Leaders Today: National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) 2015 Annual Report Image: Large quotation marks are filled with photos of four #Generation ADA Leaders at the 2015 Annual Conference on Independent Living. About NCIL  The National Council on Independent Living is the longest-running national cross-disability, grassroots organization run by and for people with disabilities. NCIL represents people with disabilities, Centers for Independent Living, Statewide Independent Living Councils, and other organizations that advocate for the human and civil rights of people with disabilities throughout the United States. NCIL advances independent living and the rights of people with disabilities. NCIL envisions a world in which people with disabilities are valued equally and participate fully.   A Message from the Executive Director NCIL’s 2015 Annual Report is dedicated to Generation ADA. In 2015, NCIL led the charge to bring diverse youth with disabilities to the forefront of the Independent Living Movement. #GenerationADA brought a fierceness and passion to NCIL’s 2015 Annual Conference on Independent Living that has left a lasting impression on our movement. They boldly insisted that they are not the leaders of tomorrow – but leaders today. We recognize the urgency with which we must address the issues facing young people with significant disabilities and we commit to supporting consumer-driven advocacy led by Generation ADA. 2016 will be another critical year for our Movement. With your help, we will pass the Disability Integration Act and end the institutional bias once and for all. We will eradicate the dehumanizing practice of subminimum wages for people with disabilities. In Washington and in every state, Independent Living advocates will work on every front until we achieve a world in which people with disabilities are truly valued equally and participate fully. For that reason, I ask that you become a NCIL Member. Your direct participation in the national Independent Living Movement is critical for its success. Together, we are an unstoppable force for change. NCIL continues to provide first class member benefits, including training and technical assistance, insurance benefits, and a world-class Annual Conference. Most importantly, NCIL provides its members with representation on Capitol Hill, ensuring that our voices are heard by those with the power to enact our priorities. I hope you will join us as we build a future of independence for all. Kelly Buckland   Advocacy In 2015 NCIL worked to advance the social, economic, and political equality of people with disabilities by securing introduction of the Disability Integration Act in the Senate. This ground-breaking legislation establishes statutory civil rights language – comparable to the ADA – that would require public entities and Long Term Services and Supports insurance plans to provide community-based services as an alternative to institutionalization and offer home and community-based services to people currently in institutions. NCIL also: - convinced the Administration for Community Living to revise their interpretation of the approval process for State Plans for Independent Living and issue new guidance on Designated State Entities; - achieved delay of the Department of Labor’s home care rule, which threatens the independence of people with disabilities nationwide; - successfully fought assisted suicide legislation in several states; - successfully fought alongside other organizations to prevent a 20% cut in Disability Insurance benefits; - prevented a decrease in appropriations for Independent Living in the Senate; - worked with other organizations to successfully delay implementation of competitively-bid prices to wheelchair components; - facilitated the creation of the Independent Living Administration at the Administration for Community Living; - facilitated the creation of transition as the fifth core service for Centers for Independent Living; - testified before the Appropriations Committee on the need for an additional $200 million for America’s Independent Living Program; - supported the civil rights of parents with disabilities; and - worked to reform America’s corrupt AbilityOne Program, the largest employment service for people with disabilities in the world. Image: A small boy enthusiastically maneuvers his wheelchair in front of the parade-size Justin Dart Puppet, which carries a banner that says “Justice for All”. Image: A NCIL member and conference volunteer smiles for the camera at the 2015 Annual Conference on Independent Living. A Sampling of Member Accomplishments The Center for Disability Rights in Rochester, New York was instrumental in achieving introduction of the Disability Integration Act and drafted and filed two Amicus briefs on behalf of ADAPT and NCIL, including one before the Supreme Court of the United States. DIAL-Center for Independent Living in Clifton, New Jersey joined