Join us for the 2024 IL Conference! The conference will be held on September 17, 2024 at the Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel & Trade Center in Marlborough, MA (181 Boston Post Rd W, Marlborough MA 01752).
2:30pm Closing session: Dominque Dunford, Executive Director at ENDependence Center Northern Virginia (ECNV)
Workshop descriptions
Participants will have the opportunity to attend one morning workshop and one afternoon workshop.
Workshop Session I
The Stigma Around Disability Disclosure
Presenter: Federation for Children with Special Needs
This presentation will address the topic of disability disclosure – a very personal decision that can vary depending on the environment and an individual’s need for support. We will talk about the pros and cons of disability disclosure, how to approach disclosing a disability, and how to address challenges that may arise afterwards.
Peer Support for Mental Health Well-being
Presenters: Gabriel Fonseca, Director and Rachely Ramos, Operations Manager, Northeast Independent Living Program’s Recovery Learning Center
This presentation will dive into the importance of peer support and how it impacts meaningful connections that lead to mental well-being. An overview of peer support will be discussed, along with the resources available to promote such practices with the end goal of incorporating such benefits into the workforce.
Presenters: Andy Forman, Independent Living Public Benefits Advocate, Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL) and Gabriella Lukas, Consumer Records Specialist, BCIL
Limited access to adequate housing especially impacts persons with disabilities who are often low-income and in need of specific accommodations. BCIL’s monthly Housing Workshop hosted by Andy Forman and Gabriella Lukas is designed to educate consumers on how to conduct their own searches for affordable and accessible housing. Come to this session to learn about the structure of the BCIL Housing Workshop and review the nuts and bolts of housing search for ILC consumers including:
The types of affordable and accessible housing available in Massachusetts (including state and federal voucher programs)
Tips for communicating with housing authorities and landlords
How to request reasonable accommodations for disabilities
Workshop Session II
Storytelling for the Independent Living Movement
Presenter: Benji Kemper, Community Organizer, Center for Living & Working
Experience the power of personal storytelling as a tool to connect with others and for advocacy in your community. Practice telling your personal story and learn about your colleagues as you share what motivates you to be part of the independent living movement during this interactive session.
Mindfulness for Everyday Living
Presenters: Lori-Ann Tessier, BA, Sociology, MA, Child Life & Susan Buchholz, BS, Human Services, Executive Director, HeartWell Institute
Mindfulness bridges the practices of meditation and compassion by fostering awareness and nurturing a deep sense of empathy towards oneself and others. Research underscores the capacity and transformative power of mindfulness to not only manage stress and enhance job satisfaction but also to cultivate a proactive, resilient and adaptive approach to the stressors of everyday life.
Transition Age Youth (TAY) have A LOT going on. For disabled students facing a drastic shift in how they use support services, this is often described as a cliff. However, with preparation and practice, TAY gain tools to navigate the change and direct their path into adulthood. Join a panel of professionals to learn the differences between Youth and Adult services, specific transition resources, and discuss how CILs can facilitate a smooth journey from youth to adult services.
This fall we listened to the input of people with disabilities (along with their families, friends, and service providers) from across Massachusetts to develop the new State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL).
The SPIL is a plan for how the state’s independent living programs and services will meet the independent living needs of people with disabilities in the state for the next three years.
This winter, we drafted the SPIL, and this spring, we’re sharing our work and receiving comments. There are two opportunities to comment:
Join us from 11 am- 3 pm on Friday August 2nd, 2024 at Dunn Pond State Park in Gardner, MA to celebrate 34 years of the ADA! Help us mark the anniversary of one of the most important pieces of civil rights legislation, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Join us in a celebration of accessible outdoor activities and fun, to be held rain or shine!
· Accessible, affordable housing for people with disabilities
· Accessible, affordable transportation for people with disabilities
· Support the PCA program & workforce
· Align MA AAB regulations with the ADA
· Access to Assistive Technology and Durable Medical Equipment
· Access to healthcare
For more information, please email info@masilc.org This event is supported by the Public Information and Education Committee of the A Statewide Independent Living Council (MASILC) and the Commonwealth’s 10 Independent Living Centers
MASILC is conducting a needs assessment survey to gather information about programs and services that provide support to individuals with disabilities in Massachusetts.
The survey responses will help to guide our planning process for the next State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL). The SILC, in collaboration with the Centers for Independent Living (CILs) and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, develops the State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL) every three years.
The SPIL is a three-year plan that sets goals and guides plans for the delivery of independent living services and systems advocacy in Massachusetts.
The 2023 Independent Living Conference was held September 26, 2023 in Marlborough, MA.
