Tri County Independent Living Center - Index Page

ABOUT TRI-COUNTY INDEPENDENT LIVING - Text Only Page

The Philosophy of Independent Living

At its core the Philosophy of Independent Living simply states that every person, whether

or not they are disabled, should have the same rights, freedoms, choices and opportunities in

life as everyone else. Its scope runs the gamut from socio-economic factors, transportation,

housing and employment, to basic human desires, such as friendship and social encounters,

the pursuit of knowledge, the desire to travel or engage in a hobby.

This philosophy grew out of the Disability Movement, which has its roots

in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's. In fact, it was during the Free

Speech Era at the University of California at Berkeley , where independent

living first began to take shape; in retrospect, this should come as a surprise to no one.

Ed Roberts, the son of union organizers and the man considered to be the “father of the

independent living,” was disabled with polio at the age of 14. In spite of the fact that he lived in

an Iron Lung, Roberts went on to earn his high school diploma and aspire to a college education

– just like other people his age.

Roberts's initial attempts to get into college were derailed by the Department of Rehabilitation,

which denied his access for financial aid and deemed him “too disabled to work.” (It is interesting

to note that Roberts went on to become the Director of the California Dept. of Rehabilitation 15

years later). Undeterred, Roberts took to the tools that had served his union organizing parents

for so many years and he took his fight to the streets. In the face of the public outcry that followed

it took the Department of Rehabilitation less than a week to reverse its decision. Roberts was

admitted to the College of San Mateo , where he earned his associate's degree and eventually

transferred to UC Berkeley.

Because none of UC Berkeley's dormitories could accommodate Roberts' 800-pound Iron

Lung, the campus infirmary became his dormitory. And because of a state program called “Aid

to the Totally Disabled,” Roberts was able to hire and train (and sometimes fire) personal assistants.

In the years that followed many other people with disability (who called themselves The Rolling

Quads) followed Roberts lead and the Independent Living Movement was born. They gathered

together each night in the campus infirmary and spoke about goals, desires, imposed limitations

and ways of removing those barriers that interfered with goals. When Berkeley administrators

demanded their infirmary back, this group moved to a storefront location and opened the first

Independent Living Center. It is still there today.

By this time several pieces of landmark legislation had been passed which opened more

doors for people with disability. In 1978, an amendment to the Rehabilitation Act provided funds

for opening of consumer-controlled Independent Living Centers (ILC's) across the country.

Today, the California Foundation of Independent Living Centers consists of 29 ILC's and

40-odd satellite offices. These Independent Living Centers serve any individual who self-identifies

as having a disability. The overriding concept is that of providing an individual assistance in

overcoming barriers. It stems from the idea that rather than giving someone a fish to feed himself,

teach him to fish so he can feed himself for life.

There is no charge for services provided by the centers.

Independent Living Centers receive their primary funding from the State of California Dept.

of Rehabilitation. To receive their funds, the center must provide prescribed core services which

include: information and referral, assistance with housing issues, peer counseling, benefits

counseling, assistive technology support, individual and systems advocacy, independent living

skills training, community outreach, and personal assistance services. Further, it is mandated that

the center must be run by a majority of people with disabilities. Both the board of directors and

the staff of each ILC must be composed of 50-percent-plus-one people with disabilities.

Follow this link for an Interview with Ed Roberts

OUR MISSION:

To promote the Philosophy of independent Living,

to connect individuals to services,

and to create an accessible community, so that

people with disabilities can have control over their lives

and full access to the communities in which they live.

In 1978, a member of that original Berkeley group moved to Humboldt County and established

an independent living center in Eureka . Then known as Humboldt Access Project, the center worked

to help the disability community in this area begin to be able to access all of the opportunities that

non-disabled people had rights to.

Over its 26 year history the agency has seen many changes. At one time it was known as the

place to get wheel chair ramps or home adaptations. Many persons with disabilities have worked

at the center throughout the years and many have fascinating and often heartwarming stories to tell.

In its present day existence, the name has been changed to Tri-County Independent Living to

better describe that there is more to be done than help people with ramps or accessibility issues.

“It is our primary goal to create a fully accessible community so that people with disabilities

have the exact same opportunities as their non-disabled neighbors.” said Chris Jones , Executive

Director of Tri-County Independent Living. “We are a small agency and we receive the smallest

grant of any of the ILC's in the state of California . That means we need to be creative in working

with people.”

Jones noted that often people think the center will pay their rental deposit, or find them a job,

or help them pay for a car. While the center does not do those types of things, staff can put people

in touch with those that can help them write a resume, or sponsor a workshop on repairing their

credit history, or help them write a PASS plan. Tri-County has helped people locate affordable

assistive technology equipment, apply for social security benefits, gather for a support group

and a variety of other types of assistance. “People ask us what we can do for them – to that we

respond, 'What do you need ?' and we will figure out how to help” said Jones.

Additionally, Tri-County Independent Living provides a computer lab for people with

disabilities to improve their technological skills; has a TTY phone and ADA Hotline; runs the

Computers For People With Disabilities Program (which refurbishes donated computer

systems and gives them to people with disabilities); has a newsletter, “RespectAbility,”

and a website, www.tilinet.org ; hosts a bi-monthly Cross Disability Peer Group and

sponsors the North Coast Spinal Cord Injury Support Group.

TILI Board of Directors

President Bob Van Fleet

Board Members Robert Lyon

Ted Loring

Donnice Hildreth

Rebecca Simone

David Ellerd

The management and control of the affairs of Tri-County Independent Living, Inc. shall be vested in, and exercised by a Board of Directors consisting of a maximum of eleven (11) members, a majority of whom are persons with a significant disability. It is the goal of the Board of Directors that members with a disability participate at the Board level.

No employee of the corporation shall be a member of the Board, nor shall any Board member receive any compensation for services as such. The Board of Directors meets at 12 noon on the fourth Tuesday of every month at St. Joseph's Hospital, Room 102, located at 2200 Harrison Ave. in Eureka.

Non-Profit Status

TILI is a charitable organization exempt from federal income taxation under Internal Revenue Service Code section 501 (c)(3), and is also a California non-profit public benefit corporation. All charitable gifts to TILI are eligible for the highest charitable contribution deduction available under federal and state law.

Demographics - Tri-County Service Area (2000 census)

Humboldt County - Size: 3,572 Square Miles

Population: 128,376 - Population with a Disability; 25,116

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Del Norte County - Size: 1,008 Square Miles

Population: 28,705 - Population with a Disability; 5,570

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Trinity County - Size: 3,179 Square Miles

Population: 13,622 - Population with a Disability; 2,950

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