Southeastern Minnesota Center for Independent Living (SEMCIL) - Rochester and Winona, MN

Location: Rochester and Winona, MN.

Independent Living is having the opportunity to make the decisions that affect your life, having the freedom to make choices about where and how you live and work, and having the right to succeed or fail based on those choices.

In 1980, a small group of community members – with the mission of creating or sustaining independence for all persons with disabilities – wrote a grant that got us started and formed our first Board of Directors. Their vision led to the establishment of the Rochester Center for Independent Living (RCIL), which began providing services with four staff in a small storefront in 1981. We became the Southeastern Minnesota Center for Independent Living, Inc. (SEMCIL) in 1988.

Today SEMCIL continues to carry out the mission of our founding Board and staff members and support the human and civil rights of individuals with disabilities throughout southeastern Minnesota. SEMCIL is a community-based, cross disability, non-residential, non-profit organization offering a variety of independent living services and supports for people with disabilities, including the Disability Linkage Line and Personal Care Assistance.  Our services assist people with disabilities to live as independently as possible while also empowering the full participation of individuals with disabilities in their communities. These services are self-directed and promote person-centered integrated community living.

SEMCIL is one of eight Centers for Independent Living in the State of Minnesota. Our service area is comprised of the eleven counties in southeastern Minnesota:  Dodge, Fillmore, Freeborn, Goodhue, Houston, Mower, Olmsted, Rice, Steele, Wabasha and Winona.