Photo: MASILC Members
The one day conference brought together staff and board members from the ten Independent Living Centers in Massachusetts; the members of the Statewide Independent Living Council; staff from MRC, MCB, and MCDHH; and other members of the disability community from across the state.
Please see below for the conference agenda and description of the confirmed speakers and workshops. This page will be updated as details are confirmed.
Registration for the conference is now closed. Please reach out to SILC Coordinator Aliza Levine at alevine@masilc.org with any questions.
Commissioner John Oliveira, Massachusetts Commission for the Blind
Commissioner Opeoluwa Sotonwa, Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Commissioner Toni Wolf, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission
10:15 – 11:30 Workshops – Choose 1
CORI, Re-entry, and Housing
Stronger Together: The NCIL Advocacy Platform
Student Vision in the New Massachusetts IEP Form
11:30 Lunch starts
12:00 Keynote: Ed Augustus, Housing Secretary, Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing & Livable Communities
1:00 – 2:15 Workshops – Choose 1
A Practical Overview of Involuntary Admission, Civil Commitment, and Involuntary Treatment in Massachusetts
Accessible Public Transportation Panel: Advocacy & Resources
Immigration and Benefits
2:30 – 3:30 Closing speakers – Barriers and Facilitators in Access to HCBS for People of Color, Brandeis Community Living Equity Center (CLEC), Kimberly The, CLEC Co- Investigator and Jennifer Lee-Rambharose, CLEC Project Coordinator
Welcome
Steve Higgins, Executive Director at Independence Associates (left) and Nancy Garr-Colzie, Treasurer or MA Statewide Independent Living Council.
Steve Higgins, Executive Director at Independence Associates (left) and Nancy Garr-Colzie, Treasurer or MA Statewide Independent Living Nancy Garr-Colzie, Treasurer or MA Statewide Independent Living Council.
Commissioners
Commissioner John Oliveira, Massachusetts Commission for the BlindCommissioner Opeoluwa Sotonwa, Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of HearingCommissioner Toni Wolf, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission
Ed Augustus, Housing Secretary, Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing & Livable Communities
Ed Augustus, Housing Secretary, Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing & Livable CommunitiesEd Augustus, Housing Secretary, Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing & Livable Communities
Workshops
CORI, Re-entry, and Housing
Alyssa Golden, Community Legal Aid
Community Legal Aid (CLA) is the civil legal services organization serving Worcester, Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties. They provide legal assistance with a broad range of civil legal issues including family law matters for survivors of domestic violence, housing (eviction defense and housing discrimination), public benefits, elder law, employment law, education law, veterans legal issues, immigration (in the subsidiary, Central West Justice Center), and criminal records and reentry legal issues.
Alyssa Golden is the Senior Supervising Attorney for the CORI/Reentry unit. This unit provides legal assistance to individuals seeking to seal and/or expunge criminal records and people facing public and subsidized housing denials and terminations due to criminal records issues. Further, the unit provides assistance with employment denials and terminations, as well as some other types of civil consequences of the criminal court system. She is going to talk about these legal issues, options for addressing them, and the connections between criminal records issues and both race and disability discrimination. She will also inform you about how to access legal assistance through Community Legal Aid.
Annie GuareAnnie Guare
Stronger Together
Jessica Podesva J.D., Director of Advocacy and Public Policy, and Mary-Kate Wells, Programs Director, National Council for Independent Living
This workshop will provide an overview of the NCIL advocacy platform with a focus on the following:
5 For 5 Campaign – Increase Federal Funding for IL to Five Hundred Million to support the Five Core Services
Upcoming Re-Authorization of the Rehab Act
Importance of coming together as an IL network to effect change on a national level
Mary-Kate Wells, Programs Director, (l) and Jessica Podesva J.D., Director of Advocacy and Public Policy – both at NCILJessica Podesva J.D., Director of Advocacy and Public Policy (l), and Mary-Kate Wells, Programs Director, National Council for Independent Living
Student Vision in the New Massachusetts IEP Form
Leslie Leslie and Rebecca Davis, Federation for Children with Special Needs
Massachusetts has updated their Individualized Education Program (IEP) form for the first time in over 20 years. Transition planning and student vision are now an integral part of the form. This workshop will review sections of the new form on student concerns, student vision and post secondary goals, offer questions to help a student define their strengths and interests, and examine ways to include employment goals on an IEP. Although the new IEP will not be implemented until school year 2024-2025, let’s get our students ready to fully participate in their future!
