National Association of Independent Living.

The mission of National Association of Independent Living (NAIL) is to promote independent living for persons with severe disabilities. NAIL was founded by members of the National Rehabilitation Association (NRA) who believed that independent living (IL) concepts and practices developed in the 1970s, such as improving accessibility, providing supportive services, and facilitating control over one's own life, had great potential in serving persons with severe disabilities. They also were confident that IL concepts and practices could be used to enhance traditional rehabilitation practices. Finally, they were certain that the recognized and established rehabilitation community could further enhance independent living through their own professional and legislative capacities.

Today, NAIL provides many opportunities for people in both the general and IL rehabilitation fields. NAIL offers opportunities to learn about and promote new concepts and practices. It provides a bridge between rehabilitation practitioners--general and IL--and administrators who are committed to independent living. It also provides opportunities for all these individuals to play leadership roles in this growing field. Most important, it offers persons with disabilities and consumers of IL services a chance to work as a team with practitioners and administrators to facilitate independent living.

Historical Overview

After 7 years of planning, NAIL became officially recognized as an NRA division in 1980. Cofounders Lucille (Nickle) Newsom, Abe Jaffee, Richard Nichol, Lois Schwab, Charles Haines, and Walter George were from a variety of organizations and states. However, they had all long recognized the need for persons with severe disabilities to gain their independence and were aware of the severe physical and social restrictions that blocked the participation of persons with disabilities in society. They felt the need for free access and for affordable residential, transportation, education, and employment opportunities. At the same time, they faced the reality that persons with disabilities had to control their own lives if they were really to function independently.

The founders' desire was not to develop another organization but to work as a team with persons with disabilities who sought independence. Their dream was to create an environment in which all had equal opportunity.

In the early 1970s, NAIL's leaders were concerned about how their dreams could become reality. They formed an organization based on current philosophies (deinstitutionalization and normalization) and called it the National Congress for Homebound Institutionalized. This organization served as a springboard for NAIL. However, the organization underwent a number of changes. Newer philosophies and ideas were integrated to improve their knowledge base. New members were recruited to strengthen the organization. The outdated name was changed to NAIL. Members developed a set of bylaws and used the common organization model used by other NRA divisions. Then, NAIL began to operate like other divisions. They developed a mission and goals and began to act.

Over the years, NAIL's mission and goals were updated to reflect current developments in independent living. Some changes were reflected in NAIL's program and in a new logo.

The logo contains the initial letters of the National Association of Independent Living, NAIL. Three figures, reflecting various disabilities, join hands.

Mission

NAIL's mission is to encourage persons with and without disabilities to work as a team to facilitate independent living. This mission can be accomplished by improving community environments, removing barriers, creating new options, and enabling persons with severe disabilities to control their own lives.

The Goals as stated in the NAIL Bylaws are:

Goal 1. To promote the philosophy of independent living to help improve service delivery and community opportunities for persons with severe disabilities;

Goal 2. To promote ways to improve a community's social and physical environment;

Goal 3. To promote ways to enable persons with disabilities to control their own lives;

Goal 4. To support and advocate for the civil rights of persons with severe disabilities;

Goal 5. To promote research and site demonstrations that facilitate community improvement and consumer control;

Goal 6. To promote publication and presentation of current and innovative developments in independent living; and

Goal 7. To promote legislation leading to (a) removal of barriers and disincentives to independent living and (b) creation of opportunities and services for independent living.

Recent Activities

NAIL has played a significant role in advocating with the NRA with regard to both Independent Living issues and Rehabilitation issues. NAIL was intimately involved in the Reauthorization of the Rehabilitation Act of 1992. As far back as its Board meeting of 1989, NAIL began to develop a position that would bring increased consumer involvement and consumer control to the process of rehabilitation and to the development of more Independent Living services.

For example NAIL actively advocated for the development of a national network of IL Centers as the cornerstone of its advocacy for the Reauthorization. In addition, NAIL, through its president and past president were involved in the CCD (Consortium of Citizens with Disabilities) Reauthorization Taskforce. In fact, John Chappell, Past President of NAIL, was Co-Chair of the Independent Living Workgroup of CCD that ultimately developed recommendations which led to shaping what the Senate version of Title VII became. This Workgroup which worked from the Fall of 1991 until the Spring of 1992 also included Paul Spooner, President of NAIL. Paul played a key role during the deliberations and was instrumental in assisting the Workgroup in shaping a compromise bill that was supportable by all parties.

NAIL took the leadership early in the Reauthorization. NAIL was the group that first called for meetings between the various affected organizations. NAIL's leadership ultimately lead to the most sweeping changes made in Title VII of the Rehabilitation Act since its development in 1978.

NAIL has also been involved in many other activities including: holding annual trainings on key Independent Living issues in conjunction with the NRA Annual Meeting; providing outreach and technical assistance to many national and local organizations; and providing linkages for NRA to other national organizations interested in the issues of Independent Living.

NAIL continues to be a recognized leader and trendsetter on the subject of Independent Living. In conjunction with NRA, NAIL continues its support of the concepts and philosophy of consumer involvement and empowerment.

John Chappell has an AAS in Electronics Engineering from Old Dominion University and a BS in Electronics Engineering from Florida Institute of Technology. He is presently employed as the Deputy Commissioner for Independent Living and Consumer Involvement for the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission. He is a past president of The National Association of Independent Living Division of the National Rehabilitation Association, as well as a past member of the NRA National Board of Directors. He Co-Chaired the Reauthorization Work Group for CCD on Title VII of the Rehabilitation Act 1991-1992. John has been extremely active in a number of organizations over the years, both in his home state of Massachusetts and elsewhere. He was President and Co-Founder, Handicaps Unlimited, Inc., a local coalition of persons with disabilities, co-chairman, Developmental Disabilities Council, and board member and External Vice President and Co-Founder, of The National Council of Independent Living. A patent holder and the recipient of numerous awards, John was listed in Who's Who in Senior Executives in State Government in 1992 and 1993.