Organization
IndependenceFirst
IndependenceFirst is the federally funded Center for Independent Living serving Metro Milwaukee, directed and controlled by people with disabilities and offering more than 50 programmes covering peer support, skills training, housing assistance, and advocacy.
About
IndependenceFirst is the federally designated Center for Independent Living (CIL) for the Milwaukee metropolitan area, a community-based, non-residential 501(c)(3) organisation directed and controlled by people with disabilities. More than 50% of its staff, managers, and board members identify as people with disabilities.
What They Do
IndependenceFirst offers more than 50 programmes and workshops including independent living skills training, peer support, personal assistant services, benefits counselling, assistive technology, housing assistance, transition support from institutions to community living, and disability rights advocacy. It also builds community coalitions and provides public education to advance inclusion and accessibility across south-eastern Wisconsin.
Who They Serve
IndependenceFirst primarily serves adults with all types of disabilities in the four-county greater Milwaukee area — Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, and Washington counties — supporting people in achieving and maintaining independent life in the community.
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