Our Mission

The mission of The Independent Living Centre London & Area is to provide information and support to all people with disabilities as they take risks in directing and managing our lives.

Our Objectives

• To provide information and referrals which will assist people with all disabilities to make informed choices regarding independent living.
• To develop and support informal interest groups as indicated by the community.
• To facilitate informative and educational seminars on relevant topics for people with any disability, their families, their friends and interested community members, as well as social gatherings to build new bridges of peer support.
• To gather current and updated information and resources on all disabilities.
• Share information with the community upon request.

The Information and Referral Program

Through the Information and Referral Program, Independent Living Centre staff respond to questions and requests from consumers.  A response-oriented approach is the key to the Information and Referral program since Independent Living Centres are there to answer community needs.  By answering these questions, we try to offer options and resources to answer consumer needs.  The staff try to be as helpful as possible and when no information is readily available they will help the consumer in his/her search.  The aim of this program is to empower consumers to make informed decisions.

We can be reached in the following ways:

The Independent Living Centre London & Area
433 King Street, Suite 101
London, Ontario N6B 3P3
Telephone: (519) 660-4667
Fax: (519) 660-6818
Email: info@ilcla.ca

The Peer Support Program

The Peer Support Program provides and promotes opportunities for disabled people to share information, ideas, life experiences and skills.  We believe that it is through the context of a supportive peer environment that the individual can gain the skills and self-confidence needed to overcome barriers and learn to manage personal and community resources better.

This program encourages people with disabilities to speak with others and to share their thoughts, concerns and hopes with one another.  Very often, peer support spontaneously occurs when people get together.  With the Peer Support program, we want to see those occurrences happen more often.

At our centre, we conduct small informal gatherings which may include a guest speaker or may not. Brainstorming sessions take place on a regular basis at which people suggest topics for future events.  We have had guest speakers come and talk about collective kitchens, budgeting, self esteem and goal setting, to name a few.

These gatherings are informal and a great opportunity for participants to talk to each other and make new friends.

We also conduct regular seminars in a public place with guest speakers.  This provides another opportunity for people to come together and also to learn something new.

The public is welcome to attend also.  Some of our topics have included the Ontario Disability Support Plan, the Assistive Devices Program, Things to Do in and Around London, and Acupuncture.  Usually, after the speaker is finished there is plenty of time for refreshments and chatting with one another.

Individual Advocacy Program

Through the Individual Advocacy Program, we help one another to exercise our rights and provide support to people pursuing individual advocacy goals.  The Centre does not usually advocate for the individual consumer; rather, they provide the advice and the tools each person needs to advocate his/her own point of view.

By organizing seminars on various skills, the Centre gives information that is different than what is found elsewhere.

Alot of emphasis is put on the individual as he or she develops skills that are perhaps not confrontational but teaches them to fight and negotiate for their rights.

At our centre, the Individual Advocacy Program can include one to one communication, workshops that develop useful skills for advocacy, or a series of workshops on self advocacy.

Research and Development

Ongoing research is done on issues, projects, and with input from consumers to identify unmet needs in the community.  Options are then researched and developed to meet the need.  It is important that all aspects of this program remain true to the basic Independent Living principles.  They must be consumer-controlled, cross-disability, community-based, non-profit and promoters of integration and participation in the community.

Self-Managed Attendant Care Service - Direct Funding

Get More Control Over Your Life!

Direct Funding lets you self-manage your attendant services.  Do you have a physical disability?  Do you use or need attendant help?  Would you like more control, flexibility and choice in your life?  Self-managed attendant services may be for you!

The program is now full.  Still, we encourage people who are interested to apply.  Applicants will be placed on a waiting list.  Funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health, this innovative program enables adults with physical disabilities to become employers of their own attendants.  (Attendants assist with routine activities of living, such as dressing, grooming and bathing.)  You would receive monthly funds to manage expenses within an individualized budget.  The maximum service amount is 6 hours per day and it is higher for full-time ventilator users.  Overnight coverage is also possible using flat rates.

With direct funding, you are in charge of your own staff.  You can schedule your attendants to meet your daily living needs, not somebody else's timetable.  You can hire people based on your individual requirements and compatibility.  And direct funding is portable - you can live anywhere in Ontario you like.  "I cannot imagine going back to my old situation-receiving attendant care [in an apartment with services.]  Direct funding has improved my life far beyond my wildest dreams."

Direct Funding participant, age 30:  If you are over 16, you require attendant services due to a permanent, physical disability, and your needs have been stable over the past year, you may be eligible for this program. You must be capable of recruiting, hiring, training and managing attendant workers, and understanding and carrying out the responsibilities of an employer by yourself.  If you think you are a good candidate, call for an Information booklet and Application kit (applicants are interviewed in various locations around Ontario) - it may be your first step along the path to a happier and healthier lifestyle!  "...the freedom and flexibility that I am experiencing were not imaginable in other settings.  The relationship with my attendants is harmonious in that everyone can be treated with respect and dignity."

Direct Funding participant, age 46: "I have found self-managing wonderful!  There are no words that can describe the change.  I know that I can get up when I want, I can decide who I want to help me in and out of my bath, I don't have to worry about having so many people in my home from so many different agencies."

Direct Funding participant, age 26: Direct Funding is administered by the Centre for Independent Living in Toronto (Website: www.cilt.ca), in partnership with the Ontario Network of Independent Living Centres.  For more information, check out the above website or call 519-660-4667.