The Centers for Independent Living in Buffalo, in Niagara Falls and in Batavia will join our sister Centers for Independent Living (CILs) nationwide, the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), and chapters of the grassroots disability rights advocate ADAPT to participate in a national conference from 3 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday Jan. 15.

The occasion is the reintroduction of the Disability Integration Act (DIA, S.910, H.R. 2471) in Washington, D.C. This bill would make more enforceable the right of people with disabilities, who require long-term care, to live in the least restrictive and most integrated setting, (usually outside of institutions), a principle from the Americans with Disabilities Act asserted by the U.S. Supreme Court's "Olmstead v. L.C. and E.W." decision.

So that the nationwide public can tune in, as well, NCIL and ADAPT will be making a video and audio of the introductory event available to stream online. An American Sign Language for the Deaf Interpreter and live open captions will be visible on the streaming video, and a live Spanish translation will be available by phone on a conference call line.

It was thanks to the ongoing efforts of ADAPT that Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) set Jan. 15^th as the date to reintroduce the DIA in the new 116th Congress. It is the hope of disability rights advocates that the enthusiasm generated by this early introduction will help build momentum for the DIA in this new Congress.

Local friends of disability rights are invited to observe potential history in the making: at Western New York Independent Living (WNYIL), 3108 Main St., Buffalo; at Independent Living of Niagara County (ILNC) at 746 Portage Road in Niagara Falls; and at Independent Living of the Genesee Region (ILGR)'s brand new office at 319 W. Main St. in Batavia.

Refreshments will be served, and participants will be urged to contact their elected federal legislators to encourage them to support the DIA.

For more information, call Marykate Waringa at (716) 836-0822, ext. 146. 

The Western New York Independent Living Inc. family of agencies offer an expanding array of services to aid individuals with disabilities to take control of their own lives.