State Plan for Independent Living
Every three years states are required to submit a State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL) by the United States Department of Education Rehabilitation Services Administration. The 2011-2013 plan is available on the Documents Page. The 2008-2011 is archived there also.
Development of the new plan takes place throughout the final (third) year of the current SPIL. Having just completed the 2011 - 2013 plan the next to be developped will be the 2014 - 2016 plan beginning in the fall of 2012.
- The purpose of the state plan is to describe how the state’s network of independent living programs and services will meet the independent living needs of persons with disabilities in the state for the next three years.
- The plan must address how federal, state and other funds will be used within the state to develop and maintain an IL program.
- Under the reauthorized Rehabilitation Act Amendments, the state plan for independent living is to be jointly developed by;
- The Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC).
- The designated state unit (DSU)(Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission).
- The (VR) agency, that is the "designated state unit" for Title I for basic vocational rehabilitation services the blind (Massachusetts Commission for the Blind).
- The SILC and state agencies are considered equal partners in the development of the SPIL. Once the final draft is completed they must submit it, along with any required information on RSA's "pre-print" plan form by July 1.
In Massachusetts, the process of receiving input and writing our 2011 - 2013 SPIL began in January of 2010 with a series of meetings and public hearings. More information on the SPIL development process is available online or by contacting the SILC office.
