Category: Programs

What Access for All Really Means: A Breakdown of Inclusive Design

Posted on | by CIL Orlando

At the Center for Independent Living in Central Florida (CIL), we believe that true access isn’t about checking boxes, it’s about designing a world where everyone can thrive. “Access for All” isn’t just a slogan. It’s a commitment to inclusion, equity, and dignity across every environment we touch including physical, digital, social, and beyond. As we spotlight our Foundations to Freedom program this August, we’re diving into the core of what inclusive design really looks like and why it matters now more than ever.

Accessible spaces begin with thoughtful, barrier-free design. Ramps, wide doorways, handrails, tactile signage, and automatic doors are foundational, but accessibility goes beyond basic compliance. It’s about making every aspect of the built environment, from transportation systems to public restrooms, welcoming for all. Through Foundations to Freedom, CIL helps individuals modify their homes for safety and independence. Whether it’s grab bars in the bathroom or an exterior wheelchair ramp, these changes empower people to live freely in the place they call home.

With more services moving online, digital accessibility is essential. That includes websites that are screen-reader compatible, captioned videos, easy-to-navigate layouts, and platforms that work with adaptive technology. An inaccessible website can be just as limiting as a locked door.

Access also means being heard and understood. For individuals who are Deaf, hard of hearing, or non-verbal, this might include ASL interpretation, captioning, or alternative communication methods. Language access services are just as vital to public life as elevators and curb cuts. Our Deaf Voice program provides direct support, interpretation referrals, and advocacy to ensure every voice is included.

Inclusive design must also account for emotional safety and cultural relevance. Are staff trained to be inclusive? Are materials reflective of the diverse disability experience? Are we considering intersecting identities, like race, age, gender, or economic status? Access isn’t a checklist, it’s a mindset. A continuous journey toward equity.

From affordable transportation to assistive devices and in-home support, financial limitations can be some of the biggest access barriers. CIL works to connect individuals with resources, services, and benefits that support their independence regardless of income.

When we design for inclusion from the start, we don’t just benefit people with disabilities, we make the world better for everyone. Parents with strollers. Seniors with mobility aids. Visitors with temporary injuries. Inclusive design is universal design.

“Access for All” means centering humanity in everything we build, create, and communicate.

Want to Learn More?

Join us throughout August as we highlight consumer stories, explore the principles of inclusive design, and celebrate the power of access.

Donate to support our Foundations to Freedom program
Follow us on social media @CILOrlando and share your access wins with #AccessForAll

Let’s keep building a world where everyone belongs.

Family Fun Day

Posted on | by pwsbuilder

Family Fun Day is an event held by the Center for Independent Living every year for families with children who have disabilities. Family Fun Day is part of CIL’s Family Disability Navigator program and focuses on giving parents and children a day to have fun and relax. This year’s Family Fun Day was held at the Barnett Park Gymnasium and was filled with games and activities for the families. There were a number of physical activities for the children to participate in, such as scooters, mini golf, basketball, and more. There were also many creative activity stations available. One of the most popular stations was the spin art table, where kids got to make paintings by squirting paint onto a spinning piece of paper. Besides the spin art table there was also arts and crafts, face painting, and a sensory table. These activities were available all day long but there were also special events for the kids such as a hula hoop contest and a raffle. The raffle prizes included tickets to Wonderworks, The Museum of Discovery and Science, and even Legoland. On top of all these exciting activities the families were also provided with snacks throughout the day and pizza was served for lunch. Overall, the event was an exciting time for parents and children alike.

