How our work impacts Ohioans
Discover how Ohio’s Independent Living Network is strengthening services, developing disability leaders, expanding access, and creating opportunities for people with disabilities to live life on their own terms.
Explore the initiatives, resources, and partnerships supported by OSILC.
Research, Planning & Evaluation Projects
Understanding needs, assessing capacity, and measuring meaningful outcomes.
Outcome Measures and Evaluation
Measuring What Matters in Independent Living OSILC completes an outcomes evaluation and alignment project to strengthen how Ohio’s Independent Living Network measures, reports, and understands its impact.The Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council (OSILC), in partnership with Measurement Resources Company (MRC), has completed an Outcomes Evaluation and Alignment Project focused on improving how the Independent Living Network measures the effectiveness and impact of its services.The project examined existing reporting practices, updated the statewide…
2026 Organizational & Network Capacity Assessment
Building on what makes Ohio’s Independent Living Network strong while creating better tools, connections, and systems to support its future. Read the Full Report About the Assessment Building the capacity to make a greater difference.Ohio’s Independent Living Network is made up of 12 Centers for Independent Living (CILs), the Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council (OSILC), and partners working to advance the independence, rights, and full participation of people with disabilities.In 2026, OSILC partnered…
2026 Statewide Needs Assessment
Understanding the needs, experiences, and priorities of Ohioans with disabilities to help shape the future of Independent Living. Read the Executive Summary Read the Full Report About the Assessment Your voices helped shape Ohio’s future The Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council (OSILC) believes that people with disabilities should have the opportunity to live independently, make their own choices, and participate fully in their communities.In 2026, OSILC partnered with Measurement Resources Company to…
Advocacy & Leadership Projects
Developing advocates, strengthening leadership, and coordinating systems change.
Coordinated Advocacy Plan
Coordinated Systems Change Ohio’s Centers for Independent Living regularly engage in advocacy to address barriers affecting people with disabilities in their communities.While many issues begin locally, barriers involving housing, transportation, healthcare, employment, and accessibility often extend across regions and require broader solutions.To strengthen statewide collaboration, OSILC partnered with The Ability Center of Greater Toledo to develop a Coordinated Advocacy Plan for Ohio’s Independent Living Network.The project builds upon earlier statewide advocacy…
Advocacy & Leadership Retreat
Building Advocacy and Community Advocacy is about more than speaking up. It’s about recognizing issues, understanding who can make change, connecting with others, and developing strategies that turn concerns into action.On September 23 and 24, 2026, the Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council brought together 20 participants for a two-day Advocacy & Leadership Retreat.The retreat was designed for people with disabilities, advocates, emerging leaders, and members of the Independent Living Network to…
Advocacy Excellence Training Academy
The Center for Disability Empowerment (CDE) in Columbus, Ohio proposed a project to develop a training academy built around fundamental rights of people with disabilities. The Advocacy Excellence Training Academy (AETA) was developed to help people with disabilities build skills for both individual self-advocacy and broader systems change.Through four connected learning modules, participants explore disability rights history, the Independent Living philosophy, community integration, public policy, and strategies for influencing decisions that…
CIL Staff Strengthening Self-Advocacy
In September 2026, the Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council (OSILC) supported the delivery of Empowering Voices, a three-day professional development training developed by the Access Center for Independent Living.Designed for CIL staff, the training focused on practical approaches to helping consumers build confidence, understand their rights, communicate effectively, establish personal goals, and develop self-advocacy and leadership skills.Through presentations, discussion, reflection, and practical activities, participants explored how to promote consumer choice and…
Awareness and Outreach Projects
Reaching underserved communities and elevating disability voices.
Expanding Access to Independent Living
Strengthening multilingual outreach and communication across Ohio’s Centers for Independent Living Centers for Independent Living serve people with disabilities of all ages, backgrounds, and disability types. But not everyone has the same opportunity to learn about available services or communicate comfortably with service providers.Language differences can create additional barriers for individuals and families whose preferred language is not English.To address these challenges, OSILC developed a network-wide outreach initiative focused on expanding access…
Ohio Independent Living Storytelling Campaign
Sharing the voices of Ohio’s Independent Living movement In 2026, the Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council (OSILC) partnered with Shedd Creative LLC to produce a statewide Independent Living awareness campaign.The project brought together perspectives from across Ohio’s Centers for Independent Living and OSILC to share personal experiences, highlight the difference Independent Living services can make, and raise awareness of barriers that still exist.The stories explore themes including consumer choice, community living, self-advocacy,…
Innovation, Expansion, and Improvement Projects
Strengthening services, developing model practices, and expanding service opportunities.
Developing Model Approaches
Strengthening Services by Sharing Practices Centers for Independent Living provide services that help people with disabilities build skills, access resources, advocate for themselves, and pursue goals that matter to them.While CILs share the principles of Independent Living, the ways services are organized, documented, and evaluated may differ from Center to Center.This project is designed to bring CILs together through a Program Workgroup to examine existing approaches, identify effective practices, and develop model…
Mental Health First Aid Training Initiative
Supporting informed, compassionate responses and connections Expanding the knowledge and confidence of Ohio’s Independent Living Network to respond when people may be experiencing mental health or substance use challenges.Building skills to recognize, respond, and support.Staff at Centers for Independent Living work with people from many different backgrounds and life experiences. During conversations about community living, employment, transportation, housing, or accessing services, staff may also encounter someone experiencing mental health or substance use…
Parent Training on IL Philosophy
From Protecting to Empowering – Training for Parents Parents and caregivers play an important role in helping young people develop skills, make choices, understand their rights, and prepare for adulthood.But supporting independence can also mean learning when to step forward, when to step back, and when to let young people make decisions for themselves. A new training resource for parents and caregivers Developed by the Access Center for Independent Living, Fostering Independence is an…
Expanding Pre-ETS in the CIL Network
Increasing CIL Capacity For students with disabilities, preparing for life after high school involves discovering interests, exploring careers, building confidence, and developing skills to make informed decisions about the future.Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) provide opportunities for students with disabilities to develop these skills and prepare for employment and post-secondary education.Services for Independent Living (SIL) developed training resources that help Centers for Independent Living (CILs) understand and expand their capacity to provide…
Partnership and Coordination
Building stronger partnerships and coordinating work together.
CIL and Community Center for the Deaf (CCD) Cooperative Project
Building Stronger Connections Across Ohio A new cooperative partnership framework connects Centers for Independent Living and Community Centers for the Deaf in Ohio. Click Here to View the Final Cooperative Agreement Independence Alliance and the Hearing Speech + Deaf Center of Greater Cincinnati developed a cooperative agreement to strengthen coordination and access to services.The goal of the project was to build a model practice and create the opportunity for improved long-term cooperation between…