Due to COVID-19 our offices are closed and all staff is working remotely. To reach us, please call or email contactBCIL@bostoncil.org.
Information on the Outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
COVID-19 Information for PCA Consumers
Welcome to the Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL)
BCIL is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that has provided services to people with disabilities since 1974, when it became the second independent living center in the country. The organization was created by people with disabilities seeking full integration into society. BCIL accomplishes this by empowering people of all ages with a wide range of disabilities with the practical skills and self-confidence to take control over their lives and become active members of the communities in which they live. At the same time, BCIL engages in advocacy and community organizing to promote access and change within society.
Our Mission Statement
The Boston Center for Independent Living is a frontline civil rights organization led by people with disabilities that advocates to eliminate discrimination, isolation and segregation by providing advocacy, information and referral, peer support, skills training, PCA services, and transitional services in order to enhance the independence of people with disabilities.
If you suspect abuse or neglect of a person with disabilities, please contact the Disabled Persons Protection Commission hotline at 1-800-426-9009 or 1-888-822-0350 TTY (ages 18-59), the Executive Office of Elder Affairs at 1-800-922-2275 (ages 60+), the Department of Public Health 1-800-462-5540 (all Ages residing in Long Term Care Facilities), and the Department of Children and Families at 1-800-792-5200 (ages birth-17). The DPPC Sexual Assault Response Unit can be reached at 617-727-6465.
Click here to view the recent Updates to The Ride Program letter
Upcoming Events
Tuesday, June 2, 20204:00pm - 5:00pm
Join adaptive yoga via Zoom every Tuesday afternoon from 4-5 pm. Designed for people w/ chronic illnesses, recovering from injuries, & mobility impairments.... Read More
Wednesday, June 3, 202010:00am - 12:00pm
Virtual Housing Workshop Join us on the first and third Wednesday of every month to learn more about and how to apply for affordable housing options in your ... Read More
Tuesday, June 9, 20204:00pm - 5:00pm
Join adaptive yoga via Zoom every Tuesday afternoon from 4-5 pm. Designed for people w/ chronic illnesses, recovering from injuries, & mobility impairments.... Read More
Latest News
"But my hope, as new caregivers emerge en masse... is that society begins to dismantle the ableist infrastructure that impedes health- & that we as caregivers have the courage to do the sam."
ow.ly/TBC050zUWJL
image: outline of 2 faces facing each other
whdh.com
BOSTON (WHDH) - The Baker-Polito Administration announced Friday that Massachusetts residents who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits can purchase groceries online with electronic benefit...Caravan Protest at Tewksbury State Hospital
Sunday, May 31 12:30 - 3:30 pm
Meeting Point: Market Basket, 1900 Main Street, Tewksbury
Wear black if you can and bring a mask
Bring: 2 signs per car and your voice and energy!
Sponsored by Mass Act
Why Are We Here Today?
Mass ACT is protesting lack of transparency on the part of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH) and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) on the conditions in state-run, contracted, and licensed psychiatric units, as well as other congregate living facilities. Vulnerable people should never be allowed to be held against their will in facilities where no visitors are permitted and information about the conditions and actions of that facility are hidden from the public. Furthermore, we are demanding that the state take immediate actions to re-evaluate and let as many people as possible go from these institutions where #COVID19 is spreading like wildfire.
We consider this to be a matter of life and death.
Some Key Points:
Across the state, the psychiatric facilities with the highest rates of COVID-19 transmission are Vibra hospital (Springfield), Shattuck Hospital (Jamaica Plain), and Tewksbury State Hospital (Tewksbury).
The highest number of patient deaths related to any psychiatric facility have been recorded at Tewksbury State Hospital where they are still sometimes housing as many as 3, 4, or even 5 people per bedroom.
State officials have been very slow to respond to requests for information on transmission rates, deaths, and plans for correction, taking as long as three weeks to provide critical data or sometimes not responding at all.
In contrast to discharge plans for jails and prisons, efforts to release or transfer people being held in psychiatric facilities in MA have appeared minimal to non-existent.
Reports suggest that people’s rights (access to fresh air, potential exposure information, equitable access to PPE, access to the promised treatment particularly if held against their will, access to translators, etc.) are frequently being disregarded without consequence.
For more information or to sign our petition: tiny.cc/ACTnow or e-mail trolandbrown@gmail.com
Check this out!
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image: Sign w/ Google on it. Person walking on sidewalk in the background.
Google Offering New Tools To Help Those With Disabilities
ow.ly
Google is introducing new technology to simplify smartphones for those with cognitive disabilities and it's beefing up its map program to make it easier to know if destinations are accessible.