Family Fun Day is about having fun but it’s also about so much more than that. One of the parents who was present at the event explained that for her and her son, events like this make them feel like they’re supported by a community. She appreciates the opportunity to go to an event that’s equipped to handle her child’s needs, and she’s always happy to see her son connecting with children like him. Another parent in the Family Disability Navigator program loves Family fun Day because it gives her son the chance to feel like he belongs and to play with kids who understand him. Beyond the activities at Family Fun Day, CIL and the Family Disability Navigator program helped her family greatly when it came to getting a diagnosis for her son and getting the necessary treatments and accommodations he needed. Family Fun Day is just one part of the larger effort CIL puts into making sure families are supported and appreciated. Shandra, one of CIL’s case managers in the Community Inclusion program, enjoyed seeing the children have fun and loved getting to meet the many different families in the program. This was her second time volunteering at Family Fun Day and seeing the kids get excited for the various activities always makes her smile. To her, Family Fun Day is a way to show families that CIL appreciates them and that we’re happy to be working with them.

Family Fun Day is an event that brings families together for a day of relaxation, fun, and community, but it is also so much more than that. It’s a day for parents to trust that their children’s needs will be accounted for, a chance for children to develop friendships and community with peers who understand their unique experiences, and it’s an opportunity for CIL’s staff to show consumers how much we care. Family Fun Day is a labor of love for CIL, and we will always cherish the excitement and happiness that this event brings to the families we work with.

CSR and CIL: Why we should collaborate

Posted on | by CIL Orlando

By Victoria Wells   Published February 16, 2023

Reviewed by Matthew LaGassa

and Roshana Rollock-Agarrat

 

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and How it Came to Be

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a term that perhaps ten years ago, you may have never encountered in day-to-day life, however it is now becoming a crucial determining factor regarding the health of a company and is a widely accepted expectation of corporations. The consensus on the origin of the concept of CSR is that it arose from Howard Bowen’s book “Social Responsibilities of the Businessman” published in 1953. According to Mr. Bowen, those responsibilities meant, “the obligations of businessmen to pursue those policies, to make those decisions, or to follow those lines of action that are desirable in terms of the objectives and values of our society.”  Investopedia defines CSR as a “self-regulating business model that helps a company be socially accountable to itself, its stakeholders, and the public (Fernando, 2022).”  Today, many companies have wisely chosen to align their corporate giving and volunteering efforts with their company’s specific mission and values.

What CSR Looks Like

CSR efforts are displayed in various and sometimes creative ways depending on the company’s structure and focus. Some companies have created grants for non-profits and community groups to apply to; have internal funds designated that employees may request for their charity of choice; have committees who vote on the year’s giving and volunteering efforts; give only at the corporate or local level; or give through different budgets such as marketing or HR by decision of only one or two executives. Since its rise, corporate sponsorships have become a crucial part of the operating budgets and yearly planning process for non-profits around the United States.

Why CSR is Important

While doing good for good’s sake is noble and encouraged, executives often require financial justification for any action taken on the company’s behalf.  CSR is becoming increasingly justified by the many studies emerging that shopping has changed. Upcoming generations require companies to display social consciousness in order to justify their purchases and are willing to pay more when they know that the company they are supporting is also supporting their community. Companies like Coca-Cola have switched to 100% recyclable materials, “Wells Fargo donates up to 1.5% of its revenue to charitable causes each year to more than 14,500 nonprofits”, and Patagonia sets the environmental example throughout every step of their production and managing process (Digital Marketing Institute, 2022).” “Community-oriented companies often enjoy a leg up on their competition as well, thanks to superior brand imaging (Murphy, Investopedia, 2022).” In addition to giving, CSR is about the internal health of your company- are your employees treated well and paid fairly; do you try to implement diversity and inclusivity initiatives, do you hold your managers accountable; and many more considerations. The time to be intentional about your company’s corporate social responsibility is now.

CSR’s Impact

“Even the smallest initiative can have an impact on a community (Investopedia, 2022b).” CIL’s Foundations to Freedom program operates on that principle.  Through this program, we help return independence to individuals with disabilities through the provision and installation of equipment such as ramps and shower grab bars into their homes.  Companies partner with us through not only sponsoring but also volunteering to a build ramp at individual’s home in the Central Florida region.  A single ramp can cost thousands of dollars for an individual but through this program, they receive it for free and the result is immediate. These ramps change people’s lives by restoring access once again to their community.

