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:
- providing financial assistance to States
for providing, expanding, and improving the
provision of independent living services;
- providing financial assistance to develop
and support statewide networks of centers for
independent living; and
- providing financial assistance to States
for improving working relationships among
- State independent living rehabilitation
service programs,
- Centers for independent living,
- Statewide Independent Living Councils,
- State vocational rehabilitation programs,
- State programs of supported employment
services,
- Client assistance programs,
- Programs funded under other titles
of the Rehabilitation Act,
- Programs funded under other Federal
law, and
- Programs funded through non-Federal
sources.
The Council is steadfast that its activities
are carried out in a manner consistent with the
principles of:
- respect for individual dignity, personal
responsibility, self-determination, and pursuit
of meaningful careers, based on informed choice,
of individuals with disabilities;
- respect for the privacy, rights, and equal
access (including the use of accessible formats),
of the individuals;
- inclusion, integration, and full participation
of the individuals;
- support for the involvement of an individual's
representative if an individual with a disability
requests, desires, or needs such support; and
- support for individual and systemic advocacy
and community involvement.
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