aWith only a few days left until the end of 2022, many are using this opportunity to reflect on last year’s activities. As someone who ponders all the changes in society caused by the activism of disabled citizens, I believe that 50 years before his tetraplegic student Edward moved to Berkeley, California to study at the Center for Independent Living Incorporated (CIL). I am very grateful to have established V. “Ed” Roberts and his friends. This was the spark that ignited hundreds of other CILs in the United States and abroad, including the Independent Lives of Niagara County (ILNC). Forty-three years ago, here in western New York, University of Buffalo graduate student Anthony Serra (himself a quadriplegic) went to Berkeley to study with Ed Roberts and explore “self-direction, personal empowerment, and good old fashion.” defense of.”
Tony brought home this unique philosophy of working for people with disabilities to become full partners in their communities and launched the West New York Independent Living Project. Then, ten years later, he helped introduce the same model of “education, empowerment, and equality for people with disabilities” into Niagara County, eventually becoming known as Independent Living in Niagara County. became.
“But what makes us different from other organizations?” you may ask. First, these two founders of his Western New York Center for Independent Living are people with disabilities who have discovered that advocacy for their own best interests really works and put it into action. . CIL founder Ed He Roberts survived polio at the age of 14, leaving him almost completely paralyzed from the neck down, on a ventilator in his large wheelchair, and unable to sleep at night. I needed an iron lung. In the 1960s, he overcame initial resistance at the University of California, Berkeley, and was able to maintain and use an iron lung in his clinic. Where necessary, UC Berkeley should provide curbs and ramps, widen entrances and exits, and other accommodations to facilitate movement around the university and social facilities. was.
After launching the Center for Independent Living, Ed Roberts is considered the founder of the Independent Living Disability Advocacy Civil Rights Movement and is considered the founder of hundreds of local CILs. They are now a “cross-disability organization” serving people with sensory, intellectual, developmental, mental health, affective, and motor disabilities. Also, most programs are free to individuals.
If you are a person with a disability, believe our community can do better for people with disabilities, and would like the opportunity to help others exercise their rights, your Working to make communities more accessible, promoting appropriate programs, and more, you can! looking for good people.
As an ILNC Council member, you have the opportunity to shape the way the institution serves our community. We value the experiences and insights of those directly involved in the services we provide. Please consider becoming a member of the Council to act as the leader of the institution and guide our activities.
Independent Living of Niagara County is an organization run for and by people with disabilities that provides advocacy, peer counseling, transition services, IL skills building, information and referrals, and employment support. We offer a people-centered approach. ILNC fosters meaningful connections and enhances the quality of life for Niagara County residents. ILNC’s mission is to be a leader in providing peer-run programs and services that encourage and educate individuals with disabilities. ILNC’s dedicated staff use their experience and integrity to foster change in communities and enable people with disabilities to live, work and engage within their communities.
So rather than make this New Year’s resolution and eventually forget it or lose interest in it, get involved and make a difference in your life and the lives of thousands of people with disabilities in Niagara County. , bring your ideas, perspectives and actions to make beautiful Niagara County a better place to live for all of us.
