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Centers for Independent Living are a safe space for people with disabilities to receive services and information directly from peers with disabilities, allies, and those with lived experiences.Born out of protests and advocacy for better rights, CILs are federally funded by Title VII of the Rehabilitation Act to serve the communities they are based in. Since 1985, Disability Connection Midsouth has been Memphis' Center for Independent Living. We are one of six CILs in Tennessee and one of hundreds in the country. For assistance locating other centers, click the following link: CIL Directory
Common misconceptions:
- We are not a group home, aftercare, or institution where people live.
- We do not own any housing. If you require assistance finding your own housing, reach out to us.
- We are not a nursing home or a facility where people receive daily living assistance.
- Our services ARE free. Depending on the service, we may refer to other organizations and cannot guarantee their cost.
- There is no formal intake process. You can simply call us if you have a question.
Independent Living Philosophy
(Pictured: Ed Roberts, 1939-1995, Father of the IL Movement)
The Independent Living philosophy postulates that people with disabilities are the best experts on our needs, and therefore we must take the initiative, individually and collectively. People with disabilities must design and promote solutions and must organize for political power. Besides de-professionalization and self-representation, the Independent Living ideology comprises de-medicalization of disability, de-institutionalization and cross-disability (i.e. inclusion in the IL Movement regardless of diagnoses). The Independent Living Movement grew out of the Disability Rights Movement, which began in the 1960s. The IL Movement works at replacing the special education and rehabilitation experts’ concepts of integration, normalization and rehabilitation with a new paradigm developed by people with disabilities themselves. The first Independent Living ideologists and organizers were people with extensive disabilities (e.g., Ed Roberts, Judith Heumann, Peg Nosek, Lex Frieden) and of course, early friends and collaborators in the 1970s (Julie Ann Racino) and university and government supporters throughout the 1980s and 1990s. For more info, click one of the following links:
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