SVILC Headlines and Happenings

SVILC is proud to help launch the People First Silicon Valley Advocacy Support Group

SVILC welcomed about a dozen community members on Thursday, Aug. 19 for the first People First Silicon Valley Advocacy Support Group for people with developmental disabilities. This is a peer group opportunity where you can meet new people and learn from each other. People First believes, "If you get out of our way and we have the opportunity to gather power and knowledge over our own lifes, we will become strong and successful."

For more information about People First Silicon Valley, call 408-894-9041.

SVILC wants to thank everyone who participated in our First Annual West Coast Disability Pride Parade. You all helped to make it a huge success!

SVILC wants to thank everyone for their support of our First Annual West Coast Disability Pride Parade and Festival. Hundreds of people gathered the morning of Saturday, July 24th and marched down N. First St. exclaiming in solidarity, "Disabled and Proud, Say it Loud!" The parade was followed by a Festival that was a wonderful afternoon of community celebration for the 20th Anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Save the date for next year! July 23, 2011! But don't wait a whole year to come back. We welcome you to come visit us for workshops, advocacy forums, movie nights, or, just to hang out! We chose the 2202 N. First St., in part, because of the CommUNITY Pride room that is for you!

Transitional House has vacancies

SVILC has low cost rooms available for rent for people with disabilities. The private room rental is "transitional housing" for low-income persons with disabilities. The four-bedroom, fully wheelchair accessible home is located in the beautiful Santa Clara City "old quad area" served by VTA bus #60 (Los Gatos to Great America).

Qualified Applicants must be:
• Low-income by HUD standards (earning 0 - 50% of mean income)
• Have a disability that meets the ADA or Rehab Act standards
• Be able to live independently with or without a personal assistant
• Need transitional housing (maximum of eight weeks)
• Able to meet minimum tenant eligibility requirements
• Willing to participate in a Housing Plan with SVILC to locate and transition into long-term housing within eight weeks.

For more information click here.

Youth Leadership Program

SVILC has launched the first session of its newly established Youth Leadership and Outreach Program. We are ecstatic to be the first locally-based leadership training for youth with disabilities in California.

The program includes an 8-week training session that will teach the youth about disability history, disability culture, their rights under disability laws such as the Americans With Disabilities Act, how to handle disability-based discrimination and disability pride. The training sessions will repeat throughout the year, each providing its own “graduating class.” For more information about the YLP, click here.

SVILC has a new mission statement

After months of hard work by its Strategic Planning Committee and Work Group members, which involved full staff contribution and community input, SVILC unveiled its revised Values/Vision/Mission statement in April. Already the new VVM is receiving positive feedback and resonating with our community, particularly by those in the Independent Living movement.

Our values reflect positive disability identity, culture and pride, in addition to personal transformation that includes a defiant celebration of being a person with a disability. We also value equal access and equality, advocacy and diversity. For more information, click here.