Advocacy at Independent Living, Inc.

We are united in our commitment to advocating for the rights and inclusion of all people with disabilities, recognizing that disability can touch any one of us at any moment in our lives. Our advocacy efforts are grounded in the principles of the peer services movement, where lived experience is our guiding force, and experts from diverse backgrounds join together to create a more accessible and inclusive society for all.

We remain committed in our mission to break down attitudinal, societal, and systemic barriers that obstruct the independence and full potential of people with disabilities. Together, as advocates, we will create a future that is accessible and inclusive for all, because it is through our shared human experience that we discover the true value of investing in a more equitable and inclusive world.

Systems Advocacy

Independent Living is a member of the Statewide Systems Advocacy Network, a group of eighteen independent living centers throughout New York State which collaborates with other disability organizations to ensure that legislation affecting people with disabilities is introduced, passed by the Legislature and signed into law by the Governor. For more information on our Systems Advocacy Services, please call (845) 565-1162. x246

Image of a dark purple background with gold, bold and caps tagline: In our empowerment era. Images of a person with a white cane, a woman with a prosthetic hand, a fair pay for home care sign, and newspapers collage the page.You can Join us as an Advocate!

Do you want to elevate your voice? Do you want to join us as an advocate in the rights of people with disabilities?
Sign up for our Action Alerts. You will be notified when we are asking for your support to advocate for changes in legislation that create a future that is more accessible for all people.

Visit our Advocacy Page to view our current action alerts and other advocacy opportunities.

Education Advocacy

Independent Living provides outreach and advocacy services to families of students between the ages of 6 and 21 with developmental disabilities throughout Orange County, New York that have historically been underserved because of language and/or cultural barriers, or due to their lack of basic information about their child’s rights and their role in protecting them.

Provides individualized support aimed at addressing the challenges associated with ensuring that students with developmental disabilities are given every opportunity to receive a complete and appropriate education while attending school.

For more information on our Education Advocacy, please call (845) 565-1162 ext. 243 or (845) 342-1162 x309 or Click here to email an Education Advocate.

Click here to download a Dictionary of Special Education and Special Needs Terms and Acronyms.

Download the brochure