Southeastern Minnesota Center for Independent Living

07/16/2025

National Survey on Health and Disability (NSHD), which is one of the largest national surveys that asks people with disabilities about their experiences with health care access, housing, transportation, health insurance, community participation, and other life experiences.

You may be familiar with the NSHD as this is the sixth time the survey has been conducted since 2018. Noelle Kurth and Dr. Kelsey Goddard from the Institute on Disability Policy Studies at the University of Kansas are the current Investigators for this research. Dr. Jean Hall was the Principal Investigator until her recent retirement.

We were asked to help reach people with disabilities and/or chronic health conditions to share their voice and experiences living as a person with a disability in the U.S.

The survey is open to anyone with a physical, mental, emotional or health condition who is over 18 years old – including those who may not identify as having a disability.

• The link to take the NSHD: https://kuhealthsurvey.org

The National Survey on Health and Disability (NSHD) is closing soon - but there is still time to share your experiences voice!

Take the NSHD online: kuhealthsurvey.org
or call: 1 855 556 6328

07/09/2025

🎮✨ Level up your summer at the July Adaptive Gaming Event! Join us on July 18th, 2025, from 10am to 12pm at Boundless MN for a high-score day of accessible gaming and epic fun. Whether you're ready to unlock new achievements or just want to squad up and have a blast, this event is all about inclusive multiplayer vibes! Don't miss your chance to respawn and connect—reserve your spot now by emailing semcil@semcil.org.

Let’s press start and make some legendary memories! 🚀🌟

07/09/2025

July is Disability Pride Month, and rather than highlight notable public figures as we have in the past, we'd like to share YOUR stories! Each week we'll highlight some stories submitted by our consumers, colleagues, friends and family here on our page, in their own words.

If you'd like to submit your own story to be shared, please send it to etaylor@disabilityrc.org or message us here on Facebook using the chat feature. Stories should be no longer than a paragraph or two and should focus on what makes you proud of yourself and/or your community. Creativity is encouraged, but please keep stories truthful, appropriate and free of profanities. All stories will be shared anonymously unless you specify that you'd like your name to be included.

This month is about taking pride in our community and our disabilities, and that's exactly what we'd like to do in sharing our stories here.

We look forward to hearing your story! 😄

07/02/2025

🎆✨ Happy 4th of July! ✨🎆

Just a little heads-up — SEMCIL will be CLOSED on Friday, July 4th, so our team can enjoy the holiday! We’ll be back to help you on Monday, July 7th.

Have a fun and safe holiday! 💖

07/01/2025

July is Disability Pride Month, and The Arc Minnesota invites you to be part of the First Ever Disability Pride Summit and Celebration in Rochester! While the events will be held in Rochester, they hope for regional participation and support.

You can learn more about the Summit through the Informational Sessions available on the Regional Quality Council Website: https://www.qualitycouncilmn.org/region-10. These lunch and learn sessions are hybrid, with watch parties hosted at Bear Creek Services (7/9), Ability Building Community (7/16), and RCTC (7/23). ASL and CART services will be provided to ensure accessibility.

The celebration will take place outdoors at Boundless Playspace and Activity Center in Rochester on July 26th — the 35th anniversary of the signing of the ADA. In case of inclement weather, the festivities will be moved indoors. For more details, scan the QR code or visit the RQC website above.

If you're interested in having a table at the event or know a disabled artist who would like to showcase their work, please fill out the vendor form here — note that vendor space is limited: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfOtj5NUs5TWAyMc_AA30ylZMEmIFN7teaPjZc3Oi502t7E5Q/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=116127874210425431360

Please share this information! We hope to see YOU there!

— The Arc Minnesota

06/23/2025

On Wednesday, June 25, The Visually Impaired Group of Rochester will have Jacob Metz as its special speaker. The event takes place in the SEMCIL conference room from 10:00 am to 11:30.

Jacob Metz, our city’s equity fellow will announce and describe the series of events planned for July, called the Disability Summit. This series of three virtual and in-person events will take place on the 2nd, Third and fourth Wednesday of July. Watch for broad public announcements for where to meet or how to join by Zoom or phone.

Various members of our city’s diverse disability community have for months been developing this first-of-a-kind event for our city. The event will raise public awareness about the legal history and the issues still faced by these communities. It further will propose solutions to city and state officials in a position to take action.

Join us if you can.

06/16/2025

SEMCIL will be closed this Thursday in observance of Juneteenth. We will reopen on Friday at 8am. Take care, and we look forward to serving you soon!

06/02/2025

Join us again at our upcoming Adaptive Gaming Event on June 13th from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM! This event is a fantastic opportunity for gamers of all abilities to come together and enjoy an inclusive gaming experience.

Participants are required to sign up for a 30-minute gaming session. With limited spots available, we encourage you to secure your preferred time as soon as possible!

Event Details:
• Date: June 13th
• Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• Session Length: 30-minute increments

To register, please email us at semcil@semcil.org or call 507-285-1815.

Please provide the following information:
• Best email for contact?
• What time slot would you like to be signed up for?
(Example: 10:00-10:30 or 11:30-12:00)
• How many participants (players) will be in your group?
• How many spectators (watchers) will be in your group?
• Are you willing to sign a photo release?

Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to connect and game with others in the community. We look forward to seeing you there!

05/29/2025

Save the date to come celebrate!

05/23/2025

🌟 In honor of Memorial Day, our doors will be closed. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to serving you again on Tuesday at 8am. Wishing you a safe Memorial Day!✨

05/20/2025

05/19/2025

🎮✨ Huge thank you to everyone who stopped by Boundless for our gaming event this past Saturday! Your energy and enthusiasm made it an unforgettable day. We're excited to announce that we'll be hosting more events like this in June and July — stay tuned for dates and details! Keep following us for all the latest updates, and we can't wait to see you at the next one! 🚀🎉