There are over 300 Independent Living Centers (ILCs) in the United States, providing services to people with disabilities. These Centers provide peer counseling, advocacy, information and referral, skills training and other services, and work to assist consumers in finding housing, personal assistance services, transportation, and other basic service needs. Funding from the U.S. Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) originally was intended to assist people with more severe disabilities to live independently, if they were unable to work. The concept has expanded to include employment and other aspects of daily living. Today, ILCs also work with vocational rehabilitation agencies and with employers to expand employment options for people with disabilities.
The Chartbook synthesizes statistics from several national surveys, administrative data from the Rehabilitation Services Administration, and findings from a national evaluation funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Descriptive statistics, combined with graphs and charts, describe the program, the range of Center activities, and population served. This study compares administrative and survey data on ILCs with national disability statistics from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) and the Census, demonstrating that many people with severe disabilities and in need of services are not served by any centers. Centers identify areas for program expansion, including disability awareness, services coordination and access to services, and personal assistance services.
See www.infouse.com/disabilitydataLearning Objectives: Learning objectives: At the end of the presentation, participants will be able to: 1) Identify the defining characteristics of Independent Living Centers 2) Understand the growth of the Independent Living Center program since the 1970s 3) Compare data from ILCs with national statistical survey data 4) Identify gaps in service area and services provided. (at the state and substate levels)
Keywords: Service Integration, Disability Policy
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: InfoUse produces Chartbooks on disability. This session reports on findings from the Chartbook on Independent Living
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Owner and President, InfoUse