Independent Living Services

What are Independent Living Services?

Independent living (IL) services help people with disabilities achieve greater independence in the home and community.

As of Aug. 31, 2016, all IL services have been outsourced to and are provided by centers for independent living (CILs), which are located across the state. CILs are nonresidential, private, nonprofit organizations that help people with disabilities achieve their independent living goals.

Learn more about the outsourcing of IL services.

Who Can Get Help?

You may be eligible for independent living services if you:

  • Have a disability that results in substantial barriers to your ability to live independently.
  • Are determined able to benefit from services.

People with Vision-Related Disabilities

  • Blindness
  • Significant visual impairments
  • Deafblindness

People with General Disabilities

  • Behavioral and mental health conditions
  • Hearing impairments, including deafness
  • Alcoholism or drug addiction
  • Intellectual, learning and developmental disabilities
  • Physical disabilities

What Type of Services can I Receive?

Independent living services help you:

  • Live and accomplish daily tasks more independently
  • Participate in your favorite activities
  • Improve communication access and ability
  • Improve transportation access and mobility
  • Gain a better understanding of your disability
  • Increase confidence in your abilities
  • Increase access to the community and participation in society

Core Services

You may be eligible to receive the following core services from any of the 27 Texas centers for independent living:

  • Information and referral – get help accessing the information and resources you need to achieve your goals.
  • IL skills training – receive training in specific everyday skills essential to living independently, such as meal preparation.
  • Counseling – get a better understanding of your disability and help setting and reaching your goals.
  • Advocacy – receive training in self-advocacy skills and receive assistance advocating for accommodations, equal access, and other rights.
  • Transition services – receive help moving from nursing homes and other institutions to home and community-based residences, or help transitioning from high school to employment and post-secondary education opportunities.

Additional Services

You also may be eligible to receive the following services from CILs that have contracted with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to provide them:

  • Counseling – receive assistance adjusting to your disability.
  • Orientation and mobility – learn how to navigate without vision
  • Recreation and socialization – take advantage of opportunities to stay active and develop confidence in social settings
  • Rehabilitation technologies – receive assistive devices such as wheelchairs, artificial limbs, hearing aids, or vehicle modifications
  • Examinations – receive assistance with eye and other required examinations

People 55 and older who are blind

Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind (IL-OIB) helps people 55 and older who have significant visual impairments live independently in the home and community. These services are coordinated with the Texas Workforce Commission.

Where Do I Call to Get These Services?

If you are a person with a disability or a family member, contact your local center for independent living to learn more about services and determine if you are eligible.

Use the directories below to find location and contact information for centers for independent living that provide independent living services to eligible Texans with disabilities.

CILs Providing Core Services

Brazos Valley Center for Independent Living

1869 Briarcrest Drive
Bryan, TX 77802
www.bvcil.org
Phone: 979-776-5505
Email: jpacha@bvcil.org

Counties served: Brazos, Burleson, Grimes, Madison, Robertson, Walker and Washington

East Texas Center for Independent Living

4713 Troup Hwy.
Tyler, TX 75703
www.etcil.org
Phone: 903-581-7542
Toll free: 1-877-581-8289
Email: jnichols@etcil.org

Counties served: Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Delta, Fannin, Franklin, Gregg, Harrison, Hopkins, Hunt, Kaufman, Lamar, Marion, Morris, Rains, Red River, Rusk, Smith, Titus, Upshur, Van Zandt and Wood

Heart of Central Texas Independent Living Center

222 E. Central Ave.
Belton, TX 76513
www.hoctilc.org/
Phone: 254-933-7487
Toll free: 1-800-326-4921

Counties served: Bell, Bosque, Coryell, Falls, Hamilton, Hill, Limestone, McLennan, Mills and Navarro.

Mounting Horizons Center for Independent Living

4700 Broadway Ave.
Suite E100
Galveston, TX 77551
mhitx.org
Phone: 409-356-4809
Email: info@mhitx.org 

Counties served: Galveston

REACH Center for Independent Living (Dallas)

8625 King George Drive
Suite 210
Dallas, TX 75235
www.reachcils.org
Phone: 214-630-4796
TTY: 214-630-5995
Email: reachftw@reachcils.org

REACH Center for Independent Living (Denton)

404 South Elm St.
Suite 202
Denton, TX 76201
www.reachcils.org
Phone: 940-383-1062 V/TDD
Email: reachftw@reachcils.org

REACH Center for Independent Living (Fort Worth)

1000 Macon St.
Suite 200
Fort Worth, TX 76102
www.reachcils.org
Phone: 817-870-9082 V/TDD
Email: reachftw@reachcils.org

REACH Center for Independent Living (Plano)

720 E. Park Blvd.
Suite 104
Plano, TX 75074
www.reachcils.org
Phone: 972-398-1111
Email: reachftw@reachcils.org

RISE Center

755 South 11th St.
Suite 101
Beaumont, TX 77701
www.risecil.org
Phone: 409-832-2599 V/TTY
Email: jbrocato@risecil.org

Counties served: Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Newton and Orange

CILs Providing Core and Additional Contracted Services

ABLE Center for Independent Living

4803 Plaza Blvd.
Suite 401
Odessa, TX 79762
www.ablecenterpb.org
Phone: 432-580-3439 V/TTY

Counties served: Andrews, Crane, Ector, Glasscock, Howard, Loving, Martin, Midland, Pecos, Reeves, Terrell, Upton, Ward and Winkler