Rebecca Davis and Leslie Leslie , Federation for Children with Special NeedsRebecca Davis and Leslie Leslie , Federation for Children with Special Needs
A Practical Overview of Involuntary Admission, Civil Commitment, and Involuntary Treatment in Massachusetts
Justin Woolf of the Disability Law Center and Shain Neumeier from Committee for Public Counsel
This presentation will take attendees chronologically through each step of the involuntary mental health treatment process in Massachusetts, covering the aspects most relevant to consumers. The goal of this training will be for participants to help their clients understand their rights better and to know when to contact the Committee for Public Counsel Services to seek legal assistance. It will include:
When can an individual be “sectioned,” what happens after they are brought to the emergency department at a hospital, and when to request an emergency hearing;
An individual’s rights upon transfer to a psychiatric facility, the conditional voluntary application process, and what happens when the facility decides to file a civil commitment petition;
When can an individual be involuntarily treated with medication and/or electroconvulsive therapy;
What happens after an individual is committed to a psychiatric facility;
The session will involve “issue spotting” exercises to help participants gain a better grasp of the subject matter.
Justin Woolf of the Disability Law CenterJustin Woolf of the Disability Law Center and Shain Neumeier from Committee for Public Counsel
Accessible Public Transportation Panel: Advocacy & Resources
Nancy Garr-Colzie, SILC Treasurer, Board President of the Center for Living and Working, Standing member of the Transportation Planning Advisory Group of the WRTA, and Past Member of the WRTA Advisory Board
Rachel Fichtenbaum, Manager of Grant Programs & Mobility Management, MassDOT Rail & Transit Division
Mike Kennedy, CLW ADA/Access Advocacy Coordinator
Katarina (Kat) Torres Radisic, BCIL Community Organizer / RTAG Facilitator
CIL Staff, Board members and representatives from MASSDOT will share ongoing efforts to improve available accessible transportation in Massachusetts.
Updates from the Massachusetts Community Transit Grant Program
Worcester advocates’ efforts to increase accessible and affordable transportation options
The Joanne Daniels-Finegold lawsuit and the creation of the Riders’ Transportation Access Group. 20 plus years of advocacy to improve access on the MBTA
Rachel Fichtenbaum, Manager of Grant Programs & Mobility Management, MassDOT Rail & Transit Divisionback to front, left to right: Katarina (Kat) Torres Radisic, BCIL Community Organizer / RTAG Facilitator, Rachel Fichtenbaum, Manager of Grant Programs & Mobility Management, MassDOT Rail & Transit Division, Nancy Garr-Colzie, SILC Treasurer, Board President of the Center for Living and Working, Standing member of the Transportation Planning Advisory Group of the WRTA, and Past Member of the WRTA Advisory Board and Mike Kennedy, CLW ADA/Access Advocacy Coordinator
Immigration and Benefits
Stephanie Souza and Kelly Hewitt of the Community Action Committee of Cape Cod & Islands
The Community Action Committee of Cape Cod & Islands provides free legal counsel and assistance for immigrants and their families. In this workshop, we will review some of the immigration petitions and applications that can lead to legal status and briefly discuss the eligibility requirements and application process. We will identify other organizations that offer legal services to the immigrant community.
We will then discuss access to public benefits for immigrants including:
Overview of Health Connector & MassHealth Insurance Plans and Eligibility
Application process and documentation needed.
How to create a Member Account and Log-in.
Health Connector Navigator Services.
How to find a Navigator Organization near you.
Overview of SNAP benefits and Eligibility.
Application process, DTA Interview, and documentation needed.
Stephanie Souza and Kelly Hewitt of the Community Action Committee of Cape Cod & IslandsStephanie Souza and Kelly Hewitt of the Community Action Committee of Cape Cod & Islands
Closing – Barriers and Facilitators in Access to HCBS for People of Color
Kimberly The, CLEC Co- Investigator and Jennifer Lee-Rambharose, CLEC Project Coordinator. Introduced by Anna Herman of MRC.
The Community Living Equity Center is excited to connect with members of the MASILC, IL staff, and friends of the independent living network Kimberly The, CLEC Co- Investigator and Jennifer Lee-Rambharose, CLEC Project Coordinator during the closing session. This session will discuss disability, racial equity, and Home and Community-based Services research. The purpose of this session will be to: 1) provide an overview of the Community Living Equity Center, 2) describe participatory research and the process of including disabled people of color throughout all research phases, 3) discuss preliminary findings on experiences of disabled people of color transitioning out of nursing homes and 4) provide initial recommendations for how to improve nursing home transitions for disabled people of color.
Please reach out to SILC Coordinator Aliza Levine at alevine@masilc.org with any questions.
Jennifer Lee-Rambharose, CLEC Project Coordinator and Kimberly The, CLEC Co- InvestigatorAnna Herman, MRCJennifer Lee-Rambharose, CLEC Project Coordinator and Kimberly The, CLEC Co- Investigator
Random Photos
Exhibitors (alphabetic)
Ahoi! – a brand new app that tells you whether or not many places are accessible, and also allows you to add your own reviews of locations.
