Tri-County Independent Living Established Since 1978.
TCIL exists to promote the philosophy of independent living, to connect individuals with services, and work to create an accessible community, so that people with disabilities can have control over their lives and full access to the communities in which they live.
In 1972, the first Center for Independent Living was founded by disability activists, led by Ed Roberts, in Berkeley. These centers were created to offer peer support, role modeling, and informational resources to the disability community and were established, administered and overseen by persons with disabilities. By 1980, 29 centers in California had been established.
In 1978, a member of this original group, Willow Dean, a young woman who was blind, came to Humboldt County to create one such center here, Tri-County Independent Living. At the time it was known as the Humboldt Access Project, the group’s initial goals were to provide accessible transportation, assist in finding accessible housing or modify homes to make them barrier free, to act as an advocate in financial matters such as Supplemental Security Income, and to begin an attendant referral service.
Our Mission
“To promote the philosophy of Independent Living, to connect individuals with services, and work to create an accessible community so that people with disabilities can have control over their lives and full access to the communities in which they live.”