Former CIL Executive Director Michael Winter has passed away.

The Staff, Board and extended CIL family mourn the loss of former Director Michael Winter, who died Thursday at his Washington DC-area home. Our hearts are with his wife, Atsuko, and his beloved son, Taka, during this sad time. 

Michael was a husband, a father, a son, a civil rights activist, a friend, a director of an agency in the federal bureaucracy.... and of course a Bears fan. We celebrate his legacy, but our greater community will feel this loss deeply. He was an early and important leader, not only of CIL, but of the emerging Independent Living movement.  We will keep the public informed about plans to memorialize Michael’s life and career at CIL's headquarters at the Ed Roberts Campus.

BART Strike to End 3PM Today

CIL would like to inform our consumers that BART Service will resume at 3 PM today, July 5. BART will continue to run 7 charter buses from 5 BART stations through this afternoon on a first come first serve basis: at Walnut Creek, West Oakland, El Cerrito del Norte, Dublin/Pleasanton, and Fremont Stations.

BART is hopeful they will reach a permanent solution before the thirty day strike extension ends on August 4^th. 

CIL will continue to update our consumers as necessary.

Transit Options During the BART Strike: CIL is gathering resources to keep their consumers up-to-date on alternative transportation options.  

For transit strike related updates and tips: http://alert.511.org/
The ferry will continue to run between the East Bay and San Francisco. 
East Bay Paratransit will still operate during the BART strike but "due to increased traffic congestion and gridlock on the bridge, many trips will be delayed".  They encourage people to postpone trips if possible. Seehttp://www.eastbayparatransit.org/

Additionally, Berkeley residents can contact Easy Does It at 510.704.2111 for urgent rides to medical appointments within the city of Berkeley.  

Two cab companies that do have wheel-chair accessible cabs in the area are Friendly Cab Company,www.friendlycab.com,  510.536.3000 and Eco- Friendly Cab Company, www.eco-friendlycab.com, 510.666.9800. These cab companies can provide accessible cabs if they are given notice no later than 5 pm the day before the ride is needed. Center for Independent Living is not endorsing any companies, simply providing you with resources.

We will post again with any new information.

Taking Applications: DO NETWORK ADVISORY TEAM

The Disability Organizing Network is creating a growing community organizing network in 2013!  This year we welcomed hundreds of disability community members into the network at the Access Now Regional Power Summits and on May 22nd we unveiled our new network brand, the Disability Organizing Network.

Now we are seeking to engage a cross disability multi-cultural Advisory Board made up of community members with disabilities, allies in the disability rights movement, ethnic and cultural organizations, community organizing agencies and coalition partners.  We believe that this approach will provide the network with a broader connection to systems change priorities while also building and fostering leadership opportunities on a statewide level.

CLICK HERE to fill out the on line application

The purpose of the Advisory Team is to provide expert advice and innovative and collaborative strategies by our peers in other organizations tackling critical issues impacting people with disabilities.  Most meetings will be held by conference call or webinar, but there will be at least one annual in person meeting. Applicants must reside in California. The Advisory Team will lead by Co-chairs elected by their peers. The DO Network staff will provide meeting logistic and administrative support to the Advisory Team. 

The Advisory Team will function to provide:

• Expert advice regarding critical issues impacting people with disabilities;
• Develop Multicultural Disability Policy Platform to guide network direction and Building Accessible Communities Campaigns;
• Expert advice regarding culturally relevant community outreach, education and organizing strategies;
• Acting as liaisons to organizational and community resources that may be available to advance program and community organizing campaign effectiveness;
• Assist in identifying and implementing funding strategies to support community organizing campaigns;
• Expert advice in developing accessible, disability positive, culturally relevant public relations, messaging and social media;
• Expert advice in development, review and analysis of outcomes data of community organizing campaigns, program goals and direction.

Mental Health Counseling at CIL

We are very proud to announce that Mental Health Servcies are available at CIL.  The Pacific Center is providing free Psychotherapy Services for the LGBTQIQ Community Thursdays from 10 am to 2 p.m.  Call Jesse Whittle-Utter at 510-548-8283, ext 127 or e-mail at jwhittleutter@pacitifcenter.org.

Also, Allliant University's Psychological Services Center is providing services at CIL on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  Call 510-628-9065 ext 153 to make an appointment.

CIL 40th Roadmap to Independence Video

We want to share the video that we debuted at our 40th event highlighting some of the great programs we are currently developing at CIL.