Our history timeline:
Independence Now was founded in 1994 as a joint initiative between the Montgomery
County Commission on People with Disabilities and the Prince George's County Commission
for Individuals with Disabilities.
The Commissions wanted to create an organization operated by and for
people with disabilities that would: 1) provide services to people with all
types of disabilities in the two counties and 2) unite their advocacy voices.
In 1994, Independence Now was awarded a grant by the U.S. Department of Education,
Rehabilitation Services Administration to become a Center for Independent Living.
Centers for Independent Living are non-residential organizations whose Boards of Directors
and staff are comprised predominantly of people with disabilities.
Independence Now opened its first office in Silver Spring on April 24, 1995.
The furniture was no sooner in place when the phones began to ring.
In November 1996, Independence Now received a Community Development Block Grant
from the Prince George's County Department of Housing and Community Development to open a
one-person office in the County to assist people in finding accessible housing and with
other housing issues. The Individuals with Disabilities Division, Department of Family
Services, graciously contributed office space and furniture for the Independence
Now Housing Specialist.
Independence Now was awarded a second grant from the U. S. Department of Education,
Rehabilitation Services Administration in October 1998, to open a full-service office
located in Prince George's County. The Independence Now Prince George's Division opened
on February 3, 1999.
In May 2008, Independence Now changed leadership and welcomed Nancy Diehl as our Executive Director.
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