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What Services Do Independent
Living Centers Provide?
All Independent Living Centers provide a set
of core services geared toward promoting self-help, equal access, peer role
modeling, personal growth, and empowerment. The scope of services is directed
by individual and community needs.
The core services are as follows:
- Peer Counseling is provided between two
or more individuals with disabilities, to share ideas and experiences about
living with a disability, in order to gain greater awareness and control over
ones own life.
- Independent Living Skills Training
teaches everyday life skills and is often provided by people with
disabilities. Training may include budgeting, meal preparation, arranging
transportation, or personal assistance services, job seeking, and
self-advocacy.
- Information and Referral Services aim to
provide individuals with resources and options that may be necessary in making
informed choices about living, learning, and working
independently.
- Individual and Systems Advocacy
addresses access to equal opportunities in exercising social, economic,
educational, and legal rights. Independent Living Centers work with
individuals, community organizations, state/national networks; to promote full
inclusion of people with disabilities, and to improve the implementation of
existing laws; federal, State, and local.
Other services that are often provided by
Independent Living Centers include:
- Housing assistance
- Acquiring and maintaining appropriate benefits
and entitlements
- Architectural and communication barrier
consultation
- Personal counseling that is non-clinical and
short term in nature to address individual goals
- Securing, learning how to use, repair, and
maintain equipment
- Assistance in registering to
vote
- In-service training, workshops/seminars on
disability issues, disability laws and Independent Living
philosophy
- Disability awareness
training
- Developing Plans to Achieve Self Support (PASS)
for recipients of public assistance (SSI/SSDI)
- Specialized training and services specific to
certain communities
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