3711 West 12th Street
Erie, PA 16505
PH: 814.838.9890
FX: 814.838.9779
Voice/TTY: 814.838.9890

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Voices for Independence

Site Updated: April 8, 2003

Voices for Independence is a non-profit grassroots advocacy and service organization of and for individuals with disabilities. Voices for Independence was formed by individuals with disabilities who felt that some of the primary disability service providers/organizations in Northwestern Pennsylvania were too paternalistic, lacked true consumer direction and consumer control, and thus were not satisfactorily meeting the needs and concerns of individuals with disabilities in our region. Voices for Independence incorporated in December 1993, and received its non-profit 501(c)(3) status on February 26, 1996. Voices for Independence is comprised of a majority of individuals with disabilities.

The purpose of Voices for Independence is to empower people with disabilities, improve the quality, independence, dignity, and control of their lives, as well as to promote a philosophy of independent living, including a philosophy of consumer control, peer support, self-help, self-determination, equal access, and individual and systems advocacy, as well as the integration and full inclusion of individuals with cross disabilities into the mainstream of American society.

We intend to improve our world by:

* Publishing a quarterly newsletter.
* Promoting the independent living philosophy.
* Creating a resource library.
* Enhancing independent living services.
* Establishing peer counseling.
* Creating educational scholarships.
* Creating a newsletter service for the disability community.
* Creating a speaker's bureau.
* Developing community resources to provide accessibility modifications.
* Developing an equipment exchange loan program.
* Providing individual and systems advocacy.
* Assisting individuals with disabilities to get out of nursing homes.

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