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

NCIL Joins the National #GivingTuesday Movement

#GivingTuesday is a national movement to celebrate and provide incentives to give. The #GivingTuesday effort harnesses the collective power of a unique blend of partners – non-profits, families, businesses and individuals – to transform how people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season. This year’s #GivingTuesday falls on December 1st, 2015, and NCIL has partnered with #GivingTuesday in order to draw attention to and raise funds for the important work of making independent living a reality in our communities.

Your donation to NCIL in honor of #GivingTuesday will help us to protect our reputation as the strongest grassroots cross-disability organization in the nation’s capital. Our small staff works diligently to represent CILs, SILCs, and people with disabilities on a shoestring budget, and we are still operating with advocacy positions unfilled due to budget constraints. In order to ensure that our policy staff can be on the forefront of our community’s input is heard, we need your help!

NCIL logo - National Council on Independent Living“#GivingTuesday is a counter narrative to Black Friday and Cyber Monday because it reminds us that the spirit of the holiday giving season should be about community and not just consumerism,” said Kathy Calvin, CEO of the UN Foundation. “The most meaningful gift we can give our children, loved ones, friends and neighbors is the commitment to work together to help build a better world.”

About NCIL

The National Council on Independent Living is the longest-running national cross-disability, grassroots organization run by and for people with disabilities. Founded in 1982, NCIL represents thousands of organizations and individuals including: individuals with disabilities, Centers for Independent Living (CILs), Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILCs), and other organizations that advocate for the human and civil rights of people with disabilities throughout the United States.

An outcome of the national Disability Rights and Independent Living Movements, NCIL was founded to embody the values of disability culture and Independent Living philosophy, which creates a new social paradigm and emphasizes that people with disabilities are the best experts on their own needs, that they have crucial and valuable perspective to contribute to society, and are deserving of equal opportunity to decide how to live, work, and take part in their communities.

Since its inception, NCIL has carried out its mission by assisting member CILs and SILCs in building their capacity to promote social change, eliminate disability-based discrimination, and create opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in the legislative process to affect change. NCIL promotes a national advocacy agenda set by its membership and provides input and testimony on national disability policy.

About #GivingTuesday

To learn more about #GivingTuesday participants and activities or to join the celebration of giving, please visit:

Amazon Smile

When you’re shopping this holiday season, please remember that NCIL has partnered with Amazing through the Amazon Smile program. If you use Amazon to do any online shopping, please use this link and Amazon will donate .5% of your purchase amount to NCIL!