How CIL Provides the Avenue

“One of the reasons that I like to do these builds and to give back is that these are people that until you get to know them, they’re invisible to us, yet they live next door. One of the builds that I did four years ago…is not but two miles from my house.” said Chris from Cuhaci Peterson commenting on partnering with CIL to build a ramp in Sanford, FL (YouTube, 2022).

To put the impact these ramps have in further perspective, AARP reported that if the financial contribution of American’s 50 and up were considered an economy, they would constitute the world’s third largest economy, following the U.S. and China (Terrel, AARP, 2019). CIL serves every age and disability; however, the majority of our ramps are built for seniors. Thus, with every ramp built, your company is not only making a direct impact in the accessibility in someone’s life, but also assisting with that major contribution to local economies.

Why CIL

Our program is a wonderful opportunity for companies to satisfy their corporate social responsibilities while helping make people visible again. Foundations to Freedom builds a path to independence, re-instating access and inclusion for our neighbors to their communities. It provides an excellent team building experience for your companies’ employees and produces an immediate return on investment.

We are actively seeking community partners that want an effective program to put their dollars and their team’s volunteering efforts towards.   This program satisfies every aspect of CSR needed by providing a community-based, team building, diversity, equity, and inclusion focused sponsorship opportunity to help an individual in need.

 

Article Sources

National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month Highlight: Employment Program Trains People with Disabilities for Real-World Jobs

Posted on | by cil_admin

March celebrates National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, since it was proclaimed by President Reagan in 1987 with the purpose of “[raising] public awareness of the needs and the potential of Americans with developmental disabilities” and to provide the “encouragement and opportunities they need to lead productive lives and to achieve their full potential.”

Navigating entry into the workforce as a young adult can be a daunting and challenging task, especially during a global pandemic. Having a disability of any sort can make that process even more difficult. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, In 2020, 17.9 percent of persons with a disability were employed, compared to the 61.8 percent of people employed who did not have a disability.

Project SEARCH is working to change that. Developed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center as a business-led, one-year work-preparation program for young people, ages 18 to 22 with developmental disabilities, it now has 600 job sites. One of them is Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center, where the program is in its fifth year, and boasts a higher placement rate than the national average for Project SEARCH programs.

 

Lakeland Regional Health logo

Participants are enrolled while transitioning from high school to work. The hallmark of Project SEARCH is total workplace immersion, which facilitates a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration, and hands-on training. Project SEARCH’s primary objective is to secure competitive employment for every program participant.

“Project SEARCH is a transition program that believes in the potential that our young adults have. We strive on focusing all the abilities that they possess instead of pointing out what they don’t.  It provides them with an opportunity to become employed and independent if they desire,” says Mildred Roldan, Employment Specialist with the Center for Independent Living in Central Florida (now known as CIL).

Young lady wearing teal scrubs and hair bet sits at a desk while performing a task with her hands.
Madison Lewis, who started in the Project SEARCH program at Lakeland Regional Health in 2020, finds great joy in having an official position as a Sterile Processing Technician.

Madison Lewis,19, and Tyler Baranowski,18, are two of the 6 current participants in Project SEARCH at Lakeland Regional Health. They both began the program in August of last year and will graduate with their classmates this April. Additionally, both have been offered full-time positions at Lakeland Regional Health as Sterile Processing Technicians- an opportunity that neither Lewis nor Baranowski had expected would happen at this point in their lives.

The hospital setting of Project SEARCH also serves as an opportunity for student participants to grow socially within the workplace setting.

Young man in teal scrubs and hair bet performs task with hands at desk.
Tyler Baranowski, 18, began his Project SEARCH journey alongside Madison and has recently accepted a position of Sterile Processing Technician at Lakeland Regional Health.

“I’m usually the quiet person that just sits and does the job; nothing more, nothing less. But after a little while, knowing the people in the departments I’ve been in, I’ve opened up and made friends and still talk to some of the people in the departments I’m not in anymore,” says Baranowski.