12,771 Consumers, Family Members, Partners in the community, Municipalities, and Government received information or referrals from Independent Living Centers.
145 Individuals transitioned from institutionalized settings such as nursing homes to the community.
1,080 youth across the Commonwealth received transition services.
12,341 individuals obtained access to Health Care services they previously did not have.
1,412 individuals obtained Assistive Technology.
ILCs support individuals with disabilities in going back to work and being productive in their communities.
FY 2024 Priorities
Independent Living Centers Line Item 4120-0200, $10 Million for 10 Independent Living Centers (Increase of 2 million)
The Independent Living Centers are seeking an increase in funding to support;
An increase in demand for assistance finding affordable accessible housing
Support to leave nursing homes
Assistance navigating benefit and vocational options
Mitigating the impact of inflation
Affordable, Accessible, Available Housing
The Independent Living Network supports legislation and programming that increases access to affordable, available accessible housing.
S.1553 – An Act Building a More Accessible Massachusetts. Sponsor: Senator Michael O. Moore and
H 2291 – An Act expanding the availability of adaptable housing for people with disabilities and seniors Sponsors: Reps. Christine P. Barber and Michael J. Moran
(H.1305/S.884) An Act to create affordable homes for persons with disabilities Sponsors: Representative Rob Consalvo & Senator Robyn Kennedy.
Rental Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) Program,
Emergency Rental and Mortgage Assistance (ERMA) Program,
Tenancy Preservation Program (TPP)
Family Shelters, HomeBase and Rapid Rehousing
COVID Eviction Legal Health Program (CELHP) and Community Mediation Pre-Court,
Support funding to increase the number of low- income accessible units,
Continue to support housing voucher programs like AHVP and MRVP and ensure the vouchers are adequate to meet increasing market rents.
Assistive Technology Programs and Durable Medical Equipment
Affordable, Accessible, Available Transportation
Affordable, accessible and available transportation is a key priority for individuals with disabilities.
On-demand, accessible transportation to all riders is necessary.
Support on-demand, accessible transportation pilot program(s), similar to UBER and LYFT MBTA pilot programs.
Provide funding to RTAs to allow for the continuation of free fare. Assistive Technology Programs and Durable Medical Equipment
Join MASILC and the Independent Living Centers of Massachusetts for Independent Living Education Day 2022. This year’s event will focus on housing. Safe, accessible, affordable, available housing is a foundation for community living. This year we will share stories of success, the barriers that still exist and opportunities for the future.
Welcome – Nancy Trzcinski MASILC Chairperson
Host and Moderator – Steve Higgins Executive Director Independence Associates
Speakers
Commissioner Toni Wolf, Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission
Senator Susan L. Moran
Noelle Balutis, Center for Living and Working
Eric Shupin, Director of Public Policy and Lily Linke, Municipal Engagement Policy Associate Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association
Shaya French, Boston Center for Independent Living and R. Feynman Disability Policy Consortium
Marcelino Guerra, Center for Living and Working Board Member
Massachusetts has 10 Centers for Independent Living, which together serve all 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. The Independent Living Movement is founded in the belief that people with disabilities, regardless of the form, have a common history and a shared struggle, that we are a community and a culture that will advance further banded together politically.
The first Center for Independent Living was founded by disability activists in California in 1972. There are now 403 Centers across the United States, providing Peer Support, Information and Referral, Individual and Systems Advocacy, Independent Living Skills Training and Transition.
Independent Living Education Day is a day to celebrate and share the success stories of IL and give voice to the barriers that still exist. This year’s event will focus on housing. Safe, accessible, affordable, available housing is a foundation for community living. This year we will share stories of success, the barriers that still exist and opportunities for the future.
Enjoy these videos from Independent Living Education Day, March 31, 2021. It was not the same as being in person, but more people were able to attend, and we are able to share the event with you.
Independent Living Education Day will showcase stories of Independent Living from across Massachusetts.
Great Hall 2012
Massachusetts has 10 Centers for Independent Living, which together serve all 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. The last year has been challenging. Independent Living Centers have risen to that challenge, continuing to provide services, advocate for access and challenge disparities.
The Independent Living Movement is founded in the belief that people with disabilities, regardless of the form, have a common history and a shared struggle, that we are a community and a culture that will advance further banded together politically.
The first Center for Independent Living was founded by disability activists in California in 1972. There are now 403 Centers across the United States, providing Peer Support , Information and Referral , Individual and Systems Advocacy , Independent Living Skills Training and Transition.
CART, ASL and Spanish interpretation have been confirmed.
For questions about the event or to confirm accommodations contact sadie@masilc.org or 508-620-7452.
