After 25 years in the same Monument home, Army veteran Mark Maloney didn’t want a disability to determine where he lived or who cared for him.

Through The Independence Center’s Veteran-Directed Care (VDC) program, Maloney, 90, has been able to remain at home with his wife, near one of their children and her family.

“This would not have been possible if I couldn’t continue living at home,” Maloney said.

For many seniors and people with disabilities, independence is closely tied to identity. But staying independent doesn’t mean doing everything alone. The Independence Center helps people find the support, training and resources they need while maintaining as much control over their lives as possible.

SUPPORT FOR INDEPENDENCE

Founded in 1987 by Vicki and Ted Skoog, The Independence Center was created to help people with disabilities live more independently. Vicki, who became paraplegic after a car crash in the 1970s, found herself navigating a system that failed to provide the support she needed. That experience led the couple to build an organization focused on empowering others like her.

The Independence Center is one of more than 400 designated Centers for Independent Living in the United States. These nonresidential, community-based nonprofits are designed and led by people with disabilities to help others with disabilities live more independently.

Today, more than half of The Independence Center’s staff and board members have disabilities, giving the organization firsthand
insight into the barriers many clients face.

The nonprofit, located at 729 S. Tejon St. in Colorado Springs, serves more than El Paso County. Many of its services are available in surrounding counties, including Teller, Pueblo, Fremont and others, depending on the program. It offers peer support groups, one-on-one mentoring, independent living classes and help finding local resources. Classes cover topics such as money management, cooking, living well with a disability and self-advocacy. Its programs are designed to support independent living rather than assisted living, with an emphasis on problem-solving, self-advocacy and personal choice.

The organization also helps people continue living at home by allowing them to choose their own caregivers, including family members, friends or neighbors. Caregivers can be trained through The Independence Center and paid for their work.

Depending on their hours, caregivers may also qualify for benefits such as tuition reimbursement, access to the Employee Assistance Program and health, dental and vision benefits. Caregivers may help with dressing, bathing, toileting, mobility and other daily needs.

The Independence Center also provides services for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, blind or have low vision. Trained specialists help people use assistive technology such as video phones, screen readers and text-enlargement tools to communicate and manage everyday tasks more independently.

HELPING VETERANS

For veterans, The Independence Center offers veteran-directed care through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The program gives eligible veterans more control over how their care is arranged, including who provides it and how their care budget is used.

Maloney said he has greatly benefited from the program. He served in the Army for 22 years and became paralyzed about five and a half years ago. His doctor referred him to the Independence Center’s veteran program, where he began working with Rachel Schiller, 41, a VDC specialist.

Schiller calls Maloney once a month and visits him at home every three months. During those visits, she checks on his care and reviews his VA-provided budget to make sure it covers his needs.

“I love seeing veterans in their homes with their families,” Schiller said, along with the gratitude they have for the program. 

KEEP INDEPENDENCE WITHIN REACH

Scottie Bibbs, director of marketing and communications, said the organization’s goal is to make the process less overwhelming for people who need support.

“You don’t have to figure this out on your own,” Bibbs said. “The Independence Center is here to help ease the stress, confusion and frustration that often come with trying to find the right support and services.”

As a nonprofit, The Independence Center relies on public and private funding, as well as corporate and individual donations, to continue its work. Donations help support independent living programs such as life skills classes, peer support groups, self-advocacy, systems advocacy and other services that help people with disabilities live more independently.

The Independence Center also helps connect people with other organizations when its own services are not the best match.

“If The Independence Center isn’t the right fit for a specific need, our Information & Referral Team will help connect you to trusted community partners who can provide the support you’re looking for,” Bibbs said.

For more information or to donate, visit The-IC.org or call 719-471-8181.  

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