New Jersey Statewide Independent Living Council

Thank you for visiting the official website of the New Jersey Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC).

The New Jersey SILC is a 17-member body appointed by the Governor which maximizes opportunities for people with disabilities through planning and advocacy.

These roles were formalized in 1992 by amendments to the federal Rehabilitation Act. As a result, Governor Jim Florio transformed the former Independent Living Advisory Council into the SILC. The SILC was established as a separate entity, in, but not of, the New Jersey Department of Labor in 1993.

The SILC membership represents the interests of New Jersey’s cross disability population and, by law, a majority of the Council are people with disabilities.


Testimony focuses on state funding for IL Programs

The NJ Statewide Independent Living Council and the NJ Association of Centers for Independent Living joined forces on March 24 to present testimony at the Budget Hearings in Trenton regarding the need to preserve state funding for Independent Living programs.

This was the start of a project to ‘spread the word’ to our legislators about the vital services provided by the network of Centers for Independent Living to New jersey’s citizens with disabilities. Following is the testimony given by NJACIL Chair Scott Elliott and NJSILC Chair Norman Smith.