Mission Statement
To promote dignity, independence and consumer control for people of all ages and abilities, and to advance civil rights of equal access and full participation in society.

Alliance History
Alliance of Disability Advocates, Center for Independent Living (Alliance), is committed to assisting people with disabilities to live independently and become productive full participants in society. As a small nonprofit, Alliance utilizes extensive networking and collaboration in order to meet the needs of people with disabilities. Alliance of Disability Advocates opened in April 2004 with base funding under the federal Rehabilitation Act, which mandates the establishment of a statewide network of Centers for Independent Living.

In order to receive this competitive grant funding, Alliance had to qualify as a grassroots advocacy group that was community-based, consumer-controlled, cross-disability, nonresidential, and a private nonprofit staffed by a majority of people with disabilities. The services provided by Centers for Independent Living aim to promote equal access and full participation for all people with disabilities. The unique aspect of this organization is the provision of services via a peer to peer model, which is rare in the disability community, but reflected throughout the structure of Alliance at the Board, decision-making, and staff levels.

Examples of Events, Work, and/or Services in the Community

Services
Alliance is based in Raleigh, North Carolina and provides services to people with disabilities living in Wake, Durham, Franklin, Johnston, and Orange counties. Core services include:

In addition to these core services, Alliance, like all Centers for Independent Living, tailors its services to meet the needs of the communities served. For example, Alliance provides accessibility surveys of facilities and programs in the community in order to promote the removal of architectural, communication, and attitudinal barriers. Also, Alliance provides training on civil rights laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act. A variety of services are provided with the goal of increasing dignity, independence and consumer control in order to improve the quality of life for people of all ages and abilities. Read more about Alliance Services.

Adolescents and Young Adults with Disabilities
A major need addressed by the Alliance has been services for youth with disabilities. Adolescents and young adults are at a crucial age, transitioning from schools and families to a more independent life. Strengthening independent living skills among young people with disabilities enables them to advocate for themselves and counteract the barriers they face in education, health care services, employment, housing and so forth.

Political and Legal Services
In an effort to promote systems change through policies that affect youth with disabilities, Alliance has employed a lobbyist and advocated on behalf of relevant legislation in the NC General Assembly. Alliance sponsored two bills which were passed into law: Disability History and Awareness Month in Grades K-12, and American Sign Language as a foreign language course credit in high schools and higher education. In addition, Alliance has supported other vital b ills, such as School Violence Prevention and People First Language, both of which have become laws in North Carolina.

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