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Independent Living News & Policy from the National Council on Independent Living

Call for Workshop Proposals: 2020 Annual Conference on Independent Living

Conference Logo: Evolution of our Revolution - 2020 Annual Conference on Independent Living. Graphic features a speech bubble and heart icon.

July 20-23, 2020; Grand Hyatt, Washington

Submit a workshop proposal

NCIL’s Annual Conference is the largest Independent Living event of the year. NCIL regularly hosts over 1,000 people, including grassroots advocates, CIL and SILC leadership, members of Congress, government officials, and representatives from other organizations that work for justice and equity for people with disabilities.

The theme of NCIL’s 2020 Annual Conference on Independent Living will be Evolution of Our Revolution. 2020 will mark the 30th anniversary of the ADA and serve as a time to reflect and celebrate. We must also look forward and commit ourselves to the promise that the IL Movement belongs to everybody with a disability.

The Independent Living Movement is built on advocacy, love, and empowerment. We must fulfill this promise through discussions and real work to include and elevate individuals with disabilities who have not been welcomed or included.

Together we can build a more just, equitable, inclusive, and powerful Independent Living Movement. Therefore, NCIL seeks workshops that will advance the Independent Living Movement through intersectional discussions of equity, inclusion, and leadership development.

With this aim, NCIL seeks workshops for our 2020 Annual Conference in the following tracks:

  • Advocacy & Policy Work Track: Workshops addressing the political power of the disability community, including voting rights, running for office, and systems advocacy.
  • Independent Living 101 Track: Workshops oriented towards youth, new attendees, and other individuals new to the Independent Living Movement.
  • Core Services Track: Workshops addressing innovation and best practices in the core services of Centers for Independent Living, especially the new core services of youth transition, transition from institutions to the community, and avoiding institutions. 
  • Inclusion, Intersectional Work, Race & Equity Track: Workshops by and for multiply-marginalized people with disabilities, workshops by and for people whose disabilities are underrepresented in IL, and topics related to race, equity, and full inclusion of multiply-marginalized people with disabilities in the IL Movement.
  • SILC Track: Workshops covering best practices and innovation in operations and programs of Statewide Independent Living Councils.

In addition to these priorities, NCIL’s Annual Conference Subcommittee encourages workshops that seek to improve the skills and resources of IL staff to carry out the core services of CILs and operate strong SILCs. NCIL also welcomes applications for Poster Sessions, Film Screenings, and other media that address our priority topics and Independent Living.

Please see NCIL’s Important Information for Presenters for further details before planning your proposal. Presenters and facilitators are not exempt from registration fees. Presenters must register and pay for all days they plan to attend; presenters that attend only their session and no other events do not need to pay.

Deadline for Submission is Monday, January 13, 2020. No proposals will be accepted after 11:59 p.m. Eastern time.

Word and plain text proposal forms are available for those who are unable to complete the online form.