Pennsylvania Statewide Independent Living Council (PA SILC)

Mission Statement

To use our collective power and legal mandate to develop and secure public policies that ensure civil rights and expand options for all people with disabilities in all aspects of life.

About Pennsylvania Statewide Independent Living Council (PA SILC)

In 1992, the Federal Rehabilitation Act Amendments restructured Title VII to set standards for Centers for Independent Living (CILs) and create independent (separate) Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILCs) which was followed by the creation of PA SILC. In 1994, Act 139 of 1994 was passed by the Pennsylvania Legislature and signed by Governor Robert Casey (Senior). This recognized the establishment and operation of a Statewide Independent Living Council to oversee the provision of Independent Living Services (ILS) primarily funded by the Federal Government. PA SILC was established in 1994 within the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (PA L&I OVR). It became a separate distinct non-profit organization (501 (c) (3)) in 1995. The organization is registered as a non-profit under both the Federal Internal Revenue Services (IRS) and the Pennsylvania Department of State (DOS) governmental agencies. In 2014, the Federal Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) passed which included reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act. Regulations were finalized and approved in 2016 which permitted SILCs to perform resource development as part of their organizational operations. In 2019, PA SILC created a Resource Development Committee to lead and guide these efforts. www.pasilc.org