NASILC is excited to announce our 2026 SILC Congress in Orlando, Florida! SILC Congress will be held March 17-19 and will run from 9 AM to 4:30 PM all three days. A preconference will be held on the afternoon of Monday, March 16th, 2026. 

The National Association of Statewide Independent Living Councils (NASILC) invites you to submit session proposals for the 2026 NASILC SILC Congress Conference.

This year’s theme reflects our shared commitment to strengthening the Independent Living (IL) network by focusing on Resilience, Independence, Sustainability, and Empowerment.

We are seeking bold, practical, and forward-thinking proposals that inspire collaboration, advance equity, and build capacity for SILCs, CILs, and IL partners across the country.
 

We welcome proposals that align with the RISE theme, including but not limited to:

Resilience
•    Navigating policy changes and funding uncertainty
•    Disaster preparedness and IL readiness
•    Mental health and peer support in councils
•    Building adaptive, trauma-informed systems

Independence
•    Advancing consumer control and choice
•    Youth transition and cross-disability leadership
•    Accessible transportation, housing, and voting
•    Strengthening IL skills training and peer mentoring

Sustainability
•    Strategic planning for long-term impact
•    Funding diversification and resource development
•    SPIL goal implementation and evaluation
•    Leadership succession and council continuity

Empowerment
•    Consumer engagement and representative leadership
•    Disability justice and intersectional organizing
•    Advocacy strategies that stay within legal limits for SILCs
•    Cultivating equity and inclusion within councils

RISE Together
•    Multi-state collaboration and regional alignment
•    SILC–CIL partnerships and cross-sector cooperation
•    Strengthening the national IL voice through shared goals
•    Innovations in communication, outreach, and public engagement

Let’s RISE together—share your knowledge, uplift your peers, and shape a stronger future for Independent Living across the country.

 

Please complete the entire proposal application and submit by October 31, 2025.

Length of Workshop Sessions: All sessions will be 90 minutes, including peer sharing opportunities.

Type of Workshop Session: Sessions can be a general session or breakout including panels or a single presenters.

All presenters must pay the full conference registration fee and make their own travel arrangements.

Please direct any questions to silccongressinfo@gmail.com. 

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSAL SUBMISSION IS November 15, 2025.

Conference Presenters: Up to 3 presenters can be included in this form. If the workshop organizer is also a presenter, enter their information below along with any other presenters.

Please read the following statements - prior to submission:

I understand that if we intend to show presentation slides during our session, presentation slides will be emailed to NASILC by Feburary 1, 2026 for conversion to accessible formats and sharing with conference interpreters, CART writers, and attendees.

I understand that any materials including graphics or pictures MUST include alt text and be described during the session. 

I understand that I will be responsible for bringing any hand-out materials.

I understand that if we intend to give hand-out materials, they will also be provided in accessible formats. 

Submit any questions to: silccongressinfo@gmail.com

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION IS NOVEMBER 15, 2025.

NASILC will notify you if your proposal is accepted by December 15, 2025.