One of the many complexities within the network of centers for independent living is geography. In states like Texas and California, you can have dozens of center locations. In Rhode Island, that number shrinks to three, all run by the Ocean State Center for Independent Living (OSCIL). With two offices in Warwick and another in Pawtucket, the center supports approximately 500 consumers yearly.
“Covering the territory, you know, is not really a problem,” says associate director Beth Pinkham, “we find ways to connect with people. Our staff is working with people in the communities where they live.”
Until 2014 there was another provider in the state. Once they ceased operations, OSCIL took up the slack. This led to the opening of the Pawtucket satellite location in 2016, a decision Pinkham says was about letting consumers know they were close by to provide support. Outside of the key services of every CIL, OSCIL uses regular satisfaction surveys to gauge the needs and wants of those who access their offerings. One of the key pieces of OSCIL’s operations is a tech program which they offer in both English and Spanish. Pinkham says that the program, much like iterations of it in other states, is financed through CARES Act funding and is focused on connecting those who are isolated.
“So, we are currently working to get technology out to people so if someone has a disability, and is isolated, and can't connect with others can't do telehealth, things like that, we're going up to meet with them and looking at what type of devices will work for them. Anything from a laptop to [any] other kind of tablet, or, does somebody need desktop?”
The program involves OSCIL’s tech coach spending time with each participant to identify what the person’s lifestyle is as well as what their goals are. The center also offers a regular lunch and learn program where participants get to hear about topics currently impacting the disability community while also having time to socialize. Pinkham says that support groups have long been a part of the organization’s work, but that the pandemic has shown that people with disabilities in the state need more time to connect and speak about their concerns.
“One thing that did come into play with the pandemic is we really ramped up peer support, because we were really hearing clearly from people the need to be able to talk.”
For a state that, in 2019, recorded just over one million citizens, OSCIL’s staff estimate that they receive somewhere in the neighborhood of 6000 information and referral requests per year.
OCIL's mission statement:
The Ocean State Center for Independent Living is a non-residential , consumer-driven, community-based, cross-disability, non-profit organization. OSCIL was established in 1988 to provide a range of independent living services to enhance, through self-direction, the quality of life for persons with disability and to promote integration into the community. OSCIL is governed by an active Board of Directors comprised largely of persons having disabilities, who play a major role in setting policy and programming.
To learn more about OCIL's services, visit Ocean State Center for Independent Living.
In 2022 we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Independent Living Movement, learn more about the Barriers to Independent Living and what other CILs are doing across the country.