Center for Independent Living Gulf Coast

09/11/2025

🌟 Empowering Independence Through Assistive Technology 🌟
We are proud to partner with FAAST (Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology) as the Southwest Regional Demonstration Center (SWRDC)!
Through this collaboration, our community has access to:
✅ Free assistive technology demonstrations – try devices before deciding what works best for you.
✅ Device loans – borrow technology to use at home, school, or work.
✅ Training and resources – learn how technology can support independence in daily life.
Community-based services like these are essential in ensuring that individuals with disabilities, seniors, and their families have the tools they need to live, learn, work, and play independently.
💡 Assistive technology changes lives—and together, we’re making sure everyone has the opportunity to discover what’s possible.

09/09/2025

Are you or someone you know receiving disability benefits and interested in working but worried about losing those benefits or unsure how to get started?

Join us for an informative presentation that will help answer your questions and guide you through the process of returning to work while receiving disability benefits.

See the flyer below for more details and registration information.

09/07/2025

🧩💻 Mind the Gaps: Supporting Adults with Cognitive Difficulties 💻🧩
The Southwest Florida Healthcare Coalition invites you to an interactive virtual tabletop exercise designed to strengthen preparedness and response for adults with cognitive disabilities.
📅 Date: October 28, 2025
⏰ Time: 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM
📍 Where: Virtual on Zoom
What you’ll gain:
A scenario-based discussion to assess your organization’s readiness
Insights from regional partners
An After-Action Report & Improvement Plan with key takeaways
A Certificate of Participation
🔗 Register now: Click Here to Register
📧 Questions? Contact EmilyP@AllClearEMG.com

09/06/2025

🌪️📢 Southwest Florida Nonprofits — Are You Disaster-Ready? 📢🌪️
Join us for a FREE webinar on September 11, 2025 | 1:00 – 2:30 PM to learn how to:
✅ Build a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP)
✅ Keep services running after disasters or disruptions
✅ Access community resources to strengthen your resilience
🔗 Register here: Zoom Registration Link
Presented by:
Health Planning Council of Southwest Florida, Inc. in partnership with:
Southwest Florida Healthcare Coalition
American Red Cross: Community Adaptation Program
Center for Independent Living Gulf Coast
💡 Don’t wait until disaster strikes — empower your nonprofit today!

09/06/2025

🚑✨ The Future of EMS is Here! ✨🚑
Join us in Tampa, FL | Sept 30 – Oct 3, 2025 at the inaugural Innovation Conference for EMS (ICEMS).
This FREE event brings together leaders in emergency medicine and prehospital care at the cutting-edge CAMLS facility. Get a firsthand look at how groundbreaking research and technology are shaping real-world practice.
💡 What to Expect:
Hands-on TEE Simulation
Expert-led sessions bridging prehospital & hospital care
Networking with innovators transforming EMS
📍 Space is limited — register today: flcems.org/icems
🔗 Follow along on LinkedIn: Florida Center for EMS
📞 Questions? Call (813) 224-7870 or email flcems@usf.edu

08/08/2025

🧑‍🌾 Upcoming Webinar: Farm Stress Peer Support Programs
📅 Wednesday, August 13
🕑 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EDT
🔗 Register here: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/meeting/register/KTwe5ObTSLmYFZX11K6r6g #/registration

Farmers support farmers best. 🤝

Join us for a powerful free webinar showcasing three peer-led programs that are helping farmers tackle stress, reduce stigma, and build strong rural support networks—one honest conversation at a time.

🌾 Featured Programs:
✔️ NC Agromedicine Institute’s Farmer-to-Farmer: Confidential, peer-to-peer support for farmers by farmers
✔️ Farm Family Wellness Alliance: A multi-layered wellness approach including peer forums and professional resources
✔️ Farm First Peer Network: Vermont-based support connecting farmers with trained peer listeners

🎤 Presenters:
🔹 McKayla Robinette – NC Agromedicine Institute
🔹 Timothy Brennan – Farm Foundation
🔹 Leanne Porter – Farm First

📞 Questions? Call 800-825-4264
🌐 Visit: www.agrability.org/training-category/upcoming
📧 Email: agrability@agrability.org

🧠💬 Let’s break the silence and build resilience—together.

07/17/2025

🎓 Heading to college with a PCA? You’re not alone.
Join our 3-part webinar series “Bringing a Personal Care Attendant to College” and hear directly from students and parents who’ve been there. Learn how they funded, hired, and managed PCAs on campus — plus get real-world tips on housing, disability services, and more.

✅ Real stories.
✅ Practical guidance.
✅ Live Q&A with speakers.

Reserve your spot now:
👉

In this 3 part series we will highlight the experiences of current college students and their parents who have navigated this process. Learn about how they fund, hire, and manage their own personal care attendants (PCAs) on campus.

07/09/2025

Need support at work? Let’s talk about reasonable accommodations!

Join 's FREE WISE webinar on July 30 to learn:

What reasonable accommodations are
How they can help you succeed on the job
Tips for planning and asking for what you need
As a Ticket to Work service provider, we can help you understand your options, explore what’s right for you, and get ready to talk with employers. Register now:

Attend a free Work Incentive Seminar Event (WISE) online webinar to learn about the Ticket to Work program or Work Incentives.

06/27/2025

🎉 Celebrate the ADA with Accessible Mini Golf Fun! ⛳

Join FAAST & CIL Gulf Coast as we celebrate the Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with a FREE Adapted & Accessible Mini Golf Event for all ages and abilities!

📅 Friday, July 25th | 1 PM – 7 PM
📍 PopStroke – 5531 Six Mile Commercial Ct, Fort Myers, FL 33912

We're bringing the community together for a day filled with:
✅ Inclusive Mini Golf
🤝 Community Resources & Partners
🩺 FREE Medical Supplies
🧠 Mentorship & Support
🎉 ADA Celebration Vibes!

This event is 100% FREE—but space is limited!
📧 Email Travis Taylor to RSVP: ttaylor@cilgulfcoast.org
📱 Call or text: 239-788-5134
☎️ Office: 239-260-4575

Let’s honor the ADA and have a blast doing it!

06/12/2025

💬 Got questions about working while receiving SSI or SSDI?

💡 Join us for a FREE Zoom presentation and get answers to the most common questions, like:
❓ Can I earn money without losing my benefits?
❓ How do I report earnings?
❓ What are the limits?

📅 Date: July 17, 2025
🕕 Time: 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
📍 Where: Online via Zoom

🔗 Contact Jennifer Burr to get the Zoom link:
📧 jburr@cilgulfcoast.org
📞 (239) 284-6843

Presented by the Center for Independent Living Gulf Coast.
Let’s clear up the myths and get you the info you need to move forward with confidence!