National Council on Independent Living
The National Council on Independent Living is an American nonprofit organization focused on disability rights advocacy. It is a membership organization of centers for independent living that provide services, advocacy, and referrals to people with disabilities; statewide independent living councils; and other organizations with related missions. NCIL promotes the independent living philosophy, which it defines as "a new social paradigm emphasizes that people with disabilities are the best experts on their own needs, that they have crucial and valuable perspective to contribute to society, and are deserving of equal opportunity to decide how to live, work, and take part in their communities."
NCIL was founded in 1982 by Marca Bristo, Charlie Carr, and Max Starkloff. The first independent living program was founded by disability rights activist Ed Roberts as a college student in Berkeley, California.
NCIL hosts an annual conference in Washington, D.C. that includes a rally and march. NCIL's online news publication is The Advocacy Monitor.
NCIL advised on the design of a "low entry ramp" to promote wheelchair-accessible entry for Motor Coach Industries' new buses. In 2019, NCIL launched the Elevate Campaign Training program to train people with disabilities to run for elected office. NCIL also collaborated with a health insurance corporation, Centene, on a project called the Provider Accessibility Initiative to improve health care for people with disabilities by increasing the number of medical care providers whose offices and services meet accessibility standards.
