Tri-County Independent Living Center, Inc. (TCILC) - Akron, OH

Location: Akron, OH.

Founded in 1985, Tri-County Independent Living Center, Inc. is a non-residential, non-profit 501©(3) organization whose Board of Directors and staff is comprised of a majority of persons with various disabilities.

The Center serves individuals with disabilities who reside in the Summit, Stark, and Portage counties area.

Mission

Tri-County's mission is to empower citizens with disabilities to be in charge of their lives and participate as members of their communities. Through our collective strength, we advocate for the elimination of societal barriers and strive to achieve community accessibility and acceptance.

Purpose

The purpose of Tri-County is two-fold:

• To assist people with significant disability to live independently and to serve the community at large by helping to create an environment that is accessible to all through technical assistance and systemic advocacy.

Our purpose is accomplished by the following programmatic operations:

• The provision of direct services to individuals with significant disabilities that result in a greater levels of independence and community integration/functioning, and provision of services/advocacy in the community that result in a greater awareness of disability issues, physical and programmatic accessibility, and systems change.

Services Offered

Tri-County addresses specific needs of persons with disabilities who reside in our three-county service area:

• Information and Referral resources to address inquiries on housing, transportation, housing modifications, durable medical equipment, disability benefits, and nursing home and youth transitions.

• Independent Living Skills Training;

• Peer Support which will allow people with disability to explore options and solve problems;

• Community Education and Technical Assistance to eliminate architectural and attitudinal barriers;

• Advocacy on an individual or systems level to bring about change that maximize integration and inclusion.

• Loan Closet - Donated equipment. Center does not purchase durable medical equipment.

There are no age requirements for services which are provided without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, or disability.