Get to Know Us
Our Beginning
In 1987 a group of disability self-advocates residing in Central Indiana came together to form the Indianapolis Resource Center for Independent Living (IRCIL), known as accessABILITY since 2010–accessABILITY adopted our new name to better communicate our message.
Since that time, accessABILITY has provided services, support and information to over 20,000 people with disabilities to help insure equal access to all aspects of community life. Additionally, accessABILITY provides education and advocacy to all members of the community to help increase awareness and break down barriers that impede inclusion.
Our Mission
To empower our peers with disabilities to lead and control independent lives fully included in community life.
Our Services
accessABILITY is a Disability Rights organization serving Indianapolis and the seven surrounding counties. As a Center for Independent Living we provide individual consumers, governmental agencies, corporations and other non-profits with the tools necessary to ensure the acceptance, respect and inclusion of everyone. The result is that our communities are enriched through the full participation of ALL PEOPLE.
We are consumer-driven:
- This means that we work at the direction of our consumers who are entitled to control over the decisions that affect their lives.
- We represent the community we serve–no less than 51% of our staff and governing board are persons with disabilities.
- Most importantly – All of our services are provided free of charge.
- Counties we serve are: Boone, Johnson, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan and Shelby
What are Centers for Independent Living (CILs)?
Centers for Independent Living (CILs) are the primary organizational service delivery and advocacy system that represents the Independent Living Movement and its Philosophy. The primary mission is to “empower all people with disabilities to live more independently and have control over their lives”. CIL’s are defined by the Federal Government as:
- Community-Based: A CIL must be designed and operated by people with disabilities in the local community that it serves. It must represent the uniqueness of its community.
- Cross-Disability: CIL’s provide services to people with a range of significant disabilities. They cannot require that people have a specific disability in order to receive services.
- Consumer Controlled: 51% or more of the staff and board members of each CIL must be made up of people with significant disabilities. Consumers make decisions about and control the services they receive and the goals they set.
- Non-Residential: CIL’s cannot operate or manage housing as a separate service.
Click here to view the State Plan for Independent Living for 2025-2027
History of Centers for Independent Living
The history of independent living stems from a philosophy which states that people with disabilities should have the same civil rights, options, and control over choices in their own lives as do people without disabilities.
The independent living movement’s history is closely tied to the civil rights struggles of the 1950s and 1960s and Ed Roberts is considered to be the “father of independent living.”
In 1970, Ed and other students with disabilities founded a disabled students’ program on the Berkeley campus. His group was called the “Rolling Quads.” Upon graduation, the “Quads” set their sights on the need for access beyond the University’s walls.
This new program rejected the medical model and focused on consumerism, peer support, advocacy for change, and independent living skills training.
This group opened a program office, and within a year, off-campus consumers were a majority of those seeking services. This interest from consumers prompted Roberts and his associates to establish a Center for Independent Living for the community at large. This was the beginning of the CIL model incorporating consumer-control, self-help, self-advocacy and community advocacy as its fundamental principles.
Successful national efforts forced the recognition that services were needed outside the parameters of the traditional Vocational Rehabilitation Program, prompting the addition of Title VII to the Rehabilitation Act. Title VII provides funding for CIL’s and IL services. Today, over 400 nationwide programs offer a range of IL services to help consumers achieve their goals.
Funding Resources
accessABILITY’s funding is provided through state, federal and local foundation grants. These funders have restrictions on how their funds may be used to provide services. Too many times there are people with disabilities who need our assistance, but may not qualify for the services due to grant restrictions. Business and individual contributions help provide funds so that we may meet the needs of ALL persons with disabilities in our community.