a local wheelchair user in filing suit against the city of Montclair, which will result in accessible parking spaces outside schools, parks, and other public parking areas, as well as the hiring of an ADA Coordinator for the City. Disabled Resource Services CIL in Fort Collins and Loveland, Colorado conducted it first Women’s Empowerment Group, which has led to ongoing efforts by DRS staff to create an empirical research design model that can be used in future groups to quantitatively measure the concept of “empowerment,” an area of study in which little research exists. The Houston Center for Independent Living in Texas transitioned 186 nursing home residents into community-based living, saving the State of Texas and the federal government approximately $8,779,200. Montana Independent living Project collaborated on a snow ordinance policy for the City of Helena, Montana that requires sidewalks, ADA ramps, corners, bulb outs, and driveway and alley aprons used for pedestrian travel to be cleared within 24 hours, with enforcement and penalties for non-compliance. Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago, Illinois filed a “sweep” of five cases in federal court on the same day to draw attention to the issue of discrimination against home seekers who are Deaf or hard of hearing. The cases are based on five phone-based fair housing tests. For each test, a non-disabled tester called a housing provider on a regular phone and a Deaf tester called a housing provider using the Internet Protocol Relay System. The five tests that formed the basis for the five federal cases revealed discrimination against the Deaf testers. The Deaf testers were hung-up on, steered away, or otherwise mistreated. Tri-County Patriots for Independent Living in Washington, Pennsylvania transitioned 54 people from nursing homes and other institutions into their own homes, saving the state and federal government $2,268,000. Image: A young man who uses a wheelchair proudly holds up the keys to his new apartment. NCIL Accomplishments In 2015 NCIL was increasingly effective in expanding the work of our members and advocating their issues nationally. NCIL also:  - set a new membership record with over 1,000 individuals and organizations; - held the largest Annual Conference ever with over 1,500 participants and record youth attendance; - hosted the nation’s largest celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the ADA; - created a Youth-At-Large position on the NCIL Board; - renamed and launched NCIL’s Queer Caucus to improve access, inclusion, and resources for LGBTQIA people with disabilities; - developed the youth scholarship program that allowed over 100 youth members to attend NCIL’s 2015 Annual Conference on Independent Living; - launched the new Greater Washington Internship Coalition website that helps provide our youth members across the country with internship opportunities in Washington, DC.; - reached members of Congress in every state during our day on the hill; and - held the largest March & Rally on Capitol Hill in NCIL history! Image: CIL of South Florida consumers pose for a photo during Deaf / Hard of hearing classes. Several of the consumers are signing “love”. Image: People with physical disabilities playing golf outdoors in Phoenix, Arizona. Photo from Ability360. NCIL Board of Directors Regional Representatives: Sarah Launderville, Cliff Perez, Jan Derry, Pat Puckett, Maureen Ryan, Diana Garrett, Roger Frischenmeyer, Tami Hoar, Sheri Burns, and Doug Toelle Members At Large: Darrel Christenson, Brian Peters, Bruce Darling, Mary Margaret Moore, Jessie Lorenz, and Felicia Agrelius - Lou Ann Kibbee, President - Mark Derry, Vice President - Ann McDaniel , Secretary - Stanley Holbrook, Diversity Chair - Maureen Ryan, Regional Representative Chair - Roger Howard, Treasurer   NCIL Staff - Laney Allison, Policy Intern - Lindsay Baran, Disability and Aging Specialist - Kelly Buckland, Executive Director - Allie Cannington, Youth Transitions Fellow - Eleanor Canter, Communications Coordinator - Jaggar DeMarco, Policy Intern - Tim Fuchs, Operations Director - Patricia Gill, Accountant - Keri Gray, Youth Transitions Fellow - Mollie Greenberg, Policy Intern - Amber Melvin, Policy Intern - Denise Monroe, Member Services Associate - Rie Terashima, Administrative Assistant   Annual Conference on Independent Living Image: Logo – A power fist outlined by a red circle. Generation ADA: Rise Up! 2015 Annual Conference on Independent Living. Excitement and passion were everywhere during NCIL’s 2015 Annual Conference on Independent Living. We held our largest conference ever, broke all membership records, welcomed an exponentially increased number of young leaders, and were joined by hundreds of disability rights supporters for a March to the Capitol that literally stretched for miles. It was incredible. In honor of the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, NCIL was committed to engaging