ARCIL

525 Round Rock West Drive
Suite A120
Round Rock, TX 78681
arcilinc.org
Phone: 512- 828-4624 V/TDD

618 S. Guadalupe St.
Suite 103
San Marcos, TX 78666
arcilinc.org
Phone: 512-396-5790 V/TTY

825 E. Rundberg Lane
Suite E6
Austin, TX 78753
arcilinc.org
Phone: 512-832-6349 V/TTY

Counties served: Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Collin, Cooke, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Fayette, Grayson, Hays, Hood, Johnson, Lampasas, Lee, Llano, Milam, Montague, Parker, Rockwall, San Saba, Tarrant, Travis, Williamson and Wise

Brazoria Center for Independent Living

1104 D E. Mulberry St.
Angleton, TX 77515
www.hcil.cc/
Phone: 979-849-7060 V/TTY
Toll free: 1-888-872-7957
Email: houstoncil@yahoo.com

Counties served: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Harris, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Waller and Wharton

Coastal Bend Center for Independent Living

1537 7th St.
Corpus Christi, TX 78404
cbcil.org
Phone: 361-883-8461 V/TTY
Toll free: 1-877-988-1999

Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Duval, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Live Oak, McMullan, Nueces, Refugio and San Patricio

Crockett Resource Center for Independent Living

1020 E. Loop 304
Crockett, TX 75835
www.crockettresourcecenter.org
Phone: 936-544-2811 V/TTY
Toll free: 1-800-784-8710

Counties served: Anderson, Angelina, Bowie, Brazos, Burleson, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Delta, Fannin, Franklin, Freestone, Gregg, Grimes, Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, Houston, Hunt, Kaufman, Lamar, Leon, Madison, Marion, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Polk, Rains, Red River, Robertson, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Smith, Titus, Trinity, Tyler, Upshur, Van Zandt, Walker, Washington and Wood

Disability Connections (A CIL of LIFE Inc.)

2809 Southwest Blvd.
San Angelo, TX 76904
www.dcciltx.org
Phone: 325-227-6624 V/TDD

Counties served: Coke, Concho, Crockett, Irion, Kimble, Mason, Menard, McCulloh, Reagan, Runnels, Schleicher, Sterling, Sutton and Tom Green

Disability in Action

317 N. Willis St.
Abilene, TX 79603
www.disabilityinaction.org
Phone: 325-672-5460
Email: info@nwucil.org

Counties served: Archer, Baylor, Brown, Callahan, Clay, Coleman, Comanche, Eastland, Erath, Fisher, Haskell, Jack, Jones, Knox, Mitchell, Nolan, Palo Pinto, Scurry, Shackelford, Somervell, Stephens, Stonewall, Taylor, Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger and Young

Fort Bend Center for Independent Living

12946 Dairy Ashford Road
Suite 110
Sugar Land, TX 77478
www.hcil.cc
Phone: 281-980-2219 V/TTY
Email: houstoncil@yahoo.com

Counties served: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Harris, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Waller and Wharton

Houston Center for Independent Living

6201 Bonhomme Road
Suite 150 S.
Houston, TX 77036
www.hcil.cc/
Phone: 713-974-4621 V/TTY

Counties served: Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Hardin, Harris, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Newton, Orange, Waller and Wharton

LIFE/RUN

8240 Boston Ave.
Lubbock, TX 79423
www.liferun.org
Phone: 806-795-5433 V/TTY

Counties served: Bailey, Borden, Cochran, Coke, Concho, Cottle, Crockett, Crosby, Dawson, Dickens, Floyd, Foard, Gaines, Garza, Hale, Hardeman, Hockley, Irion, Kent, Kimble, King, Lamb, Lubbock, Lynn, Mason, McCullen, Menard, Motley, Reagan, Runnels, Schleicher, Sterling, Sutton, Terry, Tom Green and Yoakum

Palestine Resource Center for Independent Living

421 Avenue A
Palestine, TX 75801
www.palestineresourcecenter.org
Phone: 903-729-7505 V/TTY
Toll free: 1-888-326-5166

Counties served: Anderson, Angelina, Freestone, Henderson, Houston, Leon, Nacogdoches, Panola, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity and Tyler

Panhandle Independent Living Center

417 W. 10th Ave.
Amarillo, TX 79101
www.panhandleilc.org
Phone: 806-374-1400

Counties served: Armstrong, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Collingsworth, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Donley, Gray, Hall, Hansford, Hartley, Hemphill, Hutchison, Lipscomb, Moore, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Roberts, Sherman, Swisher and Wheeler

San Antonio Independent Living Services

1028 South Alamo St.
San Antonio, TX 78210
www.sailstx.org
Phone: 210-281-1878 V/TTY

Counties served: Atascosa, Bandera, Bell, Bexar, Bosque, Calhoun, Comal, Coryell, DeWitt, Dimmitt, Edwards, Falls, Frio, Gillespie, Goliad, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Hamilton, Hill, Jackson, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Kinney, La Salle, Lavaca, Limestone, Maverick, McLennan, Medina, Mills, Navarro, Real, Uvalde, Val Verde, Victoria, Wilson and Zavala

Valley Association for Independent Living

1824 W. Jefferson Ave.
Suite B
Harlingen, TX 78550
Phone: 956-428-1126 V/TDD

1419 Corpus Christi St.
Laredo, TX 78040
Phone: 956-523-1411 V/TTY

3016 N. McColl Road
Suite B
McAllen, TX 78501
Phone: 956-668-8245 V/TTY

Counties served: Cameron, Hidalgo, Jim Hogg, Starr, Webb, Willacy and Zapata

Volar Center for Independent Living

1220 Golden Key Circle
Suite C
El Paso, TX 79925
www.volarcil.org
Phone: 915-591-0800 V/TDD

Brewster, Culberson, El Paso, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis and Presidio

Where Can I Learn More?

For questions about independent living services contact your local CIL, listed above.