About the Council

The ILCW is governed by federal, state and local laws, its own charter (articles of incorporation), bylaws, these policies and any other policies approved by the ILCW governing board. Vision Statement Full Inclusion of people with disabilities in society.

The mission of the ILCW is to:

1 Develop a State Plan for Independent Living, in collaboration with other stakeholders.
2 Monitor and accomplish state plan objectives.
3 Full support of the independent living philosophy: allowing people with disabilities to direct the types of service and support they need to live independently.
4 Active systems advocacy for the rights of people with disabilities.
5 Resource development for the expansion of the independent living network in Wisconsin.

The ILCW also adheres to the “independent living philosophy” which is a set of values, principles and beliefs related to people with disabilities and their rights to live independently in the communities of their choice.

The independent living philosophy incorporates the following principles: People with disabilities must have choice over acceptable options for living independently in the communities of their choice.

Acceptable options include accessible and affordable housing, accessible and adequate transportation, access to public participation in community life (architectural, physical, communication, social), and adequate support services to enable an individual to do or accomplish what non-disabled people do or accomplish.

People with disabilities are a minority group deserving of equal protection under the law. Specifically, people with disabilities shall not be discriminated against in employment, housing, education, public services, public and private accommodations open to the public, transportation and travel, and communication. The laws protecting people with disabilities include the, but not limited to; Civil Rights Acts, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Air Carriers Access Act, the Rehabilitation Act as amended in 1992 and the Fair Housing Amendment Act.

People with disabilities have the right to live in the homes and communities of their choice. People with disabilities should not be institutionalized in a public facility, private facility or within their families’ homes simply because they have disabilities. People with disabilities deserve equal access to and inclusion in public education programs, places of employment, health services, training and vocational programs, and any other service offered to the public at large. Segregation by disability status is not acceptable. People with disabilities know their own needs best. Self-help and peer role modeling through peer counseling and peer advocacy are the best methods for facilitating the Draft 1 05/01/2018il ILCW Personnel Policies Approved by the Governing Board (date) Page 4 independence of people with disabilities.

People with disabilities need support services from a variety of sources in order to live independently in the communities of their choice. Such services include assistive technology, equipment, personal assistance, and financial aid. These services should be provided to individuals with disabilities based upon humane principles of facilitating an individual’s independence by eliminating or reducing the effects of the barriers in society and environments – not based upon medical diagnosis, personal characteristics, or the belief that the individual must be “fixed” to fit into society. The ILCW follows these principles in its behavior and practice as a statewide independent living council.