and supporting those who grew up after the ADA passed. Thus, the theme and title for NCIL’s 2015 Annual Conference on Independent Living was Generation ADA: Rise Up. From leading the march and rally, to building community bonds at youth sessions and social events, to becoming active members of NCIL, the youth presence was stronger and larger than ever. Youth members concluded the conference with powerful testimonies that filled the entire audience with empowerment and energy. One by one, young people with significant disabilities went to the microphone to express how much being a part of the disability community and Independent Living Movement has impacted their personal lives. Moreover, countless young people shared the importance of taking back what they had learned at NCIL to their local communities and organizations. The youth did much more than observe the work of others. Instead, they rose to the challenge and showed the world that members of Generation ADA are leaders today. Image: A young man from Rochester, New York speaks on stage in front of the U.S. Capitol Building during the 2015 Annual Conference. Image: A close up shot of a woman wearing a t-shirt that says “Do you even roll, bro?”. Award Recipients NCIL congratulates the following advocates, who were honored in 2015 for their outstanding commitment to Independent Living and civil rights of people with disabilities. National Advocacy Awards: - President’s Award: Tom Olin - Diana Viets Award: Jensen Caraballo - Corey Rowley National Advocacy Award: Lou Ann Kibbee - Max Starkloff Lifetime Achievement Award: Shoji Nakanishi - Women’s Caucus Award: Mary Margaret Moore, Colleen Starkloff, and Dara Baldwin - Diversity Award: Arkansas SILC   Regional Advocacy Awards: - Ed Paquin, Region I - Keith Gurgui, Region II - Ann McDaniel, Region III - Deborah Cunningham, Region IV - Rickielee Benecke, Region V - Brenda Stinebuck, Region VI - Kathy Hoell, Region VII - Nick DeSutter, Region VIII - Ted Jackson, Region IX - Melva Heinrich, Region X   A Message from the NCIL Youth Caucus  Thank you for supporting disabled youth in 2015! - NCIL Youth Caucus Image: A Tweet from Sarah Goldman – Disability civil rights march 25 years ago vs. today (accessibility emoticon; heart emoticon) #generationADA. The first photo is a black and white picture of disability advocates marching to the Capitol with a sign that says “We shall overcome.” The bottom picture is in color of two young disability advocates marching to the Capitol with a sign that says “#ADA 25 We Shall Overcome.” Image: A tattoo – vertically, reads “Deaf” and horizontally reads “Freedom, choice, humanity, life”. Image: 21 NCIL youth members take the stage during the 2015 Annual Conference on Independent Living. Independent Living Training and Events NCIL provides a wealth of training and information to our members each year. In addition, NCIL is a partner in the IL-NET national training and technical assistance project for Centers for Independent Living (CIL-NET) and Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILC-NET), which focuses on: - Deinstitutionalization / Community Services and Supports - Outreach to Unserved and Underserved Populations - Consumer Control - Peer Mentoring of CILs and SILCs - Systems Advocacy - Data Collection and Reporting In 2015, NCIL presented 4 national onsite trainings and 17 webinars, reaching more than 1110 people. The IL-NET program also provided technical assistance to hundreds in the Independent Living community.   National Onsite Trainings: - Empowering Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities: The Role of the Peer Model in CILs - - Liberation to Leadership: The Role of CILs in Transforming Communities - - ABCs of Nursing Home Transition - - Evaluating Your Outcomes-Focused SPIL at the 2015 SILC Congress -   National Teleconferences and Webinars: - Content Marketing for CILs: Communicating your Strengths and Expertise in your Community * - Value Added: Collecting IL Data for Statewide and Local CIL / SILC Impact * - Fee-for-Service Programs at CILs Parts I and II † - Expanding your CIL’s Capacity through Technology and Fees-for-Service † - Fees-for-Service Accounting in CILs: Budgeting and Setting Rates † - WIOA Transfer of IL to ACL: Grantee Preparation for Temporary Funding Freeze * - An Introduction to the New Indirect Cost Rate Requirements for CILs * - Internal Controls for CILs * - Get to the Core of It: Peer Support - A Proven Volunteer Model * - Real Talk: Improving Disability Access and Inclusion Among Sexual Health Providers †† - Resource Development for CILs: Opening Up the Floodgates to Sustainability * - Process for SPIL Formulation Under WIOA * - Statewide Needs Assessment Process: One State’s Successful Committee Approach * - Strengthening Relationships Among CILs and the SILC: Building and Maintaining a Statewide Partnership * - Attract and Retain your Best CIL Board Members * - Get to the Core of It: Best