Greetings | The Center for Independent Living of North Central Florida welcomes you! If you have any questions about the center or the services we provide, please contact us at 352-378-7474. Our number again, is 3, 5, 2, 3, 7, 8, 7, 4, 7, 4.
If you’re a person with a disability who was impacted by Hurricane Ian, Disability Rights Florida may be able to help you with:
1) Information and Referral 2) Housing 3) Education 4) Employment and Transportation 5) Access to Healthcare and Home Health Services
For more information, visit: DisabilityRightsFlorida.org
Call: 1-800-342-0823 | TTD: 800-346-4127
There are 6 flyers total with detailed information about how Disability Rights Florida can help persons with disabilities with issues related to recovery from Hurricane Ian. Two flyers have information provided in English, two flyers in Spanish, and two flyers in Creole. Please visit DisabilityRightsFlorida.org or call 1-800-342-0823 ; TTD: 800-346-4127 for more detailed information.
Join us for the 2023 Disability Awareness Expo where you can visit over 30 vendors showcasing products, services, and resources for persons with disabilities. Free AIC Testing and Giveaways Sponsored by Alachua County Health Department.
WHEN: Wednesday 16th, from 10am – 2pm
WHERE: MLK Multipurpose Center (1028 NE 14th St. Gainesville, FL 32601)
If you have a disability and need an accommodation to participate in the Expo, please contact the Alachua County Equal Opportunity office by 7/24/23. Call 352-374-5275 TDD/TTY. Users: please call 711 (Florida Relay Service)
ID: Graphic includes the expo date, location, and information shared above. There are 4 icons showing different disabilities: a person in a wheelchair (blue), a person with a walking stick (green), a person with one leg and walking forearm crutches (purple), and a person with one arm. The Alachua County Florida and City of Gainesville Office of Equity & Inclusion logos are displayed on the bottom center as sponsors for the expo.
This past June continued to be a busy month for the FAAST Program! Last month, CIL Assistive Technologies Specialist, Claudia Avendano, represented the CIL and FAAST at two events, the Autism Awareness Resource Fair at the Lafayette County Public Library in Mayo, FL, and World Elder Abuse Awareness Day at the Senior Recreation Center in Gainesville.
The Autism Awareness Resource Fair helped families connect with organizations that provide services and resources for neuro-diverse individuals. The World Elder Abuse Awareness Day provided information and resources to assist Alachua County residents with preventing elder abuse and scams.
At both events, Claudia was able to provide information about assistive technology devices that can assist individuals with disabilities and the elderly, as well as various services at the CIL. As always, Claudia enjoyed speaking with community members and fellow vendors, and spreading the word about all we do for people with disabilities in our catchment area!
ID: Two pictures: The first picture is Claudia (left) and Bonnie Burgess with VR (right) standing in front of a light beige wall at the Autism Awareness Resource Fair. The photo has a purple background, Autism Awareness Resource Fair is written on the top left, FAAST is written on the bottom right, and the CIL logo is displayed on the top right. The second picture is of Claudia standing behind the FAAST display table to the right, at the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Event. The table is covered with the FAAST tablecloth, brochures, informational flyers and FAAST AT devices. The photo has a turquoise background, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day is written on the top left, FAAST is written on the bottom right, and the CIL logo is displayed on the top right.
We’re excited to announce that our Youth Social Group (YSG) will be relaunching in person here at the CIL, 222 SW 36th Terrace, Gainesville, FL 32606, every Tuesday from 5:30pm – 7:00pm starting July 18th! Our YSG is a space for individuals with disabilities aged 14-24. Come on by to meet new friends, learn something new, and take part in fun activities, such as art and games. We will kick things off with some clay pot painting and engaging icebreakers for our first meeting back together. If you have any questions, feel free to email amichael@cilncf.org or call us at (352) 378-7474 ext. 2056. Hope to see you there!
ID: Bright peach background bordered with yellow, orange, black, pink and turquoise floral and abstract shapes. Text on the flyer includes all the information shared above.
On Thursday, July 6th, the ILS group had their first outing since COVID! We met at the Oaks Mall in our patriotic colors and ate lunch together. All those who chose to wear red, white and blue had their name put in a bag to be drawn out for a prize. Andrew won! We then completed our Independent Living Plans for the next few months, as well as had some fun patriotic discussion questions to talk about! Everyone stated that they had a great time today!
ID: There is a graphic with 3 photos from the event. The CIL logo is displayed on the bottom right, in white. Top left pic: CIL consumers sitting at a table with CIL staff Christie. Bottom left pic: CIL consumers sitting on the other side of the table with CIL intern Stephanie. Right pic: CIL consumer Andrew sitting at a table wearing silly patriotic USA sunglasses.
This past week, CIL staff celebrated Independence Day with an indoor picnic to beat the heat, as part of our monthly Health and Wellness activities! CIL staff were able to enjoy grilled hamburgers and hot dogs with all the fixings for lunch, as well as Bingo, 4th of July trivia and a most patriotically dressed contest. Everyone was grateful for the extra-long break and had tons of fun taking silly pictures and spending time together. We hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July holiday!
