the advocacy monitor

Independent Living News & Policy from the National Council on Independent Living

An Update from the NCIL Rehabilitation Act / IL Funding Subcommittee

The NCIL Rehabilitation Act / IL Funding Subcommittee would like to thank Jeff Hughes for his hard work as Co-Chair of the Subcommittee. Jeff recently had to resign as Co-Chair but, fortunately for NCIL, he will continue serving as a Subcommittee member. We would also like to thank Dan Kessler for joining Ann Watts McDaniel as the Subcommittee’s new Co-Chair. Much work remains to be done!

NCIL logo - National Council on Independent LivingThe current Administration is posing many challenges for our members and the people we serve. The President’s budget is among our top concerns, as described in NCIL’s recent Budget Alert. Last week, the President released a 2019 budget proposing a $5 million cut to Independent Living, reducing the IL budget to $96 million, if enacted.

CILs have been underfunded for many years. In 2014, Transition services were added as new core services – with no additional funding. As a result, CILs are working harder than ever with insufficient funding. We need to make sure that these proposed cuts to Independent Living do not make it into the Congressional spending bills. We know the impact that Independent Living has on the lives of the people and communities we serve. Now, more than ever, it is important for us to talk to members of Congress about the value of CILs and Independent Living. 

NCIL has a strong interest in how we can best tell our story. In 2012, NCIL produced a report on a 6-year effort to measure and improve CIL outcomes. The report was titled Focusing on Outcomes in Centers for Independent Living. Recently, the Independent Living Administration (ILA) formed an Outcomes Working group to develop new outcome measures. Members of the workgroup include ILA staff, CIL representatives, SILC representatives, APRIL, and NCIL. Many of us hope to incorporate the work that NCIL has done over the past 12 years to develop outcome measures that tell our story – and demonstrate results!

CILs and SILCs spend an inordinate amount of time collecting data for the annual 704 Report. NCIL members have expressed frustration with the new Administration for Community Living (ACL) Reporting system. Therefore, NCIL is conducting a survey to gather information about CILs’ and SILCs’ experience developing and submitting the 2017 704 Report / PPR (Program Performance Report). The survey results will be provided to ILA and will be used to improve the system and the report. The survey deadline has been extended to Friday, February 23, 2018. If you have not yet completed the survey, please do so today! To participate, complete the survey online. The survey should take approximately 5-10 minutes.

The survey is also available in Word and plain text and can be emailed back to [email protected].