Organization: NATIONAL COUNCIL ON INDEPENDENT LIV
Mission: NCIL IS A NATIONAL MEMBERSHIP ASSOCIATION OF LOCAL NOT-FOR-PTOFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDES TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING ON ISSUES RELATED TO RUNNING AND OPERATING CENTERS FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING AND FEDERAL SERVICES AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
Activities: ADVOCACY RESULTS PREPARING FOR AND RESPONDING TO DISASTERS NCIL HOSTED A PORTLIGHT FELLOW WHO WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE PARTNERSHIP FOR INCLUSIVE DISASTER STRATEGIES TO ORGANIZE COMMUNITY AND POLITICAL SUPPORT FOR - AND GAIN EVENTUAL INTRODUCTION OF - THE REAL EMERGENCY ACCESS FOR AGING AND DISABILITY INCLUSION (REAADI) FOR DISASTERS ACT AND THE DISASTER RELIEF MEDICAID ACT (DRMA). CHRONIC PAIN AND OPIOIDS NCIL LED ADVOCACY EFFORTS INCLUDING A SIGN-ON LETTER TO CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP AND LEADERS OF KEY COMMITTEES ABOUT THE BARRIERS PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC PAIN FACE TO ACCESSING MEDICATION AND PAIN MANAGEMENT. ALMOST 100 NATIONAL AND STATE ORGANIZATIONS SIGNED ON TO THE LETTER. OUR ADVOCACY IN THIS AREA HAS BEEN ONGOING AND HAS INCLUDED MEETINGS WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, LETTERS AND COMMENTS, OP-EDS, AND TESTIMONY FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS. IMMIGRATION RIGHTS NCIL HAS ACTIVELY FOUGHT BACK AGAINST SEVERAL EFFORTS TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO IMMIGRATE TO AND STAY IN THE US. WE FOUGHT THE "PUBLIC CHARGE" RULE THROUGH COMMENTS, EDUCATED OUR MEMBERS ABOUT HOW TO SUBMIT COMMENTS OF YOUR OWN, AND JOINED MULTIPLE AMICUS BRIEFS IN LAWSUITS AGAINST THE RULE. WE FOUGHT THE ABRUPT ENDING OF MEDICAL DEFERRED ACTION REQUESTS BY ATTENDING MULTIPLE HEARINGS, SUBMITTING TESTIMONY FOR THE RECORD, AND EDUCATING OUR MEMBERS ABOUT HOW THEY COULD HELP IN THIS FIGHT. GUN VIOLENCE AND CIVIL RIGHTS FOR PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH DISABILITIES NCIL HAS WORKED WITH A BROAD COALITION OF DISABILITY AND MENTAL HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST THE DANGEROUS SCAPEGOATING OF PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH DISABILITIES IN CONVERSATIONS AROUND GUN VIOLENCE. WE HAVE ISSUED STATEMENTS ON OUR OWN AND IN COALITION, AND WE HAVE ENGAGED WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO TELL THEM WHY SPECIFIC POLICY PROPOSALS ARE HARMFUL TO MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. INDEPENDENT LIVING ADMINISTRATION NCIL PROVIDED FEEDBACK TO THE INDEPENDENT LIVING ADMINISTRATION ON PROPOSED REVISIONS TO THE STATE PLAN FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING INSTRUMENT AND INSTRUCTIONS. NCIL PROVIDED A SUMMARY OF OUR SUGGESTIONS TO OUR MEMBERS TO HELP THEM DEVELOP THEIR COMMENTS. NCIL HAS ALSO BEEN CLOSELY MONITORING THE REORGANIZATION OF ACL AS IT RELATES TO THE INDEPENDENT