Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) Program
Community-Focused Model
Grounded in advocacy combined with effective research and high-quality training and technical assistance, the ILRU program at TIRR Memorial Hermann established the conceptual and programmatic framework for community-based services and has continued to support community living for persons with disabilities throughout its more than 40-year existence. The ILRU program at TIRR Memorial Hermann is led by Lex Frieden, regarded worldwide as one of the leading experts in disability policy and past chairperson of the National Council on Disability (NCD) and a past president of Rehabilitation International. The Co-Director of ILRU is Richard Petty, a national expert in community-based services, independent living and participant direction.
The ILRU staff works with independent living centers and other disability-focused organizations around the country to increase opportunities for people with disabilities to live more independently. ILRU does this through research, education and consultation, focused on these objectives:
- Promotion of the physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing of people with disabilities, which enables them to lead productive lives
- Promotion of communities free of physical, financial, social and communications barriers
- Promotion of social justice for people with disabilities
ILRU conducts research on community living for persons with disabilities through the Collaborative on Health Reform and Independent Living; ILRU’s Lex Frieden serves as a co-investigator for this national project conducting essential research into the impact of health care reform on working age adults with disabilities.
ILRU operates the CIL-NET National Training and Technical Assistance Center, the single national training and technical assistance program serving centers for independent living, providing training conferences and web-based instruction for staff and managers, as well as direct, on-location consulting to over 500 community-based programs. The CIL-NET also conducts research into effective practices for community supports which affect health outcomes for persons with disabilities and research into effective management practices for consumer-run organizations. ILRU also operates the SILC Training and Technical Assistance Center which provides consulting and training for statewide councils which facilitate independent living programs in the U.S. and its territories. These two training and technical assistance centers are funded through the Administration for Community Living in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Through its partner organization, The National Center for Aging and Disability, ILRU conducts research, training and consultation on community programs and services for persons with disabilities, older persons and those who are aging.
ILRU also serves as a comprehensive information resource on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Housed at ILRU, the Southwest ADA Center provides training, technical assistance and informational resources to employers, consumers, architects, businesses, media and disability organizations.
To help fulfill its mission of creating opportunities for independence through research, education and consultation, ILRU is funded through private foundation grants and grants from numerous public agencies, including the U.S. Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Labor.
Disability Advocacy
Founded in 1977, TIRR Memorial Hermann's Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) program has a long history of providing research, education and consultation in the areas of independent living, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), home- and community-based services and health issues for people with disabilities. The Director of ILRU is Lex Frieden, a nationally known advocate for persons with disabilities. The Co-Director of ILRU is Richard Petty, a national expert in community-based services, independent living and participant direction.
ILRU conducts research on community living and health care for persons with disabilities through the Collaborative on Health Reform and Independent Living; ILRU’s Lex Frieden serves as a co-investigator for this national project conducting essential research into the impact of health care reform on working age adults with disabilities.
ILRU operates the CIL-NET National Training and Technical Assistance Center, the single national training and technical assistance program serving centers for independent living, providing training conferences and Web based instruction for staff and managers, as well as direct on-location consulting to over 500 community-based programs. The CIL-NET also conducts research into effective practices for community supports which affect health outcomes for persons with disabilities and research into effective management practices for consumer-run organizations. ILRU also operates the SILC Training and Technical Assistance Center which provides consulting and training for statewide councils which facilitate independent living programs in U.S. states and its territories. These two training and technical assistance centers are funded through the Administration for Community Living in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
ILRU also operates the Southwest ADA Center, the leading resource on the Americans with Disabilities Act and related disability rights laws in the Southwest United States. The center is one of 10 regional ADA Centers funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).
Research Highlights
Community Living and Health Care for Persons with Disabilities: Through the Collaborative on Health Reform and Independent Living
ILRU conducts essential research into the impact of health care reform on working age adults with disabilities.
Co-Investigator: Lex Frieden, MA, LLD
Funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) since 2015, the Collaborative on Health Reform and Independent Living is a collaborative of leading researchers at Washington State University, University of Kansas, George Mason University and ILRU examining the impact of health reform on people with disabilities.
