National Council on Independent Living

In 2012, NCIL celebrates our 30th Anniversary. Over the past three decades, we have grown from a handful of advocates and the Centers they represent into a force of thousands of people with disabilities from Centers for Independent Living (CILs) and Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILCs) in every state and territory of the U.S.

We welcome all people who believe in equality to join the movement to win civil rights and real independence for people with disabilities throughout the world. Use this website to join NCIL and explore all things Independent Living, including current news, training and events nationwide, and NCIL’s extensive national legislative and policy positions.

NCIL is proud to offer a national policy platform that advocates for the human and civil rights of all individuals. NCIL members directly determine our public policy priorities through regular survey, and by serving on our legislative and advocacy subcommittees. Read about NCIL’s current policy positions and access official position papers by using the Advocacy Monitor.

Focusing on Outcomes in the CIL Program: Report from the NCIL Outcome Measures Task Force

Since 2006, the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) has sponsored a concerted effort to measure and improve program outcomes in the approximately 400 Centers for Independent Living throughout the United States.  Four factors have motivated this emphasis on outcomes:

• Centers themselves were calling for a better way to capture their accomplishments, not only to share their successes with various audiences, but also to improve their own effectiveness.
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Arizona Bridge to Independent Living (ABIL) advocates personal responsibility – by, and for, people with disabilities – as a means to independence.