(A) Advocacy Efforts - Discuss the CIL's advocacy goals.

Systems change

Community Integration: MCIL will work with local, state, and national grassroots organizations to support community-based services for people with disabilities

This goal will be ongoing until legislation such as MICASSA becomes a reality for the millions of Americans who need ongoing personal assistance services. MCIL will continue to work and to educate our state and local organizations as well as our elected officials in order to change the historical bias toward institutional placement of persons with disabilities. MICASSA will remain the focus of our efforts to effect meaningful change in the way we respond to citizens with disabilities who need services in their homes. As part of this effort, we will continue to support and assist Tennessee ADAPT in organizing and advocating for MICASSA or other similar legislation.

By enabling a minimum of three consumers in attending a national ADAPT action; the message of MICASSA will reach additional individuals with disabilities, their families, and friends. MCIL will also continue to offer assistance and advocacy to persons wanting to leave institutions by providing support and technical assistance in relocating to other states where community-based services are offered. Thus far, " our underground railroad" has successfully moved nine individuals from Tennessee to Colorado.

• Our current goals are to assist a minimum of three consumers in moving from institutions or other oppressive/restrictive living situations into the community.

• To provide a minimum of 10 referrals to the Options for Community Living program under the Tennessee Medicaid Waiver and Non-waiver Medicaid programs.

• To continue to work with groups such as AARP, Delta Area Agency on Aging, Coalition for Tennesseans with Disabilities, Mid-South ARC and Tennessee SILC in advocating for systems change legislation for community-based services.

• Participate in rallies and demonstrations. Local, state and national rallies will provide additional means to expand awareness and education of the need for community-based services.

Housing: MCIL will actively advocate for compliance with the Fair Housing Amendments as well as other state and local housing ordinances.

We will continue and expand our partnership with the Memphis Fair Housing Center as well as other fair housing organizations and groups in order to promote; accessible multifamily housing, waiting list reforms, and Visitability. MCIL will work to support the amendment of ordinances or passage of a new ordinance that would require all new multi-family residential housing as defined by the federal Fair Housing Act comply with the accessibility requirements established by this act. These amendments or new ordinances would require all persons seeking to obtain building permits to design and build multifamily housing that complies with the requirements of the Fair Housing Act and the Tennessee building accessibility requirements. This would insure that all newly constructed family housing would be accessible. Builders and developers would benefit by having assistance and uniformity in compliance with existing construction laws. City and county funded housing projects would be prohibited from discriminating against individuals with disabilities.

• Advocate for a new ordinance which would require all housing providers receiving government assistance to maintain and post a waiting list with a clearly stated policy that would be available to prospective home seekers and the public upon request. This would assure that all rent applicants be treated fairly and confidence in the system be maintained.

• Advocate for a Visitability ordnance to be added to the city of Memphis and Shelby County housing codes. The accessibility requirements similar to the fair housing act will be met and will be known as the Visitability Requirements. The regulations of the ordinances will apply to all newly constructed housing receiving city, county, state, federal or other assistance. This would assure that all new single-family dwellings, duplexes and larger units constructed within the city and county with governmental assistance will be constructed using design features that will provide accessibility and usability for persons with disabilities. Thus persons with physical disabilities will not be limited to government subsidized housing units and programs. By expanding this market to allow more inclusive housing for persons with disabilities as well as providing greater integration into their communities by enabling neighbors with disabilities to visit their nondisabled neighbors.

• As part of our continued involvement in systems change and advocacy and area housing, the Memphis Center for Independent Living will be involved in an ongoing effort to assure Fair Housing Act compliance by working with consumers who face discrimination in housing on a daily basis. Our current apartment accessibility survey covers approximately 22 private apartment properties in Memphis (new construction) with multiple accessibility problems in the majority of the sites surveyed. Three of the sites have been selected for a federal lawsuit by a local legal service organization on behalf of Memphis Center for Independent Living. The Tennessee Human Rights Commission is investigating the remaining properties. The Center will work with the Tennessee Human Rights Commission in resolving the accessibility problems outlined in our survey.

Transportation: MCIL will aggressively advocate for improvements in public transportation i.e. MATA mainlines services and MATAplus paratransit services.

The Barrier Free Memphis Society (an MCIL advocacy group) will continue a strong history of advocacy in organizing consumers around the issue of public transportation.

• Establish an ongoing process to cause the MATAplus Riders Guide to be kept up to date and consistent with written policies and procedures in order to keep the Rider's Guide as a useful tool for consumers.

• Expand the service hours of MATA by 20 percent.

• Assist a minimum of 25 consumers in filing local public transit complaints (both mainline and paratransit systems).

• Ensure that the expansion of the Memphis Light Rail System promotes individual rider independence to the greatest extent.