The Americans with Disabilities Act Participation Action Research Consortium (ADA-PARC); Advancing Participation Equity for People with Disabilities
Principal Investigator: Lex Frieden, MA, LLD
CO-Investigator: Vinh Nguyen, JD, MBA
Funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) since 2012, ADA-PARC is a research collaboration between all 10 regional ADA Centers across the country to look at participation disparities experienced by people with disabilities after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. ADA-PARC will build a web platform that will enable a user to query and compare levels of disparities in communities with respect to 1) access to accessible housing and other supports to live in the community; 2) levels of community participation and civic engagement and access to resources to participate in communities; and 3) economic, work and financial equity and resource access.
Southwest ADA Center
Principal Investigator: Lex Frieden, MA, LLD
Project Director: Vinh Nguyen, JD, MBA
Funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research since 1991, the Southwest ADA Center provides training and technical assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act in the federal region that encompasses Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The Southwest ADA Center will be researching barriers to access for people using service animals, the accessibility of employment wellness programs, employment and cancer issues, and the role of Centers for Independent Living in promoting disability access and the ADA.
Training & Technical Assistance Center for Centers for Independent Living
Principal Investigators: Richard Petty, MBA
Funded since 1994 by the Administration for Community Living and predecessor federal agencies, the T&TA-CIL project identifies best practices in management and programs for centers for independent living throughout the nation. The T&TA-CIL is the single national provider of technical assistance and training for centers for independent living, which are locally operated community-based organizations supporting community independence for persons with disabilities.
Training & Technical Assistance Center for Statewide Independent Living Councils
Principal Investigators: Richard Petty, MBA
Funded since 1994 by the Administration for Community Living and predecessor federal agencies, the T&TA-SILC project identifies best practices in management and approaches for statewide oversight of independent living centers and programs and provides technical assistance to the 56 state and territorial councils that lead independent living services in those states and territories.
Community Independence Strategies for Persons Who Have Experienced Polio
Principal Investigators: Richard Petty, MBA
Funded by the Memorial Hermann Foundation to study approaches used by people who have experienced polio to plan for and manage the community supports they require to maintain community independence. This project is operated with ILRU’s partner organization, the National Center for Aging and Disability at TIRR Memorial Hermann.
Aging & Disability Business Institute
Co-Principal Investigator: Richard Petty, MBA
This Institute of which ILRU is a key partner, is funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation and the Administration for Community Living to identify best practices in establishing and operating self-sustaining community-based programs for persons with disabilities. The Institute provides training, technical assistance, and other resources to advance these community programs nationwide. This project is operated with ILRU’s partner organization, the National Center for Aging and Disability at TIRR Memorial Hermann.
TIRR Empowered Advocates Mentorship (T.E.A.M.) Program
Principal Lead: Lex Frieden, MA, LLD
Co-Leads: Alexia Smalling and Megan Gillespie
The T.E.A.M. program is currently seeking mentees from 16 to 25 years old with a disability, preferably a spinal cord injury. The program will provide advocacy skills training and practical exercises in the community to mentees with disabilities that will enable them to be effective disability advocates in a twelve-week program spanning over four cycles. T.E.A.M. will match accomplished disability advocates as mentors with self-motivated mentees who will be trained in disability rights and self-advocacy. Through the mentorship process, mentees will become part of a cadre of community advocates and spokespeople who will work together to make their community accessible and responsive to the needs of people with disabilities. Mentees and mentors will receive a $500 and $1,000 stipend for their participation, respectively. To apply, please email Alexia Smalling at alexia.smalling@memorialhermann.org or Megan Gillespie at megan.gillespie@memorialhermann.org.
Research Categories
- Community living for persons with disabilities
- Participatory action research for ADA implementation
- Health care and independent living
Contact Us
For more information, please visit the ILRU website, email ILRU@ilru.org or call (713) 520-0232.