ID: There are 3 graphics, containing 2-4 photos of staff during CIL’s indoor picnic. Each photo is numbered in correlation with it’s description below:
1. Picture of (from left to right) Claudia, Destini, Amy and Sada wearing patriotic headbands and hats, holding silly props and standing in front of a patriotic backdrop.
2. Group picture of Ocala office staff. Front row from left to right are Colleen and Lauren. Back row from left to right are Kevin, Andrea, Lucinda, Terri and Brandon.
3. Colleen cooking burgers on the grill wearing a lime green apron that says Grill Master.
4. Bingo winners (from left to right): Claudia, Christie and Ashlyn standing in front of a patriotic backdrop and holding their prizes of grilling tool kits.
5. Group picture of Ocala office staff holding up silly props to their faces. From left to right are Lauren, Colleen, Lucinda, Andrea, Brandon and Kevin.
6. Lucinda sitting at a table with her prize basket for winning the trivia contest.
7. Colleen sitting at a table, holding up her prize basket for winning most patriotically dressed.
8. Picture of Amy (left) and Sada (right). Sada is holding the prize basket for most patriotically dressed.
9. Picture of Amy (left) and Stephanie (right). Stephanie is holding the prize basket for winning the trivia contest.
10. Grill Master Myrtle holding open the grill and showing off the burgers and hot dogs.
Today, we celebrate the spirit of unity, independence, and freedom that defines this great nation. Let us honor the bravery and sacrifices of those who have fought for our freedom and continue to protect it.
Independence Day is a reminder of the progress we have made as a nation, but it is also a call to action. Let us work together to build a future where every individual has equal opportunities, justice, and a voice. Together, we can create positive change and foster a society that upholds the values of inclusivity, compassion, and respect for all.
From all of us at CIL, we wish you a safe and joyful Independence Day. May this day serve as a reminder of the incredible potential we have when we come together as a community. Let’s continue working hand in hand to create a better, brighter future for everyone.
ID: Image displays the American flag with “Happy 4th of July” written in blue directly beneath it. The background of the image is beige with white specs throughout.
We love our staff! Earlier this month, the CIL honored our amazing team with a well deserved Staff Appreciation Day, as part of our monthly health and wellness activities! For breakfast, CIL staff enjoyed items such as fruit, yogurt, granola, nuts and various breakfast bars. For lunch, staff were surprised with a fajita bar from Moe’s (Gainesville Office) and a taco bar from Mojo’s (Ocala Office). Several gifts and snacks with notes of appreciation were distributed to staff throughout the day, and everyone had the opportunity to earn some extra vacation time through fun lotto games. Staff were also automatically entered into a drawing for several gift certificates for manicures, pedicures, facials and haircuts! These certificates were generously donated from Marion Technical College, and we could not be more grateful to them for making this day extra special for our team! We appreciate each and every one of our wonderful CIL team members, and could not do what we do for people with disabilities without you!
ID: There are a total of 4 graphics, each consisting of a 2-3 photo collage of staff throughout the day. The first graphic also reads “Staff Appreciation Day!” A total of 14 staff are pictured throughout the collective graphics. There are different color variations, all including the colors of CILNCF: purple, blue, light green, light blue, and turquoise. The CILNCF logo is displayed on the last graphic, in white, on the bottom right corner.
Juneteenth, a powerful day of commemoration on June 19th, signifies the liberation of enslaved African-Americans. However, let us not forget the overlooked plight of disabled individuals who were denied freedom by the Emancipation Proclamation. While President Lincoln’s proclamation freed most enslaved African Americans in 1863, the journey to liberation was prolonged for many. Today, as we celebrate Juneteenth and it’s growing recognition, we must raise our voices for the forgotten disabled individuals who endured continued oppression. We must advocate for justice, accessibility, and inclusive societal structures that grant freedom to all. Let this day ignite our passion for a world where every person, regardless of ability, can thrive and embrace their inherent rights.
ID: Graphic has a red, green, and yellow geometric background. On the left is a silhouette of an African American woman, donned in a yellow and green head garment, and red and yellow hoop earrings. “Freedom Day” is written at the top. The quote “Whether it’s freedom to express, freedom to live, freedom to earn, freedom to thrive, freedom to learn, whatever it is, I want to make sure that I’m a part of these spaces and opening doors.” -Angela Rye, Social Justice Advocate is displayed in the middle. “19 June” is written at the bottom. All text on the graphic is written in white.
Our HSHT students enjoyed an end-of-the-school-year field trip to Jacksonville last week! The students attended a tour at J-Tech where they learned about the various programs offered including, automotive technology, diesel technology, HVAC- R, and marine & RV technology. They also toured the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta where they learned about the history of the Federal Reserve System. Thank you so much to J- Tech and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta for providing great tours and information about a wide range of career opportunities!
ID: There are 4 photos; each bordered with a variety of CILNCF colors (blue, light blue, purple, green, and turquoise). A white CILNCF logo is displayed in every picture on the bottom right corner. Picture 1: group photo at J-Tech Institute; Picture 2: tour of body shop at J-Tech; Picture 3: group photo at the Federal Reserve Bank; Picture 4: a small bag of shredded Federal Reserve notes.
