SVILC- Silicon Valley Independent Living Center

Empowering Our Community Is Key To Our Mission

Silicon Valley Independent Living Center (SVILC) is a cross-disability, intergenerational, and multicultural disability justice organization that creates fully inclusive communities that value the dignity, equality, freedom and worth of every human being. We do this by building disability identity, culture and pride; creating opportunities for personal and community transformation; and partnering with others to ensure that civil and human rights are protected.

SVILC is a non-profit organization which serves people with disabilities in Santa Clara County, California. SVILC provides people with disabilities the support and tools needed to live interdependently, and advocates for policies that ensure equal access and opportunity for all. SVILC is a community-member driven nonprofit organization run by and for people with disabilities. A majority of SVILC’s staff and Board are people with disabilities. We operate under the philosophy that people with disabilities should have the same civil rights, options and control over our lives as people without disabilities.

The organizational values of SVILC reflect positive disability identity, culture and pride, in addition to personal transformation that includes a defiant celebration of being a person with a disability. We also value equal access and equality, advocacy and diversity. These values guide our vision, which is a world with intergenerational, informed and interdependent communities, where all difference is valued, disability pride exists, and people have a deep sense of shared values, responsibility, and where the economic system doesn't define and drive the community.

Our vision is a world with intergenerational, informed, interdependent communities where:

All difference is valued;
People have authentic relationships and are able to challenge each other in loving, respectful ways;
Disability is seen as a natural and beautiful part of human diversity;
Disabled people embrace their whole selves; are proud, are powerful, and have opportunities, and equal rights to create positive change;
People have a deep sense of shared values, responsibility, vigilance, choice, connection with others, and possibly for changing ourselves and society;
Allies and their contributions are valued; and
The economic system doesn’t define and drive the community (where we have community members, not “consumers,” and our community is not based on the values of a capitalist system).

SVILC Values

Our values are our foundation: knowing our values helps us to remain stable during times of change.
Values help us to focus and make decisions about what to do or not to do with our resources, time and energy.
We each have the individual and collective ability to make choices based on these values.
Reflecting on our values allows us to go through deep philosophical and personal transformation, be true to ourselves and each other. By stating these values we model to community members (formerly called “consumers”) and others how to say: “this is what is important to us” or “this is what is aligned with our goals and actions.”
Making sure we are clear on our values is an important part of doing intergenerational, community-based work. All generations challenge us to create new visions and values based on fresh ideas, experience, and historical perspective.
Our values help to counter the misperception that Centers for Independent Living are medical facilities where people live.
Our values will continue to evolve as we grow and change. We will review these values annually and make sure that we are living by them.

To download a PDF of our Mission, Vision, Values, click HERE.