The Soul of a Movement: Defending the Legacy of 504 and the Future of Independent Living
By: Dr. Victor Santiago Pineda, Executive Director, Center for Independent Living (CIL) and Theo Braddy, Executive Director, National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) In April 1977, over 100 disabled activists […]
A Future Built by Everyone: New Voices in Disability Leadership
Event Recap: Our Future of Disability Advocacy Panel By Lauren Mandel Grief, confusion, frustration, fear. Amidst the uncertainty of modern times in the political realm and beyond, emotions like these […]
Event Recap: Celebrating the Incredible Spirit of Zona Roberts
By Lauren Mandel On Thursday, January 23rd, the CIL came together to honor the legacy of Ed Roberts and to celebrate the incredible life of his recently departed mother and […]
Honoring the Legacy and Impact of Zona Roberts
Zona Roberts (1920-2025), a pioneer in the disability rights movement and mother of Ed Roberts, the father of independent living, passed away peacefully in her Berkeley home surrounded by loved […]
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage: Stories of Strength, Resilience, and Inclusion at the CIL
By Lauren Mandel “Hispanic Heritage Month helps put a spotlight on the fact that disabilities affect everybody and everybody is able to overcome them in different ways regardless of their […]
 In Memory of Ms. Janet Brown: A Dedicated Advocate and Cherished Member of Our Community
Dear Community Members, It is with profound sadness that we share the news of the passing of Ms. Janet Brown, a cherished member of our Center for Independent Living family. […]
CIL in the News: In Oakland Unified’s young adult program, students with disabilities gain life skills and community
CIL was recently mentioned in Oaklandside’s article about an Oakland Unified School District program for young adults with disabilities. Read the article below: At the Santa Fe school in North Oakland, students […]
History of the Independent Living Movement
By Alysa Chadow Like other movements, the one for Independent Living for people with disabilities was born of the suppression of those deemed too different by society to take an […]
Wildfire Awareness Month: Preparing Together as Cross-Disability Communities
May is Wildfire Awareness Month and marks the beginning of high wildfire season in California. Most communities across California are no stranger to wildfires, whether they lived through a wildfire […]
Listos California Partner Spotlight – The Center for Independent Living
The first organization of its kind in the country, the Center for Independent Living (CIL) in Berkeley has worked to build resilience in older adults and members of the cross-disability […]
