July 27-30, 2015; Grand Hyatt, Washington

Open our Annual Conference Guide (in PDF or plain text) to find everything you need to know about the 2015 Annual Conference.

Then, register online or by using the printable Registration Form (PDF or plain text). Online registration gives you the ability to register up to three attendees with one transaction and accepts Discover, American Express, Visa and MasterCard.

All registrations received and paid before April 29, 2015 are eligible for the Early Bird registration rates.

Visit our 2015 Annual Conference web page for:

• Complete registration details
• Hotel information and reservations links
• Complete Conference agenda

Portlight Strategies, a non-profit organization in Charleston, South Carolina, provides disaster relief to individuals with disabilities in emergencies as well as training and technical assistance to emergency managers. NCIL and Portlight Strategies are partners (through a Memorandum of Understanding), in training and disaster preparedness and relief to Centers for Independent Living and individuals with disabilities affected by disaster.

On February 24 and 25, Portlight, in conjunction with the Hampton Roads Catastrophic Planning Team, hosted their fourth “Getting It Right” conference and training seminar in Hampton Roads/Newport News. NCIL was represented by Christy Dunaway, Chairperson of the Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee for NCIL. The conference hosted over 250 individuals in the field of emergency management. States represented included Virginia, Pennsylvania, Mississippi, Texas, the District of Columbia, and more.

Emergency Managers heard from experts in the field of disaster preparedness as it relates to individuals with disabilities. [Read more…]

By Karen Eber Davis

“This building is full of people filled with passion,” shared a friend, referring to his co-workers at the headquarters of a mainline denomination.

Nonprofit success draws deeply from the well of human passion. Founders see wrongs to right. Leaders imagine a different world. People follow those with zeal for something better.

Yet, passion, while necessary, is never enough.

Last month another nonprofit, The Institute for the Ages, shut its doors, leaving in its wake a set of disappointed supporters. Passion fueled the Institute’s growth; lack of income killed it. Other nonprofits experience blow-ups in the boardroom—some arguing about destination, others about tactics, both fueled by engaged passions. Unharnessed passion stirs actions, but like a Fourth of July firecracker, the actions inspired might sparkle brightly before exploding, or fizzle into smoke.

Ingenious nonprofits find ways to harness passion as an energy source. Harnessed, passion fuels organizations to jump tall buildings in a single bound, and better yet, it creates mission results that amaze and astound. The formula: your passion + my passion directed to effective actions = mission results for the long haul.  [Read more…]

Dear Advocates and Friends,

In 2014, NCIL led the campaign to pass the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act, which will revolutionize America’s Independent Living Program. NCIL members drafted legislation, met with legislators, marched to the Capitol, and did the hard work, on the ground, to bring Independent Living to its full potential. Thanks to you, our dream of an Independent Living Administration is now becoming reality.

2015 will be another critical year for our Movement as we develop the infrastructure to implement consumer control at the national level. 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.

With your help, we will eradicate the dehumanizing practice of subminimum wages for people with disabilities. We will end the institutional bias once and for all, so that every person can claim their lawful right to independence and agency in their communities. 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.

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.

• Open the NCIL 2014 Annual Report in PDF or plain text.

Sincerely,

Kelly Buckland, Executive Director

Dear NCIL Members, 

With registration now open for the 2015 Annual Conference on Independent Living, NCIL’s Youth Caucus is proud to announce NCIL’s #ADAyouthpledge!

For the ADA 25th anniversary, celebrate and share your dedication to #GenerationADA, by pledging to bring at least one young leader to the conference. Learn more and take the #ADAyouthpledge today!​

In #DisabilitySolidarity,

NCIL Youth Caucus

By Meredith Raymond

The 2015 NCIL Conference is landmark event for our movement. While the conference will be a time of celebration of the 25^th anniversary of the ADA, it is also a call to action for the next generation of leaders to rise up and help shape the future!

How do we rise up exactly? As a college student who worked at a CIL, I often wondered what opportunities there were for youth to serve and grow in the IL movement beyond my local CIL. In 2013 I attended NCIL’s annual conference and learned more than I ever imagined. I was equipped to be a better leader and advocate, gained a deeper understanding of the history of the disability rights and IL movements, and of the multitude of ways to get involved with NCIL- both as an individual youth member and in collaboration with my CIL. Additionally, I connected with other youth attendees and professionals in the disability community that I still keep in touch with to this day. Most of all, it was the sense of community and pride throughout the conference that is seared in my memory. I have never felt so empowered and enthusiastic for both my future and the future of our movement.

For these reasons and more, if you are a part of the ADA generation, you do not want to miss this year’s conference! It is centered on celebrating the past and equipping the future (us!). There will be a specific youth track and countless opportunities to grow, connect, and shape the future together.

Encourage your CIL to make an ADA Youth pledge to send you and other youth in your area to the conference!

• Learn more about the pledge

See you in July!

By Maddy Ruvolo

I am so excited to be the new NCIL Youth Caucus Chair. Disabled youth bring unique perspectives, desires, and challenges to the Independent Living Movement, and the Youth Caucus is dedicated to making sure our voices are heard. As a member of Generation ADA, the cohort of youth who grew up following the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, I have benefited tremendously from the work of advocates before me. My generation has already begun to build upon that work, and I am looking forward to working with the Youth Caucus to keep pushing forward. As a caucus, we aim to foster youth leadership and expand youth participation in NCIL, and we commit to furthering #DisabilitySolidarity by always approaching our work through an intersectional lens.

A little about me: I’m the Systems Change Advocate at the Marin Center for Independent Living. I was an American Association of People with Disabilities intern in 2013 and am one half of Disabled Girls Talk, a podcast about coming of age with a disability. I graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Scripps College in 2014, where I was the president/co-founder of the Disability Illness and Difference Alliance. I love talking about youth and the disability community. If you want to chat, email me at [email protected] or find me on twitter @maddyruvolo.​

NCIL’s 2015 Annual Conference on Independent Living will be held July 27-30 in Washington, DC.  Generous support from sponsors, exhibitors, and advertisers last year resulted in a conference of nearly 1,000 participants. We seek your partnership as we begin to prepare for our 2015 Annual Conference celebration!

Based on our attendance of nearly 1,000 people last year, NCIL’s tremendous successes in 2014, and excitement surrounding our conference theme, the buzz has already started for this year’s conference.

Our Sponsorship Opportunities Booklet outlines opportunities for your consideration. We hope that you thoughtfully consider this opportunity to be part of our celebration and growth, and invite you to invest in our efforts to ensure equality for people with disabilities throughout the United States.

• Open the Sponsorship Opportunities Booklet (PDF or plain text).
• Then, complete the commitment form online or use the printable commitment form (PDF).  [Read more…]