language, thought and public policy regarding disability. Many of the principles of the movement are expressed in Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and in the Americans with Disabilities Act, e.g., that disability is a normal part of the human experience, that people with disabilities have experienced widespread discrimination, and that they are nonetheless entitled to full participation in society.
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| We Would Like To Hear From You!
The SILC meets at least four times a year. Meetings are open to the public and public comment is welcome. For meeting dates, locations, agendas, or minutes, or if you or someone you know is interested in serving on the SILC, please e-mail Dawn Francis, SILC Executive Director, at dawn@iowasilc.org or call us at 515-282-0275, toll-free at 1-877-466-7442 or toll-free TTY at 1-877-469-0623. Information on meeting dates, times, and locations can also be found on the website by clicking on "SILC Council Meetings" on the left side of your screen.
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Iowa Statewide Independent Living Council
300 East Locust, Suite 330, Des Moines, Iowa 50309
Local Office: 515-282-0275 * Toll-Free: 1-877-466-7442
Local Fax: 515-282-0278 * Toll-Free Fax: 1-877-771-0779
Local TTY: 515-282-3902 * Toll-Free TTY: 1-877-469-0623
E-Mail: dawn@iowasilc.org * Website: www.iowasilc.org
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