Grounded in Law: The Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) was authorized by the federal Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1992 and created by Executive Order of the Governor in 1993. The Independent Living Council of Wisconsin (ILCW) was created by Executive Order in 2004 as the successor SILC. The Council is supported by a private, non-profit corporation, Independent Living Council of Wisconsin, Inc.

Diverse: The Independent Living Council is comprised of 18 individuals appointed by the Governor from around the state. These members represent people with a broad range of disabilities, cultural backgrounds and ages. These members also include representatives of Independent Living Centers, Native American Vocational Rehabilitation Programs and four state agencies that provide services for individuals with disabilities (ex-officio).

Consumer Controlled: The law sets forth that the majority of our members are individuals with disabilities who are not employees of any state agency or independent living center.

Council Members

Duties: 

• Develop jointly and sign (in conjunction with the designated State unit) the State Plan for Independent Living;
• Monitor, review, and evaluate the implementation of the State plan;
• Coordinate activities with the Wisconsin Rehabilitation Council and councils that address the needs of specific disability populations and issues under other Federal law;
• Ensure that all regularly scheduled meetings of the Statewide Independent Living Council are open to the public and sufficient advance notice is provided; and
• Submit to the federal Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) the reports it requests, and keep records, and afford access to such records, as RSA finds necessary to verify such reports.

More about our Mandate…

Federal law authorizing the Council was enacted to promote a philosophy of independent living, including a philosophy of

• consumer control,
• peer support,
• self-help,
• self-determination,
• equal access, and
• individual and system advocacy,

in order to maximize the leadership, empowerment, independence, and productivity of individuals with disabilities, and the integration and full inclusion of individuals with disabilities into the mainstream of American society, by:

1. providing financial assistance to States for providing, expanding, and improving the provision of independent living services;
2. providing financial assistance to develop and support statewide networks of centers for independent living; and
3. providing financial assistance to States for improving working relationships among
1. State independent living rehabilitation service programs,
2. Centers for independent living,
3. Statewide Independent Living Councils,
4. State vocational rehabilitation programs,
5. State programs of supported employment services,
6. Client assistance programs,
7. Programs funded under other titles of the Rehabilitation Act,
8. Programs funded under other Federal law, and
9. Programs funded through non-Federal sources.

The Council is steadfast that its activities are carried out in a manner consistent with the principles of:

1. respect for individual dignity, personal responsibility, self-determination, and pursuit of meaningful careers, based on informed choice, of individuals with disabilities;
2. respect for the privacy, rights, and equal access (including the use of accessible formats), of the individuals;
3. inclusion, integration, and full participation of the individuals;
4. support for the involvement of an individual's representative if an individual with a disability requests, desires, or needs such support; and
5. support for individual and systemic advocacy and community involvement.