Centers for Independent Living: Disability-Led Help to Stay Home

Updated October 18, 2026 · By the Aging in Place Grants research desk · How we research

Centers for Independent Living are disability-led nonprofits that help with advocacy, housing, assistive technology and finding money for home changes.

At a glance

Key amounts (check the source for the current figure)
Number of Centers for Independent Living	More than 350 nationwide

What it can pay for

Help planning home modifications and finding funding (some centers also run or partner on modification programs)
Assistive technology information and loans in some areas
Help moving home from a nursing facility or hospital
Independent living skills training and peer support
Advocacy with landlords, agencies and benefit programs

Who qualifies

People with significant disabilities who live in the center's service area
Centers are cross-disability, so help cannot depend on having one specific type of disability
Older adults with age-related disabilities can use CIL services
Family members can call on behalf of a loved one, but the person with the disability is expected to take part in planning

How to apply

Find your nearest center with ACL's 'Find a CIL Near You' tool at dial.acl.gov.
Call and ask for intake. Explain what is hard at home and what you want to change.
Ask whether the center offers home modification help directly or partners with local groups that do.
Ask for help building a plan, including other funding sources such as Medicaid waivers or state programs.
If someone is in a nursing home and wants to go home, ask about transition services.

Watch out for

Federal independent living grant funds cannot be used for home repair, so many centers rely on partners or other funds for construction work.
Services vary widely from center to center.
Centers focus on helping you direct your own choices. Be ready to take part in planning, not just hand off the job.

Disability-led help close to home

A Center for Independent Living, or CIL, is a local nonprofit that helps people with disabilities live on their own terms. What makes CILs different is who runs them. People with disabilities hold most of the leadership roles.

According to ACL, about two-thirds of CIL staff are people with disabilities, and they hold 75 percent of decision-making positions ¹. Under federal rules, more than half of a center's board must be people with significant disabilities ³.

There are more than 350 CILs across every state and territory ¹.

Who can use a CIL

CILs serve people with significant disabilities who live in their service area ². They are "cross-disability," which means services cannot depend on having one specific kind of disability ³.

This matters for older adults. Many people develop a disability later in life: vision loss, hearing loss, arthritis, a stroke or trouble walking. A CIL can help, whether you were born with a disability or developed one at 75.

What CILs do

Every CIL offers a set of core services ¹:

Information and referral. Help finding programs and services.
Independent living skills training. Such as managing personal care, budgets and a household.
Peer counseling and support. Talking with someone who has lived with a disability.
Advocacy. For you as an individual, and for wider changes in the community.
Transition support. Help moving from a nursing home or other institution into the community, help staying out of one, and help for young adults leaving school.

Many CILs also offer extra services based on local need. ACL lists examples such as housing searches, home modifications and housing help, assistive technology, transportation, health care navigation and benefits enrollment ¹.

Can a CIL pay for home modifications?

This is where it helps to know the rules.

Some CILs help with home modifications. ACL lists housing modifications among the extra services centers may offer ¹. But federal independent living grant funds cannot be used for "home repair and disaster clean up" ². CILs often partner with local governments and nonprofits for this type of work ².

So a CIL may:

Run a modification program paid for with other grants or local funds
Partner with a nonprofit or city program that does the work
Help you apply to Medicaid waivers, state programs or VA
Lend portable equipment while you wait

At a 2023 federal webinar, one California disability organization described a "Fix It" program offering no-cost grab bars, transfer poles, portable ramps and railings, plus a lending library for ramps while permanent changes are planned ⁴. Not every center has this. But it shows what some do.

Transition help: going home from a nursing facility

One of the most valuable CIL services for older adults is transition help. If a parent is in a nursing home after a fall or illness and wants to go home, a CIL can help plan the move ¹. That can include:

Finding out what home changes are needed
Connecting with Medicaid waiver programs
Getting equipment in place
Setting up in-home help

The same service can help someone at risk of going into a nursing home stay home instead ².

How to find your CIL

Use ACL's "Find a CIL Near You" tool at dial.acl.gov ¹. ACL also keeps a list of centers by state.

Getting the most from a CIL

Go in with a clear picture

Write down what is hard now. "Can't get into the shower." "Can't use the front steps." "Can't reach the kitchen shelves." Specifics help staff point you in the right direction.

Expect to be part of the plan

CILs are built on the idea that people with disabilities direct their own lives. Staff will work with you, not just for you. Bring the person who needs the help into the conversation whenever possible.

Ask about partners

Ask: "Who do you work with for ramps and bathroom changes? What funding do people in this county usually use?" CIL staff often know the local system better than anyone.

What a first contact often looks like

Every center works a little differently, but a first contact usually covers a few basics. Staff will ask where you live, what is hard right now, and what you want to change. They may ask about your income and benefits, since that affects which outside programs you can use.

From there, a staff member may help you set goals, such as "shower safely without help" or "get to the car on my own." They may connect you to equipment loans, help you apply to other programs, or refer you to a partner that does construction. If the person needing help is in a hospital or nursing facility, say so right away, since transition planning works best when it starts before discharge.

How CILs fit with other help

CILs work well alongside Area Agencies on Aging, which focus on people 60 and older, and State Assistive Technology programs, which lend and finance equipment. For larger construction costs, look at Medicaid waivers, state housing agency programs, USDA repair grants in rural areas, VA grants for Veterans, and nonprofit repair groups.

Common questions

What is a Center for Independent Living?

It is a local, private nonprofit run largely by people with disabilities. It helps people with significant disabilities live independently through information, skills training, peer support, advocacy and transition help.

Can older adults use a CIL?

Yes, if they have a significant disability. Centers are cross-disability, so age-related vision, hearing or mobility loss can qualify.

Do CILs pay for ramps or bathroom changes?

Housing help and modifications are listed by ACL as services some centers provide. But federal independent living grants cannot be used for home repair, so centers often use other funds or partner with nonprofits and local governments.

What is transition help?

It is a core CIL service that helps people move from a nursing home or other institution back to the community, and helps people at risk of entering one stay home.

Do CILs charge for services?

Ask your center directly. Policies can differ from center to center and by service, especially for programs paid for with non-federal funds.

Sources

Centers for Independent Living — Administration for Community Living. Checked October 18, 2026.
Independent Living Programs FAQs — Administration for Community Living. Checked October 18, 2026.
Section 1: Definition of a Center for Independent Living (CIL) — ILRU (Independent Living Research Utilization). Checked October 18, 2026.
Partnerships to Increase Housing Stability Through Assistive Technology, Home Modifications, & Repairs (webinar slides, Aug. 7, 2023) — Housing and Services Resource Center / ACL. Checked October 18, 2026.