Texas State Independent Living Council

Get Connected Now

and Be a Winner at the Conference!

The 2012 Texas Statewide Independent Living Conference is a little more than a week away and the Texas State Independent Living Council wants to keep participants connected to updates and information. The SILC’s Facebook page is a way to increase the SILC's presence on this great social network.

The SILC would love for you to “Like” us!

What will liking the SILC do for you? It will keep you connected to news, updates, and stories that advocate for and demonstrate independent living in Texas long after conference activities conclude.

If you “Like” us on Facebook, you will also be automatically entered into the first of many raffles that will take place during the Conference. The winner of the special "Get Connected Raffle" will receive an awesome gift basket full of neat conference merchandise, as well as a special group of prizes donated by EA Games. (Hint: It may have something to do with video games.)

The winner of this great prize basket will be announced Tuesday, April 24 at the Awards Ceremony. You have from this moment on until April 23 to follow the Facebook link in this email or find our page on Facebook and “Like” us to win big!

2012's Statewide Independent Living Conference has many exciting opportunities for all participants to gain new knowledge and grow their skill-set. The SILC has worked hard to ensure that what is learned at the Statewide Independent Living Conference isn't forgotten and is, in fact, carried through to participant's everyday lives long after April 22-24th.

How can the Conference guarantee this?

By including a great group of talented speakers, who are experts in their particular niche of independent living, to capture your attention and leave a lasting impression that is bound to inspire positive change. The 20+ RFPs we received this year were phenomenal and packed with new information about legislation, state services, and issues pertaining to individuals with disabilities, their families, and the organizations which serve these populations.

By applying with Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners to offer Continuing Education Units or CEUs.  For some folks, keeping up professional development opportunities can be quite frustrating, especially when the content that exists is redundant or offered in a stale environment. The Statewide Independent Living Conference will engage your mind and spirit with fresh perspectives and current research.

By awarding a registration stipend to consumers with disabilities and their families who want to be the change that they want to see. The SILC was recently awarded a leadership and advocacy grant funded by the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities. This grant will be bringing 70-80 consumers to the conference with the goal of getting back to the IL philosophy's grassroots and developing advocates and leaders from the ground up.

Connect to information, knowledge, skills, and people by taking advantage of all that the Statewide Independent Living Conference has to offer and register today. It's never too late to get involved!

4. Shine a Spotlight on the Great Work of your Organization

Each year, the Statewide Independent Living Conference collaborates with a diverse community of vendors and partners from all over Texas to empower and ignite the spirit of independent living in Texans with disabilities. This year is no different! Not only are we expecting a 30% increase in conference registrations, we are planning to bring in that many more partners and vendors as well.

The Texas SILC took all of the feedback we received after last year's conference, reserved a bigger hotel, booked more expert speakers and presenters, and has enlisted countless resources to make sure that this year's conference would, yet again, set the standard for promoting the independent living philosophy in our great state.

Of the 20 community partners and 32 exhibitors who participated in 2011's conference, many are returning for another year and the list grows longer each day. This continued support means so much. It's not just a compliment to the work that we do in our fields, it offers a time and place to showcase how our organizations make a difference in people's lives.

The deadline to reserve a vendor booth is March 23rd, but there are many other ways that you can partner with the SILC and connect to independent living. We encourage you to visit our website or call us directly to talk with us about all of the different ways we can highlight your organization or business. While your support is greatly valued, the SILC takes all forms of sponsorship seriously and will do whatever it takes to get your mission connected to this unique and motivated crowd.

Click here to view the tentative agenda and to register