About Our Organization
WHO ARE WE
Vision
To advocate for a fully accessible society.
Mission
Harlem Independent Living Center (HILC) is a disability-focused organization that advocates for community change and empowers people to be independent.
Objective
The Center’s objective is to provide an array of independent living services to persons with disabilities to increase their ability to function independently within their community. The Center is a community-based, non-residential, non-medical, consumer-controlled organization that provides a “peer” approach to services, i.e., a place where people with disabilities frequently assist their peers.
How We Started
Prior to May 1990, individuals with disabilities in Harlem and surrounding areas lacked access to the independent living services readily available in other parts of New York City. To address this inequality, the Harlem Independent Living Center (HILC) was incorporated on May 31st, 1990.
HILC was founded with the guidance of Harlem Hospital Center, the Building Bridges Rehabilitation Task Force, the Office of Adult Career and Continuing Education Services-Vocational Rehabilitation (ACCES-VR), and others. Established with a US Rehabilitation Services Administration Title VII, Part B grant, HILC operates under the oversight of ACCES-VR to ensure responsiveness to consumer needs.
MEET OUR AWESOME TEAM
Yaw Appiadu, MPH
Executive Director
Yaw Appiadu is an advocate and a community leader with years of experience working to move the independent living...