Practices in CIL Core Services - Systems Advocacy * - The 2015 NCIL Policy Briefing ††    * IL-NET † New Community Opportunities Center †† NCIL / Other Partners   Strategic Plan Priorities Political Power - Build a strong Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus - Pursue legal action against violators of disability rights laws - Build an effective action alert and response system - Hire Director of Public Policy - Develop IL champions in Congress   Strengthening the IL Network - Provide Training and Technical Assistance for CILs and SILCs - Lead the development of sustainability of CILs and SILCs - Develop a mechanism for providing legal assistance to CILs and SILCs - Increase diversity and representation in NCIL and IL - Increase IL Funding   Communications & Membership - Create powerful NCIL marketing & branding campaign - Increase media coverage to achieve legislative goals - Increase membership   Resource Development - Research endowments from corporations and foundations - Access new funding through NCIL’s Governing Board & Corporate Development Council - Obtain new revenue from new grants   Image: Departing Youth Fellow Allie Cannington addresses the crowd at the 2015 Annual Conference on Independent Living. Image: Two men play wheelchair rugby in Phoenix, Arizona. Image: A young girl speaks into a microphone in Rochester, NY. Donors NCIL would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the following people and organizations, who contributed financially in support of our mission in 2015:   - Heather Ansley - Jedediah Barton - Jason Beloungy - Helena Berger - Robert Blumenfeld - Charlotte Bowen - Kelly Buckland - Sheri Burns - Mary Butler - Barbara A. Butz - Darma Canter - Phil Chase - Darrel Christenson M.S. - Cherie Clark - Diane Coleman - Michael Collins - Evie Curtis - Yoshiko Dart - Bernadette De Leon - Jan Derry - Linda Fallwell Stover - Dennis Fitzgibbons - Bob & Jane Fuchs - Tim Fuchs - Diana Garrett - Marilyn Golden - Mitchell Granger - Christine M. Griffin - Jaime Head - Bryna Helfer - Judy Herr - Tami Hoar - Todd Holloway - Maureen Hollowell - Roger Howard - Anne-Marie Hughey - Sabine Ingerson - Invacare - Zainab Jama - Rhonda Jeter - Dan C. Johnson - Kian Johnson - Erica C. Jones - Shannon Jones - Lou Ann Kibbee - Kenneth Klauck - Patt Kosier - Amina Donna Kruck - Sarah Wendell Launderville - Carla Lawson - Kim Lett - Benita Lind - Andrew Lopez - Ruth Lusher - Laura Mattheis - Ann McDaniel - Michael Meadows - Ruby Moore - Michael Murphy - Arturo Nevarez - Karen O'Connor - Phil Pangrazio - Brian Peters - Beautiful Phillips - Patricia Puckett - Maggie Roffee - Maureen Ryan - Michael Schafer - William B. Sheldon - Doug Toelle - Denise Wardle - Jim Weisman - Derek Wetherell - Tigist Wodajo - Tony Young Image: Three young people, including two who are blind, flex their muscles after an inclusive workout in Long Beach, Florida. Image: Arkansas Governor Hutchinson poses for a photo with a constituent with a disability. Image: NCIL Member Jensen Caraballo. Corporate Sponsors NCIL recognizes the following corporate sponsors for their support and partnership in 2015:   - AARP - Access Living - Accessible Bath Technologies - American Association for Homecare - AAPD - Amtrak - Anthem - Arcus Foundation - Arizona Bridge to Independent Living - Bender Consulting - Centene - Elsevier Direct Course - Golden & Cohen, LLC - Google - The HSC Foundation / Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation Conference Support Fund - The HSC Foundation - IndependenceFirst  - Independent Living Center of the North Shore & Cape Ann - Kessler Foundation - LEAD Center - National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability - Youth - Quantum - Regional Center for Independent Living  - The Shepherd Center - SKIL Resource Center, Inc. - United Healthcare - Verizon - Walmart    Image: Logos for each of the organizations listed above. Statement of Financial Position * Revenues: - Grants & Programs: $795,895 (54%) - Annual Conference: $377,080 (26%) - Membership Dues : $269,709 (18%) - Donations: $15,402 (1%) - Other Income: $17,772 (1%) - Total 2015 Income: $1,475,859  Expenses: - Administration & Finance: $130,269 (9%) - Training & Assistance: $617,210 (44%) - Advocacy & Programs: $374,855 (27%) - Annual Conference: $279,400 (20%) - Total 2015 Expenses: $1,401,765 Assets: - Current Assets: $519,689 - Prepaid Expenses: $10,932 - Prepaid Legal Expenses: $24,765 - Fixed Assets: $7,908 - Deposits: $14,466 - Deferred Rent: $22,027 - Total Assets: $599,879 Liabilities and Fund Balance: - Current Liabilities: $408,526 - Unrestricted Reserve: $177,259 - Total Net Income: $74,093 - Total Liabilities & Net Assets: $599,879 Image: Two pie charts reflecting the percentages listed under Revenues and Expenses above. * All figures represented in this statement of financial position are unaudited. Final numbers may vary slightly. Please contact NCIL for an updated report.