Marin Center for Independent Living

03/16/2026

National Council on Independent Living Condemns Push for Guardianship of Veterans

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recently announced a new agreement with the Department of Justice that will allow federal attorneys to pursue guardianship or conservatorship for certain Veterans who are deemed unable to make their own medical decisions and who lack family or a representative.

The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), a disability-led national organization, condemns this move.

Independent Living is grounded in the unwavering belief that all people with disabilities, including Veterans, must have the right to make decisions about their own lives. We have a long and troubling history showing that guardianship (and conservatorship) denies people those rights — the most basic civil and human rights.

In its recent move, the Veterans Administration has dressed this up in bureaucratic language. In fact, the proposed policy creates a pathway for the federal government to take away the civil rights of disabled Veterans.

Read the VA press release: https://bit.ly/3PnJ20N

Guardianship is not a supportive service. It is one of the most extreme legal actions that can be taken against a person when many, less restrictive options exist. Once imposed, a Veteran can lose the right to make decisions about their own body, their own money, and where and how they live — making it nearly impossible to restore those rights.

NCIL considers guardianship to be a form of institutionalization; depriving individuals of essential freedoms, denying individual choice and personal expression, and making self-determination and self-direction impossible.

Read NCIL’s position statement: https://bit.ly/4unHNPg

NCIL does support less restrictive alternatives to guardianship such as supported decision-making and power of attorney. Both alternatives formalize the supports Veterans may need while ensuring that they are still able to remain in control and to direct decisions about their life. A critical distinction from guardianship — supported decision-making and power of attorney leave the power to revoke these supports in the hands of the Veteran.

Disabled Veterans do not need their rights taken away. They need services, including housing, peer support, medical care. They need services that help them build the life they want while preserving dignity and independence.

As a disability-led national organization, NCIL will continue to call out and fight policies that threaten the autonomy and civil rights of disabled people, including Veterans.

Veterans fought for our freedoms. They should not have to fight their own government to keep them.

August 25, 2020 NCIL opposes the use of guardianship for people with disabilities. Guardianship is the legal process that decides that an adult’s disability has rendered them “incapacitated”. They are...

03/05/2026

Come work for us at the Marin Center for Independent Living!

The Resource Development Associate is responsible for supporting Marin Center for Independent Living’s (MCIL)  institutional giving opportunities. This position is the primary grant writer for the organization, and supports the organization’s funding relationships to government, foundations and...

01/23/2026

01/14/2026

We're Hiring! Come join the Marin CIL team as a Community Care Navigator. Read more here:

Marin Center for Independent Living

12/29/2025

From the National Council on Independent Living

NCIL Statement on the Passing of Bob Kafka

The National Council on Independent Living mourns the passing of Bob Kafka, a powerful advocate and movement leader whose life and work helped shape the fight for independent living, disability justice, and community inclusion.

Bob believed deeply that disabled people belong in their homes, their communities, and at decision-making tables. His advocacy was grounded in action, persistence, and a clear understanding that rights are never simply granted; they are demanded, defended, and protected over time. His work reflected the core values of the Independent Living movement: dignity, access, self-determination, and collective power.

Bob’s leadership was widely recognized, including his receipt of NCIL’s Max Starkloff Lifetime Achievement Award, one of the movement’s highest honors. He joins a distinguished group of recipients who have fundamentally shaped disability rights, including Lex Frieden, Stephanie Thomas, and the ADAPT community. This recognition was not symbolic, it reflected Bob’s real and lasting impact on policy, people, and the direction of our movement.

Beyond titles or awards, Bob was someone who showed up. He spoke plainly, pushed hard when it mattered, and stayed engaged even when the work was uncomfortable or exhausting. Our movement is stronger because of leaders like Bob who refused to settle for partial inclusion or temporary wins.

As NCIL Executive Director Theo W. Braddy shared:

“With the recent loss of other prominent disabled leaders and voices in our movement, Bob’s passing leaves another giant void, one felt deeply not only within the disability community, but across society as a whole. Leaders like Bob remind us how much progress has been driven by disabled leaders who refused to be silent and who demanded better, not just for themselves, but for generations to come. His absence will be felt, and his legacy will continue to guide us.”

