Independent living center services are tailored to each individual’s needs and desires. Independent living centers do not provide rehabilitative services, However, independent living centers cooperate with rehabilitation services through trainings and partnerships, to ensure that rehabilitation specialists use a rights-based approach to their services. A consumer should be understood as any person with any type of disability, including people with significant disabilities, with no limitation of age, who is using independent living services. Consumer control over independent living centers should be understood as the means by which the center gives authority and power to persons with disabilities in respect to the independent living services they wish to use. This is often not the case with other types of providers such as medical or rehabilitation professionals. This sets the independent living centers apart from other providers.
Core services of independent living centers should be understood to include:
Information and referral services:
This service provides accessible information and referral services where consumers are given accurate and useful resources. Specialists ensure consumers receive the services they need by following up.
Peer support and mentorship:
This service assists consumers with learning self-advocacy skills and learn from others with lived experience.
Independent living skills training:
This service teaches consumers the skills they need to increase independence. This could be adjusting to their disability, learning day to day activities like food prep, budgeting, household chores, employment skills, etc.
Individual and systemic advocacy:
This service provides individual advocacy to assist consumers with overcoming barriers to independence and systems advocacy to help build a truly inclusive and accessible Armenia that promotes disability rights and inclusion.
Non-core services:
Services alongside the core services of independent living centers can be flexible based on the needs of the community (for example, interpretation services of the Armenian sign language)