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Join Us in Celebrating 30 Years of Supporting Independence!
2025-2027 State Plan for Independent Living Draft Comments
The Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) works with the Centers for Independent Living (CILs) to create the State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL). The SPIL is a three-year plan that gives the SILC and CILs goals to work on together to improve services and the community.
The SPIL draft comment period is now closed. All feedback will be reviewed by the State Plan Committee. Any recommendations to make changes will be made to the SILC before voting to approve. Once the SILC has approved, the CILs and SILC will be sent the SPIL to sign agreeing to work on the SPIL together. Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) will sign agreeing to continuing to be the Designated State Entity (DSE).
The final SPIL, with all signatures, is due to the Administration on Community Living (ACL) by June 30, 2024.
NEW Council and Commitee Meetings Website
The Ohio SILC is working on a new meeting website to give you even easier access to information about the SILC and committee meetings.
While we continue to work on updating and improving the website, we are excited to give the public a new and improved way to interact with the SILC.
You can now subscribe to get all information and meeting agendas for any of the committees you want to participate in on the subscribe page.
In the future, video recorded meetings will be uploaded that you can view past meetings and view agendas, see upcoming meetings, and learn more about our Council members.
Click Here to visit.
Thank you to all that attended our 30th Anniversary Celebration! We celebrated 30 years of inclusion, independence, and empowerment of people with disabilities and look forward to many more years.
The Doris Brennan Award – The Ability Center of Greater Toledo
The Advocate of the Year Award – Maria Matzik
The Independent Living Award – Melanie Hogan
The Disability Community Champion Award – Breaking Silences
The Disability Policy Impact Award – State Senator Mark Romanchuk & State Representative Scott Oelslager
The Doris Brennan Award – The Ability Center of Greater Toledo
In honor of Doris’ powerful legacy, this award will be presented to a Center for Independent Living for promoting innovative work in independent living in Ohio.
Simple lessons that Doris Brennan taught: treat people with dignity and respect; give people an opportunity to succeed; do what you can to help others. Doris had a devastating automobile accident as a teen, resulting in a spinal cord injury. Not allowing her disability to stop her, she and a colleague started the first Center for Independent Living in Ohio in 1980 Services for Independent Living (SIL) in Cleveland. Then in 1986, she became the first Executive Director of Linking Employment, Abilities and Potential (LEAP) and served in this capacity until her passing in 2000. She was also the first Centerfor Independent Living director to be appointed on the SILC Board of Directors in Ohio. She served on the Ohio Governor’s Council for Persons with Disabilities and received numerous awards and recognition for her work over the course of her lifetime. Brennan was present at the 1990 signing of the historic Americans with Disabilities Act in Washington D.C., and in 1998 she was the first Ohioan inducted into the National Hall of Fame for Persons with Disabilities.
The “grande dame” or great lady of independent living gained respect and recognition from governors, legislators, mayors along with foot soldiers within the movement. She had poise and composure while everyone around her was arguing, and she had an amazing ability to tactfully bring closure to that argument after listening attentively to all sides. Doris left a powerful legacy of disability policy innovation, compassion and social change that has resulted in a more fair and equitable society for persons with disabilities. In honor of Doris’ powerful legacy, this award will be presented to a Center for Independent Living for promoting innovative work in independent living in Ohio.
The Advocate of the Year Award – Maria Matzik
In recognition of all of the great contributions to independent living throughout the year, this award will be presented to an individual with a disability that is working to promote the advancement of independent living in their community and/or the state.
The Independent Living Award – Melanie Hogan
Oftentimes, we become so consumed in our day-to-day work and the many challenges facing the disability community today, that we so often forget to stop and recognize our accomplishments along the way. This award is being presented to a Center for Independent Living Staff Member or Board Member for their outstanding work and contributions to the independent living movement.
The Disability Community Champion Award – Breaking Silences
Centers for Independent Living work tirelessly to educate, change and mold the landscape of our communities promoting the independent living philosophy and importance of inclusion. However, there are community organizations that stand out along the way who support and further our mission and work alongside CILs every day. This award goes to a community organization that works closely with a Center for Independent Living to promote the philosophy of independent and disability rights for individuals with disabilities in Ohio, or their local community.
The Disability Policy Impact Award – State Senator Mark Romanchuk & State Representative Scott Oelslager
Systems Change Advocacy has a significant impact on the lives of persons with disabilities and oftentimes requires influence not only from disability organization leaders but from policy makers. We wish to recognize those that have made significant policy impacts and contributions toward the advancement of independence and inclusion of persons with disabilities in Ohio.