Disability Resource Center
Center For Accessible Living
Meeting the Challenge of Independent Living
Mission
The Center for Accessible Living is an innovative leader in empowering all people to achieve
their goal of independent living while involving the entire community.
Welcome
The Center for Accessible Living is Kentucky’s first Independent Living Center with offices located in Louisville and Murray
and services spanning the entire state of Kentucky.
The Center for Accessible Living (CAL), a private, non-profit
501 (c)(3) organization, is a disability resource
center for people with disabilities, governed by people with
disabilities. It operates on a cross disability basis, which means that
individuals will be served regardless of type of disability.
Our experienced staff provides information, advocacy and services that create opportunities
for people with disabilities to live as independently as possible. Independent living for people with disabilities means having
the opportunity and responsibility to exercise their right to control their own lives and make their own decisions.
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Do you or a loved one have a disability? We are passionate about
making our community a better place for people with disabilities. Please take a
minute to see some of our stories.
Our Commitment to Service and Outreach
The Center for Accessible Living is committed to being the premiere technical
assistance, information, and referral resource center on disability in Kentucky
and southern Indiana. We are
committed to the improvement of the community in which we live and the quality
of life of the people we serve. Our goal is superior service and anticipation of
the community's needs.
Through community education and individual supports and knowledge, people
with disabilities have increasingly become integral members of our community.
From individuals living with disabilities for decades to people who have newly
acquired their disability, people have been turning to the Center for Accessible
living for service, information, and support for almost thirty (30) years.
Core Services Include:
Advocates work in partnership with consumers to resolve incidents of discrimination and denial of services through mediation with governments, business, and
service providers. Advocacy also includes working for systems changes that reflect the needs of people with disabilities at the federal, state, and local levels.
Individual Advocacy efforts help consumers learn and
develop self-advocacy skills, provide assistance with the resolution of conflicts that impede service delivery, investigate discrimination claims, and
disseminate information regarding program services.
Systems Advocacy helps consumers learn to interact with appropriate social services, to understand the program reporting requirements and to encourage the
achievement individual goals, including employment goals, if desired.
The Center serves as a resource center and a clearinghouse of information concerning disability. Information and Referral provides the Kentuckiana area
with information about individuals with disabilities, the Americans with Disabilities Act, other disability laws, and individual access. The Center also makes
provides appropriate referrals to assist the community in learning about disabilities and disability related issues. CAL makes
information and Referral Services available to everyone.
Classes develop skills needed to help consumers learn basic and advanced skills to achieve self-reliance for a more independent lifestyle.
Classes include credit counseling, assertiveness training, adaptive cooking, mobility training, nutrition, homemaking, education opportunities, and
communication skills among others.
One-on-one and group peer support assists individuals with disabilities to help each other on a cross-disability basis. Peers
provide assistance and support to increase skills and knowledge that will overcome interpersonal, family, social, financial, interagency
and other disability-related challenges.
Assistance to people residing in nursing facilities who wish to move back to the community. Along with local partners, identify and assist people
to make an informed decision to move out of nursing facilities into the community
setting of their choice.
Other Cooperative Programs and Services Include:
Choices Navigator, the Work Incentives Planning and Assistance
Program is a funded by Social Security and administered through the Center for
Accessible Living to serve the western counties of Kentucky. The Center will
make available a Community Work Incentives Coordinator, a knowledgeable
advocate, to help beneficiaries and recipients to understand complex work
incentive program requirements.
This program helps SSI and SSDI disability
beneficiaries ages 14 through 64 understand their work options so that they may
make more informed choices regarding work. The program provides information
about Federal, state, and local work incentive programs and related issues.
As a part of this program, participants also receive information
about protection and advocacy services that are available without charge.
Available in both Louisville and Murray.
The employment program is for persons with disabilities seeking career
opportunities. The Center partners with private industry, government, and
education agencies to promote and expand employment opportunities for
individuals with disabilities. Available in both Louisville and Murray.
The Housing Coordinator maintains a computerized list to assist individuals
with disabilities to locate accessible and affordable rental units. Available in
both Louisville and Murray.
Removing barriers and creating equal access for people with disabilities are the central themes of the
ADA Outreach services. the ADA Outreach helps implement the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), a law that promotes full participation in society as well as
economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities.
The Center’s role is to disseminate information across Kentucky to individuals with disabilities and private and
public entities, including educational entities, in order to raise awareness about the ADA
as well as accessible education-based information technology.
The program enables eligible adults with significant disabilities to hire employees to assist with domestic, personal, and transportation needs.
This is a Kentucky State program, available through the Center in many parts of
the state.
The program manages the ramp construction for people with mobility impairments in the Louisville Metro area
only.
Consumers may borrow Wheelchairs, walkers, and other equipment. Available in
both Louisville and Murray.
A quarterly publication, Taking Charge, is a forum for community
dialogue on independent living, the Center's services and projects, upcoming
events and advocacy for disability rights.
You can subscribe to our timely and pertinent CAL News & Notes emails, new electronic quarterly newsletter, and other
CAL email groups.
You can also stay up to date with CAL news through the
CAL Facebook
page, Ning page and
CAL Blog which all have disability news, resources, and advocacy updates,
too.
Fee for Services Include:
The Center employs one full-time, certified staff interpreter and several
certified, professional freelance interpreters to serve the needs of individuals who
are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. Interpreters are available to travel
throughout Kentucky. Interpreters adhere to the NAD/RID Code of Ethics.
Whatever the situation, the Center has an interpreter to fill the need. Standard Rates apply. The
Center can also arrange sensitivity training for interested groups.
Staff provides ADA compliance consultation, conducts accessibility surveys
in public buildings, or architectural modifications. Non-profit and
government rates available.
Presentations educate the community concerning disability-related issues. Non-profit and
government rates available.
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