LIVING ADMINISTRATION, INCLUDING THE APPOINTMENT OF A NEW DIRECTOR. CROSS-DISABILITY REPRESENTATION WITH OUR ALLIES, NCIL FOUGHT TO GET BETTER INCLUSION ON THE NATIONAL QUALITY FORUM (NQF) PANEL ON PERSON CENTERED PLANNING. THE ADMINISTRATION FOR COMMUNITY LIVING CONTRACTED NQF TO CONVENE THE PANEL AND SET NATIONAL STANDARDS, BUT THERE WERE NO REPRESENTATIVES WHO PUBLICLY IDENTIFIED AS SELF-ADVOCATES WITH I/DD OR MENTAL HEALTH DISABILITIES. WE SUBMITTED COMMENTS AND ENGAGED IN ADVOCACY WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND ADVOCATES. AS A RESULT, NQF ADDED ADDITIONAL PANEL MEMBERS. COMPETITIVE, INTEGRATED EMPLOYMENT AS PART OF A NATIONAL COALITION TO ADVANCE COMPETITIVE INTEGRATED EMPLOYMENT, NCIL HAS FOUGHT THE RE-OPENING OF THE WORKFORCE INNOVATION & OPPORTUNITY ACT (WIOA) REGULATIONS THAT DEFINE COMPETITIVE INTEGRATED EMPLOYMENT AND SUPPORTED THE REINTRODUCTION OF THE TRANSFORMATION TO COMPETITIVE EMPLOYMENT ACT. WE HAVE CONTINUED ADVOCATING FOR THE END OF SUBMINIMUM WAGE, AND WE SUBMITTED COMMENTS IN A NATIONAL ONLINE DIALOGUE ABOUT SECTION 14(C) OF THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT (FLSA). WE ALSO SENT OUT SAMPLE TALKING POINTS AND ENCOURAGED OUR MEMBERS TO SUBMIT COMMENTS AS WELL. NCIL RESULTS BARRIER REMOVAL IN HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS THROUGH THE PROVIDER ACCESSIBILITY INITIATIVE FUNDED BY THE CENTENE CORPORATION, NCIL FUNDED ACCESSIBILITY SURVEYS AND ACTUAL ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS AT HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS IN FLORIDA, KANSAS, AND NEW MEXICO. FUNDING TO CENTERS FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING NCIL DISTRIBUTED 90,000 TO 5 MEMBER CILS THROUGH THE PATH TO EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM, FUNDED BY THE CRAIG NEILSEN FOUNDATION. THESE CILS CREATED OR EXPANDED PROGRAMS FOR CONSUMERS WITH SPINAL CORD INJURIES, INCLUDING SPORTS AND RECREATION PROGRAMS, HOUSING ASSISTANCE, AND PEER MENTORING. SEX ED GUIDE NCIL RELEASED A SERIES OF VIDEOS AND A DISCUSSION GUIDE TO HELP PEOPLE WITH INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES (I/DD) LEARN ABOUT SEX. THIS PROJECT WAS FUNDED BY THE WITH FOUNDATION. SOME OF THE THINGS TALKED ABOUT IN THE PROJECT ARE: WHAT SEX IS; WHAT GENDER IS; WHAT A HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP LOOKS LIKE; HOW SOMEONE CAN GET PREGNANT; AND HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AGAINST SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES AND INFECTIONS. THE VIDEOS AND MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.NCIL.ORG/SEX-ED-FOR-INDIVIDUALS-WITH-I- DD. PRESIDENTIAL QUESTIONNAIRE ON DISABILITY POLITICS NCIL RELEASED THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL QUESTIONNAIRE ON DISABILITY POLITICS WITH THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES (AAPD). THE QUESTIONNAIRE COVERS A BROAD RANGE OF POLICIES THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO