Centers for Independent Living

Centers for Independent Living (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.

Centers for Independent Living