We extend our deepest condolences to Bob’s family, friends, colleagues, and the many advocates who learned from him, worked beside him, and were inspired by his leadership. NCIL honors Bob Kafka’s legacy and recommits itself to carrying forward the work he believed in so fiercely.

12/04/2025

December 3rd marks the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, as designated by the United Nations.

The 2025 theme — “Fostering disability inclusive societies for advancing social progress” — invites us to recognize those whose work has moved us closer to that vision. This year, Disability EmpowHer Network is taking this day to honor the life and legacy of a disabled woman whose leadership and advocacy embodied that theme.

Alice Wong, a groundbreaking author, activist, and champion for disability rights and disability justice, passed away on November 14, 2025. As the disability community mourns her loss, we also celebrate her life and unwavering commitment to amplifying disabled voices, advancing disability justice, and expanding the political and cultural visibility of disabled people. Her impact continues on and is reflected in the work that we do every day to support and uplift disabled women, girls, and nonbinary folks.

Thank you, Alice.

Photo credit: María del Río; Disability Visibility Project

Image Description: Purple text on a background adorned with stars reads, “Remembering Alice Wong on International Day of Persons with Disabilities; Thank you, Alice, for using your voice to empower the disability community, promote and advance the principles of disability justice, and increase the political and cultural visibility of disabled people.” In the center of the image is a picture of Alice Wong, an Asian American disabled woman with a tracheostomy at her neck. She is wearing a bright red lip color and a denim shirt. She is looking intently into the camera and the sun is shining behind her with a bunch of plants. The Disability EmpowHer Network logo is in the lower left-hand corner of the image.

12/03/2025

12/02/2025

Today is National Special Education Day
On December 2nd, National Special Education Day recognizes changes in federal legislation that led to the nation's first federal special education law.


Beginning in 1971, a U.S. District Court case in the District of Columbia, Mills v. Board of Education, ruled it unlawful to deny exceptional children, including those with mental and learning disabilities, publicly funded educational opportunities. Court cases like this led to the 1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act. President Gerald Ford signed the legislation into law on November 29th, 1975. The federal legislation required states that accept federal money to provide equal access to children with disabilities. In 1986, legislators added protections to support parents and educators in creating an education plan for children with disabilities. Then, in 1990, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was renamed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and improved access for all children with developmental delay. Through the years, the act has been enhanced to improve services and standards throughout the educational system.

12/02/2025

GivingTuesday is here! Please take a moment to learn about Matrix Parents at Marin Center for Independent Living. This whole family bilingual program merged into Marin CIL last year and is an important part of our organization - serving over 1000 families with disabled children in the North Bay, about half of them Spanish speaking families.

A GivingTuesday gift today will keep this program helping families with disabled children across the North North Bay!
Matrix Parents provides Special Education advocacy to make sure students with disabilities stay on track to get the accommodations they need to finish school and transition to adulthood. These services also provide parent peer support, through collaboration parents become better advocates for their children and families. Additionally, we are nationally recognized for our trainings attended by parents, teachers and paraprofessionals alike. Read More and Donate here: https://mailchi.mp/marincil/2025-giving-tuesday-day-five?e=b5d5a0ab65

11/30/2025

Inclusive Santa Toy Drive!

Help give children living with disabilities and their families a brighter Christmas season by donating new unwrapped toys under $20. Your support would make a huge difference.

Donations accepted by December 4th
New unwrapped toys under $20
Ages 0-14 years old

Drop off at Marin Center for Independent Living (Marin CIL):
7 Fourth St., San Rafael, CA

11/30/2025

11/26/2025

Happy Thanksgiving – Caregivers Are Family

This Thanksgiving people will gather at tables across the North Bay to reflect on the blessings of the past year with family and friends, which will likely include caregivers. Whether paid or not these essential workers don’t just give homecare or provide respite, they become our friends and an essential part of our families.

Please support Marin CIL's Caregiver Registry on Giving Tuesday - December 2, 2025 www.MarinCIL.org/donate

Read more here: https://mailchi.mp/marincil/2025-giving-tuesday-day-two?e=b5d5a0ab65