The Pennsylvania Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) was established in 1987 to comply with the federal "Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1986" (P.L.99-506). That law required each state to create a consumer-controlled advisory committee to the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation's Independent Living Program.
In 1992, the federal Rehabilitation Act Amendments gave SILC co-signing authority on the federally-mandated State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL). The SILC is a governor-appointed council and at the end of FY 2003-04 was comprised of twenty (20) members, all of whom are people with disabilities. In addition, the SILC has Ex-officio members representing the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), the PA Department of Aging, the PA Developmental Disabilities Council and the PA Department of Transportation.
As a cross disability council, a wide range of concerns and experience are represented and the SILC strives to focus on issues of importance to all Pennsylvanians with disabilities. The SILC holds public hearings annually, gathering ideas and input from people with disabilities from across the state, and uses that information to jointly develop the SPIL with OVR.