• General improvements will include: Bus Operator to announce stops, remedial training on the operation of accessibility features.

MCIL will actively pursue removal of physical and attitudinal barriers in our community by assisting individuals with disabilities in asserting their civil rights.

This will be accomplished by our continued support and involvement with groups such as Barrier Free Memphis, ADAPT and Not Dead Yet. MCIL will continue to encourage the practice of self-advocacy through training and technical assistance in resolving individual and systems issues

• We will use formal and informal skills training as well as formal and informal technical assistance in filing appropriate complaints. These processes will be used to educate and empower persons with disabilities in our community who face discrimination in accessing their civil rights to equal participation. Empowerment tools such as a web based Pro Se complaint site will be created to simplify the process in order to make it more accessible to consumers.

• To assist a minimum of 4 consumers in filing ADA, state and local civil rights laws, and Pro Se complaints.

• To assist a minimum of 4 consumers in attending grassroots organizing activities on a local, state, and national level.

Individual advocacy

This goal will be accomplished by exploring the individual needs of consumers who express their desire to increase/enhance their independence and self-direction. These consumers will be assisted in researching available resources for personal assistance, affordable and accessible housing, transportation options, benefits counseling and other resources for independent living. Consumers who are unable to obtain necessary supports and services in their local communities will be assisted in researching alternative living situations in other cities or states.

• To assist a minimum of three consumers in moving from institutions or other repressive/restrictive living environments into the community.

• To provide a minimum of 10 referrals to the Options for Community Living Program under the Tennessee Medicaid waiver and Non-waiver Medicaid Programs.

• To provide a minimum of 10 consumers with appropriate individual peer matches.

(B) Outreach Efforts - Describe the CIL's plans for outreach to unserved/underserved populations.

A major portion of our outreach efforts will be directed toward reaching individuals who are institutionalized, those living in other inappropriate/restricted environments, or those at risk of institutionalization (see subpart IIFI A). These individuals are often denied funding for durable medical equipment and are rarely considered 'good risks' by vocational rehabilitation programs.

• Consumers living in other oppressive/restrictive environments will also be included in our outreach efforts. These individuals may be living with parents or other family members in situations not conducive to independent living and self-direction. The same assistance in researching community resources will be offered as well as technical assistance in obtaining community support in order to improve/establish their independence.

• MCIL will provide outreach to a minimum of 10 new consumers who are living in institutions or other oppressive environments.

• We are going to participate in the annual Latino Festival.

• We will have an article published in the local Spanish language newsletter.

• The center will support staff in acquiring fundamental conversational Spanish language skills. One identified method is to use computer based Spanish language software training programs.

(C) Community and Individual IL Services - Identify the community and IL services the CIL anticipates providing during the next Federal fiscal year.

The Center for Independent Living will continue to provide core services as described in section 6 (17) of the Rehabilitation Act. Further, we will continue a strong history of systems advocacy in areas such as community based services, transportation, housing and ADA compliance.

Our Center has been very successful in the provision of support group programs for both cross disability groups as well as disabilities specific groups such as: polio support group and spinal cord injury support group.

• Next year's plans include a cross disability group focusing on social/personal development issues, which would be offered during the evenings in order that working individuals would be able to participate. Other plans include, a couples group for both couples with disabilities and couples having one partner with disabilities and one partner nondisabled. These groups are to begin in the fall of 2001.

• Recruit and train an additional six consumers as peer mentors. These individuals will be selected from our community of various backgrounds and disability groups in order to provide a diverse group. MCIL staff as well as volunteer professionals from our community will train these individuals. Funding for this program may be available through Part B money (through our SILC). We believe that our peer mentors should be compensated for their efforts in order to aspire to a high-level of pride in their work. This program will submit proposals for funding this summer with a start date for early fall of 2001.

• Skills Training will also continue to be a prominent part of our community services. In view of the setbacks of the ADA in the past year and a half, we believe it is important to inform and educate consumers about ways in which we can stem the tide of this backlash. Skills Training will consist of presentations and discussions of Supreme Court decisions involving ADA litigation. Consumers will be encouraged to fight back to regain the momentum of the ADA by asserting their a right to file local, state, and federal complaints whenever their civil rights are being denied. Additional Pro Se training will be offered to our consumers. Traditional skills training will be delivered in areas such as Housing, Transportation (how to ride mainline buses), and Benefits, etc.

• Assistive Technology will continue to be a going goal of our program. We are committed to making our programs accessible to all people with disabilities using available technology. We will advocate the same for all local, state, and national programs and resources. Our plans include collaboration with the Tennessee Technology Act Program (TTAP) in developing a loan fund program for persons with disabilities. These funds will be available to individuals with disabilities for purchasing equipment and technology with low or no interest loans. Discussions of this program are still in the early stages of development. A start date is not available at this time however; early 2002 will be tentatively set as our goal.