Sandy Perlewitz, Project SEARCH Facilitator, Polk County Public Schools, has been involved with the program at Lakeland Regional Health since its inception and has seen firsthand the impact of the program on participants: “It’s a unique, hands-on job skill training program with total immersion in the workplace environment. Sometimes the students come in with a low level of self-esteem, but they gain confidence and self-advocacy throughout the program. They learn to answer interview questions with self-assurance and learn that they have what it takes to be successful,” Perlewitz describes.

According to the staff at Lakeland Regional Health, Project SEARCH not only benefits the students but also the hospital that had welcomed the students as their own. Tiffany Hanson, Lakeland Regional Health Recruiter and Project SEARCH Coordinator notes that “…several departments value the students and the positive attitudes that they bring. They [the students] display an appreciation for the opportunity and commit to doing their best each day.” 

Six young individuals stand on stage wearing grey caps and gowns smiling and holding diplomas

As graduation approaches, Madison and Tyler reflect on the last seven months in the program, and the opportunities that they never envisioned for themselves:

“This has been life-changing for me,” says Lewis. “I am able to just speak up for myself… I never thought that I would have the chance to actually work a job before applying for it,” says Baranowski.

The personal and professional growth that has occurred during the program is obvious to the parents of both Madison and Tyler as well.

“In the last year I have witnessed a huge change in Madison’s attitude, organization, follow-through, and her sense of responsibility. She has matured significantly over the last several months and I feel she will take the lessons she has learned throughout this program and continue to apply them to many areas of her life, especially in the workforce,” says Laura Lewis, mother of Madison.

“He is feeling more confident about his future. He has discovered career paths that he didn’t know were possible,” adds Tyler’s mother, Lori Baranowski.

CIL currently oversees 2 Project SEARCH sites in Central Florida with plans to expand to a third site by Fall of 2021. As Project SEARCH grows and finds new homes in Florida communities, more young adults like Madison and Tyler will discover their potential in the workforce.

Xiong’s Story

Posted on | by cil_admin

Xiong had been Deaf since birth. She moved to the United States from China in 2011 and got married. Sadly, soon after her husband passed away. She now needed to become a naturalized citizen. Xiong contacted CIL for help. She did not know English well, did not have transportation to get to CIL, and did not have a computer to help her get through the citizenship process. CIL’s Deaf Voice team stepped into action, printed instructions in Chinese for Xiong and mailed them to her home so she could get started.

Xiong’s family helped her complete the first application form and made an appointment to bring Xiong to CIL to fill out the second form. CIL’s Deaf Voice team discussed the filing fees and reviewed the checklist of steps that Xiong needed to take in order for the application to proceed smoothly. She filled out the paperwork, got a money order for the fees, and mailed them to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Several weeks later, Xiong received a response – her application had been rejected! She scheduled another appointment to meet with CIL’s Deaf Voice team. Fortunately, the Deaf Voice team found that the rejection was only because Xiong had sent in her application on an outdated form, but she could resubmit her application at any time. She obtained another money order and once again mailed the application, this time with the correct form. Just two weeks later she received another reply scheduling her for fingerprinting and telling her she would be scheduled for an in person interview. She was fingerprinted and then waited for her interview to be arranged. While she was waiting, CIL’s Deaf Voice team showed her a video detailing the interview process to prepare her. After nine long months her interview was finally scheduled.

As Xiong was Deaf, this presented a challenge for her as sign language is not a universal language and she was still fairly unfamiliar with English. But that didn’t deter her and she completed practice tests using her phone to translate the questions from English to Chinese. Before the test Xiong prepared by practicing to better understand the questions she would be asked. In addition, CIL’s Deaf Voice team worked to teach her American Sign Language and English vocabulary to assist her in her taking the test.

After the test, Xiong was excited to contact CIL’s Deaf Voice team and let them know that she had passed the test and was now a naturalized U.S. citizen!