Who We Serve
People with Disabilities Living Independently
CIL of the Keys is a community-based, nonprofit organization that empowers people with disabilities, of any age living in Monroe County, Florida (see our WIPA page for a list of counties that program serves) to access resources so they can obtain the greatest degree of independence they desire. To learn more about CILs, visit our About Us page.
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What is a disability?
Many times people see the wheelchair icon and think that represents all disabilities. In addition to physical disabilities, there are four other types of disabilities. Each type of disability has a range, or spectrum. CIL of the Keys works alongside all, whether they have a severe, moderate, or mild disability.
Blindness and Low Vision
Another type of disability that has a range, or spectrum, is Blindness and vision loss. Some are born blind while others experience a loss of vision from various conditions, such as macular degeneration.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing
One of the other four types of disabilities is Deaf and hard of hearing, which can range from those who are born Deaf to those who acquire a loss of hearing at an older age and use hearing aids.
Cognitive
Cognitive disabilities are those that can affect people’s ability to perform mental tasks, such as how well a person perform activities for daily living and one’s ability to reason and comprehend. Cognitive disabilities can include people who are born with things like Down’s Syndrome to those who have developed something after birth, such as dementia or a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
Mental Health
When someone’s mental health condition substantially interferes with or limits their ability to reach their goals for independence in their professional and/or personal lives, this can be considered a mental health disability. Examples can be anything from schizophrenia to anxiety, and multiple personality disorder to depression. ​​
Physical
While physical disabilities can include people who use a wheelchair or other assistive device, it can also be a variety of disabilities, such as diabetes, heart disease, and epilepsy.