CILNCF Branding
What is the CIL:
The Center for Independent Living of North Central Florida, (also known as the CILNCF or the CIL, which they pronounce “sill,” like a window sill), is an organization that provides support for people with disabilities who wish to live more independently. The CIL’s staff members work as advocates, provide peer support, referral programs, transition support, and teach independent living skills. More details about the CILNCF and our personal history with the organization can be found below the images in this post.
The Rebranding Project
The staff of the CILNCF was ready to update their brand. Their previous logo had an image of a person actively propelling a wheelchair, which was definitely a fitting message for their mission. However, while the wheelchair is the universal symbol for disability, the CIL staff felt that it misled the public into thinking that they only work with people who have physical disabilities and/or even more specifically only people who use a wheelchair. The CIL is actually one of the few organizations that provides cross-disability services, meaning they support individuals living with many different kinds of disabilities, whether it’s physical disabilities, hearing impairment, low vision or learning disabilities. So as expressive as the wheelchair image can be, they did not want it as part of the new logo.
They wanted the new logo to be bright, fresh, new, energizing, and to symbolize the diversity of their staff, the variety of services they offer, and the range of disabilities for which they can they provide support.
The logo and branding identity in use:
The CILNCF’s event banner and brochures ready for distribution.
More about the CILNCF and why we love it!
Many people take for granted the basic tasks they perform every day, tasks that can make life incredibly challenging for people with disabilities. Balancing a check book, cooking dinner, completing a grocery list, getting to work, going to the doctor, writing an email, using a computer, conversing with strangers, using your phone, making coffee, all of these tasks become infinitely more difficult when you have physical or learning disabilities.
These challenges frequently mean they have to depend on others. But most individuals with disabilities don't want to depend on other people for everything. If there is something they can do on their own, they want to be empowered to do it.
The CIL is one of the few organizations that provides cross-disability services, meaning they support individuals working with either physical limitations, hearing impairment, low vision or learning disabilities. Working throughout multiple populations also offers unique opportunities to catch a lot of people who might otherwise fall through the cracks.
One of the CIL’s most popular programs is High School High Tech, a program for high school students with disabilities. They offer classes, speakers, academic competitions, field trips, and internships, among other things. We’ve hosted multiple internships for High School High Tech students and they have all been wonderful experiences! We’ve also helped judge competitions and given talks about graphic and digital design.
Allison is proud to have served on the board of the Center for Independent Living of North Central Florida from 2011 to 2021 as one of their board members living with a disability (dyslexia).
“I first heard about the CIL when they helped a friend with disabilities find and keep employment for the first time in many years. They quite literally changed her life. We built a website for them in 2011. By the time the site was done I had totally fallen in love with the amazing work they do and the people I met while I was there. Part of the mission of the Center for Independent Living is to be staffed and managed by a majority of individuals with disabilities, including a majority of the board members. After he learned that I have dyslexia, the executive director asked me to join the board as a community member living with a disability, and I was truly honored. Every time I go to the Center, I am reminded why I love being involved. I find the staff, the consumers, and the other board members incredibly inspiring and supportive. I always leave feeling fortunate, empowered, and energized all at the same time!”
Please consider making a contribution to the CILNCF today!