Core Principles

ILCNSCA embraces the independent living philosophy and its core principles which follow:
  1. Consumer Control - ILCNSCA ensures that individuals with disabilities hold policymaking (Board of Directors over 50% are persons with disabilities and elected by members who self-disclose they have a disability), managerial (Executive Director and staff Managers), and staff positions to the degree to ensure that consumers of services are involved in determining the policies and procedures of the Center.
  2. Consumer Direction - ILCNSCA ensures that each individual would hold power and authority over the services they receive. ILCNSCA provides the services requested by the consumer in the manner requested by the consumer.
  3. Self-Determination - ILCNSCA ensure that individuals are supported in a way that builds on their strengths, promotes community life, and honors the individual's preferences, choices, and abilities.
  4. Autonomy - ILCNSCA ensure that its policies and procedures are not restricted by entities that provide services using the medical model but are established independently of those service providers. ILCNSCA pursues both private and public funding to create sustainable programs.
  5. Dignity of Risk - ILCNSCA rejects the historical patronizing attitude that individuals with disabilities are to be protected, so that the ability to fail and learn from failure is an acceptable outcome.
  6. "Nothing About Us Without Us" - ILCNSCA has at its core, a philosophy of maximizing individuals' independence, dignity, choice and flexibility. Decisions will never be made FOR participants but rather BY and WITH participants. ILCNSCA will not speak for people with disabilities and older adults - rather they will support people with disabilities and older adults speaking for themselves in all venues.
  7. ILCNSCA ensure that all services are available to individuals with disabilities of all ages and all services provided by ILCNSCA are held in physically accessible environments with communication accommodations available upon request.