A Self-Administered Test

The list below includes basic information that each member of a statewide independent living council (SILC) should know and understand in order to be an effective voting member of a statewide planning body.

Assess your knowledge of the following issues by placing a check mark beside the items you know and a minus sign beside items you do not know. Be tough-minded.

_____ 1. The history of independent living related to and including the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1992, particularly Title VII.

_____ 2. The history of how centers for independent living developed in the United States.

_____ 3. The independent living philosophy--its tenets, principles, values, and how it is practiced.

_____ 4. The name, location, size, and executive director of each independent living center in the state.

_____ 5. The designated state unit (state vocational rehabilitation agency or blind agency) through which Title VII funding flows, its director, its staff related to Title VII programs, and how to reach these individuals.

_____ 6. Agencies in the state providing services to persons with disabilities, their missions, general information about what they provide, and their relationships to each other and within state government.

_____ 7. The divisions of the U.S. Department of Education related to people with disabilities and the names of the programs administered by Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS).

_____ 8. The amount of funds allocated to the state under Title VII, Part B and how such funds are being spent.

_____ 9. The objectives of the state's plan for independent living.

_____ 10. How the state spends its Social Security Reimbursement Funds, particularly if such funding supports centers for independent living or independent living services within the state.

_____ 11. Amount of state funds for independent living centers and how they are distributed.

_____ 12. Any state laws written for creation, definition, or maintenance of centers for independent living centers.

_____ 13. The nature and direction of the state's plan for vocational rehabilitation and how it relates to the state independent living plan.

_____ 14. The definition, assurances, standards, and indicators for centers for independent living.

_____ 15. The purpose of the state rehabilitation advisory council and its relationship to the statewide independent living council.

_____ 16. The roles, responsibilities, and authority of members of the SILC.

_____ 17. The communication system established for effective functioning of the SILC.

_____ 18. The articles of incorporation (if appropriate), bylaws, or other tools of governance or policy guidance used by the SILC.

_____ 19. The individual members of the SILC, what they represent on the SILC, their offices or responsibilities, if any, and contact information on each.

_____ 20. The contents of the SILC's resource plan.

_____ 21. The budget guiding SILC expenditures, the source(s) of SILC funding, and how such fiscal matters are managed.

_____ 22. The staff of the SILC and how they relate to the SILC as a whole as well as to individual members of the SILC.

_____ 23. How staff of the SILC are hired, trained, supervised, and evaluated.

_____ 24. The nature and funding for any SILC-approved project funded under Title VII, Part B or any other state funding incorporated into the state's independent living plan.

_____ 25. The basic concepts, definitions, and provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
 

If you are a SILC member and believe that you do not have sufficient knowledge about these issues, you or your SILC, and perhaps your fellow council members, may need training to learn and to apply this knowledge in your roles as SILC members.
 

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The mission of the IL NET is to provide training and technical assistance on a variety of issues central to independent living today--understanding the Rehab Act, what the statewide independent living council is and how it can operate most effectively, management issues for centers for independent living, systems advocacy, computer networking, and others. Training activities are conducted conference-style, via long-distance communication, webcasts, through widely disseminated print and audio materials, and through the promotion of a strong national network of centers and individuals in the independent living field.

Substantial support for development of this publication was provided by the Rehabilitation Services Administration, U.S. Department of Education. The content is the responsibility of ILRU and no official endorsement of the Department of Education should be inferred.

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