SVILC was founded in 1976, by a small group of people with disabilities, as an Independent Living Center in San Jose.

Independent living is both a philosophy and a goal which states that people with disabilities should have the same civil rights, options, and control over their lives as people without disabilities. SVILC is one of 29 Consumer-driven Independent Living Centers (ILCs) in California.

In 1997 SVILC expanded services to southern Santa Clara County to better meet the needs of Consumers in this large geographic area. Today SVILC Consumers are served by a Main Office in San Jose and a Branch Office in Gilroy.