VOTERS WITH DISABILITIES. DIVERSITY AND INTERSECTIONALITY NCIL'S GOVERNING BOARD PARTICIPATED IN A TRAINING SESSION ON ANTIRACISM AND RACIAL EQUITY AT ITS OCTOBER 2019 GOVERNING BOARD MEETING. NCIL HAS ALSO CONTRACTED WITH THE TRAINER FROM THE ANTIRACISM AND RACIAL EQUITY TRAINING TO PROVIDE NCIL WITH: 1) AN ANTIRACISM AND EQUITY "ACTION PLAN", 2) AN ADDITIONAL COACHING SESSION ON NCIL'S WORK IN THIS AREA, AND 3) A FOLLOW-UP MEETING WITH NCIL'S GOVERNING BOARD AT THEIR NEXT BOARD MEETING IN MARCH 2020. MEMBER RESULTS ACCESSIBLE HOUSING: THE ABILITY CENTER OF GREATER TOLEDO USED THE OHIO BUILDING CODE AND OHIO FAIR HOUSING ACT TO CHALLENGE A LOCAL DEVELOPER'S FAILURE TO INCORPORATE ANY ACCESSIBLE UNITS INTO A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT THAT WAS UNDERGOING SIGNIFICANT RENOVATIONS. THEY RECEIVED A POSITIVE DECISION FROM THE OHIO CIVIL RIGHTS COMMISSION, AND THE HOUSING DEVELOPER AGREED TO INCORPORATE EIGHT ACCESSIBLE UNITS AND PAY FOR REASONABLE MODIFICATIONS FOR ANY TENANTS WITH DISABILITIES THAT RENT THOSE UNITS. PARENTING WITH A DISABILITY: DISABLED ADVOCATES FROM WALTON OPTIONS FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING IN AUGUSTA, GEORGIA VISITED THE STATE CAPITOL ON THEMED ADVOCACY DAYS. THEY MET WITH AND GAVE TESTIMONY TO THEIR STATE SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES IN SUPPORT OF THE RIGHTS OF PARENTS WITH DISABILITIES. THANKS TO THEIR EFFORTS, THE PARENTAL BILL OF RIGHTS FOR THE BLIND (HB 79) WAS PASSED, SIGNED INTO LAW, AND TOOK EFFECT IN MAY 2019 ACCESSIBLE SIDEWALKS: INDEPENDENT LIVING INC. ORGANIZED A WHITE CANE DAY IN MIDDLETOWN, NEW YORK, WHICH RESULTED IN THE CITY MAKING IMPROVEMENTS IN THE WALKABILITY OF STREETS AND SIDEWALKS. THE MAYOR OF MIDDLETOWN ANNOUNCED THAT A NEW 17 MILLION DOLLAR GRANT FROM THE STATE WOULD FUND NEW SIDEWALKS, CURB CUTS, AND ACCESSIBLE PEDESTRIAN CROSSING LIGHTS. CIVIL RIGHTS FOR PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH DISABILITIES: REACH RESOURCE CENTER ON INDEPENDENT LIVING IN PLANO, TEXAS HOSTED A DISCUSSION BETWEEN STAFF, CONSUMERS, AND TEXAS LEGISLATORS ABOUT THE OFTEN-MISREPRESENTED TOPIC OF MENTAL HEALTH AND GUN VIOLENCE. STATISTICS AND FACTS WERE EXPLORED, AND PREJUDICES WERE IDENTIFIED AS A BARRIER TO SOCIETY ADEQUATELY ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM. SUPPORTED DECISION MAKING: ABLE SOUTH CAROLINA HAS CONTINUED THEIR EFFORTS TO PROMOTE SUPPORTED DECISION MAKING AND ALTERNATIVES TO GUARDIANSHIP. AS PART OF THESE EFFORTS, ABLE SC CREATED THE "STOP, LOOK, AND LISTEN" TOOL. THIS TOOL PUTS THE RESPONSIBILITY ON PARENTS AND TEACHERS TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SKILL-BUILDING IN DECISION-MAKING PRIOR TO A STUDENT'S EXIT FROM SCHOOL. THE TOOL WAS SUCCESSFULLY PILOTED IN TWO SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND OFFICIALLY RELEASED DURING THE NATIONAL SUPPORTED DECISION MAKING SYMPOSIUM.
NTEE category: Human Services
Secondary category: Health Care