Three Rivers Center
for Independent
Living

Contributor Choice
#1304

About CILs

TRCIL Staff, July 2005

What is a Center for Independent Living?

    A Center for Independent Living (CIL) is a non-residential, non-profit, community-based human service agency. Its purpose is to enable people with disabilities to lead self-directed and productive lives within the community.

    CILs believe that each person with a disability should be empowered to function at their highest achievable level of independence. This is accomplished through a combination of systems change, individual advocacy and provision of direct services. CILs believe in the principles of consumer control, consumer choice, equal access, and equal opportunity for all people with disabilities, regardless of diagnosis or age.

    A CIL is unique in that it serves individuals of all ages with any type of disability and, according to its by-laws, a majority of its staff and board members must be people with disabilities.
 

Three Rivers Center for Independent Living

    Three Rivers Center for Independent Living (TRCIL) was established in 1983.

  Its MISSION is:

To empower people with disabilities to enjoy self-directed, personally meaningful lives by providing outstanding consumer controlled services and by advocating for effective community change.

Its VISION is:

A world in which all physical, attitudinal, communication and systems barriers are eliminated and people with disabilities have equal opportunities and the right to full participation in society.

    As an agency TRCIL serves thousands of people in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence, Washington, and Westmoreland counties with offices in Erie, New Castle, Pittsburgh, and Washington.