MASILCJoin hundreds of advocates from across Massachusetts to educate decision-makers about the priorities of the disability community.
Independent Living Education Day
When: April 23, 2026, 10am – 3pm
Where: Massachusetts State House, Great Hall
Please RSVP: https://masilc.formstack.com/forms/2026iledday
On November 20th, 2025 MASILC members joined the Personal Care Attendant (PCA) Workforce Council and SEIU1199 for a PCA Appreciation and Legislator Education Day at the State House.
MASILC members joined other consumer employers and PCAs to share their personal narratives with legislators about the importance of the PCA Program.
For the second year running, MASILC has assembled a report about the state of Massachusetts’s affordable, accessible housing shortage. The report features data from the Housing Navigator, and personal stories about the impact of the shortage from consumers of the Massachusetts Independent Living Centers.
From the report: “There is a growing need for housing units that serve Massachusetts’ aging and disabled populations. With the actual cost difference between standard and accessible housing units being negligible, creating more accessible affordable housing will allow people with disabilities to live in the communities of their choice, elders to age in place, and communities to benefit.”
Please read and share the report: Understanding the Housing Crisis through a Disability Lens: A Crisis within a Crisis, Revisited
The 2025 MA Independent Living Conference was held on September 16.
The conference is geared towards staff from the 10 Independent Living Centers and appointed members of the Massachusetts Statewide Independent Living Council.
A conference flyer is available here.
Participants will have the opportunity to attend one workshop in each session.
Jill Gichuhi, Compass Helpline Manager, NAMI Massachusetts
Supporting someone who may be experiencing a mental health crisis can be challenging, especially when systems feel complex or disempowering. This presentation will explore ways to support people navigating mental health crisis – before, during, and after it happens – with a focus on autonomy and self-determination. We’ll start by unpacking what “crisis” can mean from different perspectives. We’ll also introduce tools that people can use before a crisis that can help them retain some control and communicate preferences, and then explore key supports that people can access during times of crisis. We’ll also share practical strategies for responding supportively in the moment.
Presenters: Victoria Decker, Community Manager, Housing Navigator MA and Jordan Stocker, Senior Policy Associate, CHAPA
This engaging presentation will equip attendees with practical knowledge and tools to address the urgent need for affordable and accessible housing in Massachusetts. Led by co-presenters Victoria Decker of Housing Navigator MA and Jordan Stocker of CHAPA, this session goes beyond theory to provide actionable insights and real-world solutions for our state.
We’ll review how we get here, and then explore the housing data, access, and production that are vital to our path forward. We’ll conclude with updates from the ILC Housing Working Group efforts and invite you to engage in a collaborative dialogue on ways to plug in. This is your chance to share perspectives, discuss challenges, and contribute to collective strategies that will help bridge the gap for folks across the Commonwealth.
Our presentation introduces some best practice approaches to build culturally responsive engagement with families and addresses culturally specific stigma about disability that support professionals may face when working with diverse families.
Presenters: Dara Sok, Rebecca Davis and Debora Curella from the Federation for Children with Special Needs (FCSN)
Authentic engagement between families/young adults and the professionals supporting them is the key to positive life outcomes for young adults with disabilities. Bias, miscommunication, and lack of information about cultural differences can be obstacles to authentic engagement. FCSN, the MA Statewide Family Engagement Center, developed a Family Engagement Framework with the input and guidance of a 500 member coalition (including 11 state agencies, various sectors, and Education and Health and Human Services secretaries). Our outreach team members have lived experience as families of youth with disabilities and provide authentic voices on disability stigma in their communities.
Our presentation introduces some best practice approaches to build culturally responsive engagement with families and addresses culturally specific stigma about disability that support professionals may face when working with diverse families.
Presenter: Brian Forsythe, Work Without Limits
This workshop will review the basics of disability benefits offered by the Social Security Administration for individuals with disabilities, such as SSI and SSDI, including eligibility requirements, major differences between the two programs, and the effect of work income on these benefits. We will also review and discuss some of the most common myths associated with working while receiving Social Security and other public benefits. Finally, we will establish that work is possible while receiving disability benefits, and review some of the community resources available to assist individuals to transition to work while successfully managing their benefits.
Jessica Podesva, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL)
Jessica Podesva, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL)
Presenter: Meghan Chapman, Federation for Children with Special Needs
Imagining that we can do the work of supporting people in crisis and not feeling stress is like believing we can walk through water and not get wet. Let’s explore ways we can better prevent and manage workplace stress: setting and maintaining boundaries with consumers and colleagues; using self-compassion and mindfulness practices; and knowing where you can turn for mental health support.
