Hawaii Centers for Independent Living

Description

The Hawaii Centers for Independent Living (HCIL) has operated since June of 1981 as a non-profit, statewide organization run by and for people with disabilities. Establishing centers for independent living provided the venue for people with disabilities to determine their own goals and types of needed services. We believe that those who best know the needs of people with disabilities are the disabled themselves. HCIL established a practice of consumer control, in which clients with disabilities actively participate in setting and achieving their own goals. In the process, they are empowered to advocate for more active roles in the delivery of services intended to address their needs. HCIL also advocates for the development of independent living opportunities in the community as a cost-effective alternative to institutionalization.