Maybe this is going to be an exercise in writing about ideals. I mean the real world is shaped by forces we can't control, but maybe also we could get some good feedback from others about what we propose so that both of us get a better sense of what we could do together.
Doyle Saylor ------------------
It isn't an exercise in ideals, but a measure of how much was destoryed by the entire sweep of conservative and reactionary attacks on social service programs.
Excuse the trip down memory lane (1972-83/4). The way CIL worked was through a series of grants and contracts with the fed, state, county, and city. The services provided were attendent training and referral, housing referral and modification, school aid training and referral, wheelchair fabrication, modification and repair, van modification and repair, and on call transportation, as well as a series of standard routes (para-transit)
The service components also included benefit advocacy and counseling for the full range of health and welfare systems from VA to SSI and so on. Also available were a variety of peer counselling groups centered on various issues from independent living, sex and family, parents, children, and so on. In less tangible terms but still service oriented, there were legal, political and policy sections that corresponded to the various government divisions in the city, the county, state, and fed. Some of these sections broke off from the main CIL organization as they recieved their own grants and contracts--DREADF was one of these. Later, as CIL disintegrated through being starved to death for money, many of the political and policy people created WID.
The orginal CIL organization set up was basically integrated disabled and able bodied with the obvious division falling along the line of who could physically do what. Most of the administration was disabled. It was of course racially integrated--although this was still an on-going issue since most of the minority people who were managers were in services components rather than policy making, and the higher up in the hierarchy.
Well, you get the idea. It was big and comprehensive and created a platform and presence in the community, as well as in government. There was nothing incompatiable with any of the progressive movements or ideals of the period.
Gotta go to work,
Chuck Grimes