• Some research has been completed on the availability of computer training for persons with significant physical and sensory disabilities in our community. MCIL would like to offer training to individuals with significant disabilities for which adequate training options are not available.

• We are currently working with a consumer who is living in a nursing home and is quadriplegic as a result of spinal cord injury and stroke. He's using voice-activated software along with a modified workstation here at the Center. He receives training twice a week from our volunteer computer guru.

• Research on availability of training programs will be completed this spring. Proposal development is to be completed in the summer of 2001 for a possible start up date early in 2002.

(D) Individuals Served by County - List the counties the CIL proposed to serve and the anticipated number of consumers that will be served in each county.

Counties listed earlier in this report will be included in our plans for the next fiscal year. Title VII, Part C. funding covers Shelby County only. Additional counties in our surrounding area are funded through United Way.

(E) Consumer Satisfaction Appraisal - Describe activities planned to access consumer satisfaction.

MCIL will take advantage of our newsletter database in designing a consumer survey which will reach approximately 2500 consumers. Our survey will be offered on tape as well as print and electronic medium. Assistance in completing the survey will be provided by staff and volunteers on-site or over the telephone. All responses to our survey may be anonymous if the consumer so desires. The survey will be designed with a minimal need for manual recording of information.

Other plans for feedback include support and advocacy groups as well as skills training evaluations and the MCIL web site.

(F) Response to Needs - Describe the CIL's proposed response to needs identified in consumer satisfaction appraisals and needs assessments.

We will increase consumer participation on the newly established standing committees of our Board. These consumers will be charged with using the results of these assessments to influence the structure and operation of the center. MCIL depends upon advocacy groups such as Barrier Free Memphis to provide feedback to us in regard to community needs and issues. We will continue to advocate and mobilize support for community change.

Support groups will continue to provide feedback that will be channeled to the Board's Standing committee on Programs.

Our consumer survey will be conducted in the Summer of 2001 in time for 2002 planning.

(G) Resource Development Plans - Describe the CIL's plans for obtaining and increasing funding.

MCIL plans to submit proposals to the following funding sources: United Way-Venture Fund, Developmental Disabilities Council, Division of Rehabilitation Services, and the Tennessee State Independent Living Council. Others may include: City of Memphis, the Assisi Foundation, and HUD.

Additional funding will be sought via special events and also by direct solicitation by our Board of Directors.

(H) Training Plans - Describe plan for training the CIL staff and governing board.

MCIL is committed to ongoing staff and board development.

• We will develop a web based training site on our local area network for a range of in-house training activities. The design of this site will allow the incremental addition of new training modules on an ongoing basis. This site is available for use by all staff and consumers.

• We will develop a PowerPoint presentation to educate our board, staff, and the community about independent living philosophy and the Disability Rights Movement.

• The center will send both staff and board to training offered by other local organizations. Online distance learning has also been identified as a source of education and training for our program.

• Training offered by RSA, National Council On Independent Living, and other similar organizations will be prioritized according to established needs.

(I) Innovative Activities - Describe any significant activities not accounted for elsewhere in this report.

Pals theater workshops and productions are innovative activities of the center. Funding for these projects will be pursued through local universities as well as the local Arts Council.

Board members have expressed an interest in working with churches in order to create awareness of disability issues through advocacy in religious settings. The advocacy committee of the board will pursue this possible source of expanding awareness.

(J) Consistency with the SPIL - Discuss how the CIL's proposed activities are consistent with the SPIL.

The MCIL will be actively involved in the creation of the three year plan for the SILC.

The planned activities of the MCIL are consistent with the stated goals and objectives of the SPIL. We will continue to deliver each of the four core services mandated by the state plan. The center will continue to actively participate and communicate with the SILC. This will include participation in conference calls, statewide meetings and training. We will continue to influence the climate and direction of the SILC and the SPIL.

(K) Description of Substantial Problems - Discuss any anticipated problems and potential solutions.

Funding

Our level of funding hampers our ability to attract and retain qualified staff. Proposed increases in federal funding for CILs may be a partial solution for this problem. Our board is investigating several funding strategies including the establishment of an Annual Fund.

Political climate

The momentum of the ADA has been turned around. Persons with disabilities, who had barely taken the offensive to assert their civil rights, are now relegated to defending basic human rights. A powerful backlash was made perfectly clear in the Alabama vs. Garrett case.

MCIL will work to continue the empowerment of people with disabilities by assertive self-advocacy training. These consumers will strengthen the independent living movement by actively fighting back to regain the momentum of the ADA.