Presenters: Sally English, Executive Director, AdLib and Valerie Pease, Advocate, AdLib, and Emi Bailey, AdLib
During the planning process for the FY 2025-2027 State Plan for Independent Living, CIL leaders identified the need for more cross-state collaboration within the disability community on transportation advocacy goals to make systemic change in accessibility in MA’s fractured transportation system (a Boston-area system plus 15 Regional Transit Authorities (RTAs)). CIL leaders planned to increase the capacity of the CIL network to maximize transportation advocacy by forming a new statewide coalition focused on advancing accessible, affordable transportation.
Presenters: Sarah Wiles and Naomi Goldberg, Client Assistance Program at Massachusetts Office on Disability
The Client Assistance Program (CAP) is an independent and confidential resource, which helps people understand and use vocational rehabilitation (VR) and independent living (IL) services. CAP can explain what Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) and Independent Living (IL) services are. CAP can also work with people to make sure they are making the most of these services to get, keep, and advance in employment. This workshop is for people with disabilities applying for or currently receiving Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services (sometimes called Career Services), their families, and anyone else interested to learn how VR works. During this workshop, participants will learn what VR is and how it works, why the employment goal and the Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) are so important, simple tips for moving through the VR process, and how the Client Assistance Program supports individuals in the VR program.
Presenters: Mertine Holland, Employment Coordinator for Youth with Disabilities, BCIL and (pictured left) Sophie Korpics, Community Advocate, NILP
This workshop covered the barriers to youth and young adults with disabilities engaging in self- advocacy, how media influences the way young people see themselves, and how we can build allyship that truly empowers youth with disabilities.
For the last activity of the day, participants were asked to sit with different people. Noel Sanders, Senior Community Organizer at Boston Center for Independent Living and Benji Kemper, Community Organizer, Center for Living & Working, led the activity, where participants discussed their experiences of disability community and within the Independent Living network.
Attendees celebrated 35 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act! Activities included hiking, kayaking, swimming, listening to the Tommy Filiault Band and hanging out with friends. Delicious sandwiches and drinks were provided.
Friday, August 1, 2025
Dunn Pond State Park
289 Pearl St, Gardner, MA 01440
Accessible hiking and kayaking were hosted by DCR’s Universal Access Program and their partners Waypoint Adventure and All Out Adventures.
Thank you to the sponsors who make this event possible! My Ombudsman, Tempus Unlimited, Easter Seals MA, 1199SEIU Healthcare Workers East, Independence Associates, Institute for Human Centered Design, Bay State Wheelers, and Massachusetts Office on Disability.
Download the SILC Duties and Responsibilities Training slides (PDF)
The captions are auto-generated by Vimeo.
Independent Living Education Day was held on Wednesday, April 2nd in the Great Hall at the State House.
Speakers included:
Photos by Jason Montgomery from STAVROS (with some contributions by Sadie Simone).
In the summer and fall of 2024, MASILC gathered stories from consumers and staff from the Massachusetts Independent Living Centers about accessible affordable housing in the State.
These stories, along with data from the Housing Navigator, were gathered into a report called “A Crisis Within A Crisis: Stories of the Accessible Affordable Housing Shortage in Massachusetts.”
July 26, 2021 marks 31 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act. MASILC marked the anniversary of signing of this landmark Civil Rights legislation with a virtual celebration on July 23. The 2021 Celebration was online only.
Hosts: Maya Evohr and Cody Rooney
Music Submission: Leon Legacy featuring Trevor Huntly
Learn More about the Teach Disability History Campaign: Easter Seals Teach Disability History
A recording of the entire zoom-based online celebration:
Thank you to the Massachusetts Centers for Independent Living and Easter Seals for helping to make this program possible.
Reflections from an ADA Generation- Rebecca Cokley Tedx
ADA in the Arts Series
https://www.lincolncenter.org/lincoln-center-at-home/series/ada-in-the-arts
ADA in the Arts Series
With heavy hearts, MASILC shares the sad news that Nanette Goodwin passed away on September 14th.
Nanette was a longtime SILC member, and was active in the Massachusetts Independent Living movement for close to 40 years. You can read more about Nanette in her obituary.
Nanette will be very missed by the whole MA IL community.