About RTCIL
Who We Are
The Research and Training Center on Independent Living is made up of a team committed to research that can be used to enhance Independent Living (IL) for people with disabilities.
Our mission is to further Independent Living for people with disabilities by collaborating with consumers on productive research and by using innovative methods to disseminate useful knowledge.
Our team is based at The University of Kansas in the Life Span Institute. We partner with researchers at other universities and professionals at a variety of other disability organizations.
Our Research
We conduct a wide range of research projects and use a variety of research methods and designs, including policy analysis and empirical research, as well as qualitative, group, and single subject designs.
The RTC/IL is the parent center for other RTCs, including the RTC on Promoting Interventions for Community Living.
Knowledge Translation
Our research is used in a variety of ways. We provide training in the field, disseminate our findings through conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications, share new information with policymakers for decision making, and create useful products for consumers and community-based organizations.
Our Products and Resources pages include results of our research.
Academic Training
Students, many with disabilities, who are committed to the philosophy of Independent Living are recruited to join the RTC/IL and to earn graduate degrees while they participate in research and development.
Consumer Involvement
Center staff work closely with consumers and service providers to identify their critical needs, then develop research and products that address these needs. This process ensures that our research and products meet real, as opposed to perceived, needs in the field.
Many of our research projects involve collaboration with Centers for Independent Living (CILs, also known as Independent Living Centers). Through these partnerships, we are able to test and develop programs that enhance the services they provide to people with disabilities, such as in our Health Access for Independent Living and Home Usability Network projects.
Funding
The Research and Training Center on Independent Living was originally established with funding from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), U.S. Department of Education (now known as the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Paralyzed Veterans Administration and other organizations have also supported and worked with us to better the lives of people with disabilities.
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The Research and Training Center on Promoting Interventions for Community Living (RTC/PICL) is funded by a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90RT5043). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this website do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
The RTC on Community Living is funded by a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90RT5015). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of its website do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, or HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.