Disability Empowerment | Appalachian Center for Independent Living

ACIL Mobile Office Project

ACIL Mobile Office brings services directly to you. Our mobile team provides support for people with disabilities right in the community, making it easier to get the help you need without traveling far.

We offer assistance with independent living skills, accessing resources, advocacy, and connecting to local services.

The ACIL Mobile Office is here to increase independence, remove barriers, and support you where you are.

Join ACIL for 2-3 classes each day, including an exercise class, a life skills session, and our Resource Café, which focuses on helpful community resources.

To schedule a one-on-one appointment with an ACIL staff member in Chesapeake, please call 304-965-0376 or email us.

Mobile Office Schedule:

1st Tuesday each month

Chesapeake, WV - Curry Memorial Annex

12316 MacCorkle Ave, Chesapeake, WV 25315

More locations coming soon...

Click to email ACIL List Item 2

ACIL Peer Support Group Initiative

Our Peer Support Program launches June 1, 2026, offering a welcoming space where individuals can connect, share experiences, and learn from others who understand their journey.

Participants can join a monthly peer support group, including fun, engaging life skills topics available both in person and virtually, making it easy for everyone to take part in a way that works best for them.

In addition, the program includes a monthly community activity, giving participants the chance to build friendships, practice social skills, and stay engaged in the community.

Through encouragement, shared knowledge, and real-life support, this program helps build confidence, independence, and a strong sense of belonging.

Target Groups Include:

Teen and Young Adult Cross Disabilities Group (ages 14-25)

Adult Cross Disabilities Group (ages 26 and up)

Traumatic Brain Injury Group

Hidden Disabilities Group- Cross Disabilities and Autoimmune Disorders

Veterans with Disabilities Group

To sign up for one of these groups, please call us at 304-965-0376 or email us.

Click to email us List Item 3

Local Outdoor Activities with Accessibility

Kanawha County Parks and Recreation offers several accessible amenities, including ADA-compliant equipment at Meadowood Park near Tornado, WV. Coonskin Park in Charleston, WV and other regional parks comply with ADA standards for programs and services, featuring accessible playgrounds and facilities to ensure inclusion.

The City of South Charleston parks provide various accessibility features, including handicap-accessible picnic shelters at Little Creek Park (Shelters 1, 2, 9, 10, and Soap Box). Jackson Park features wheelchair-accessible pickleball courts, while local parks like Joplin and Glendale offer paved trails.

Valley Park (Hurricane, WV):

All-Inclusive Playground: Specifically designed for children of all abilities.

Amenities: Features accessible paved walking trails, picnic shelters, and a fishing pond.

Parking/Access: Offers wheelchair-accessible parking and entrances.

Hurricane City Park (Hurricane, WV):

Fishing Pier: Features a handicap-accessible fishing pier.

Hurricane Reservoir.(Hurricane, WV)

Trails & Recreation: Paved loop trails surround the park, with accessible playground equipment.

Ridenour Lake (Nitro, WV):

Features a mix of clear gravel and paved trails, suitable for easy walking or strollers.

The Elk River Trail in West Virginia offers accessible, generally flat, and gravel-surfaced hiking and biking, with paved, ADA-compliant sections in Clendenin, WV. Key accessible features include handicap parking, benches, and vault toilets at multiple trailheads (Duck, Ivydale, Dundon/Clay). The trail is suitable for wheelchairs and e-bikes.

Chief Logan State Park (Logan, WV)

Features a new ADA-accessible playground.

Offers fully accessible lodge rooms for overnight stay

Enjoy Accessibility at WV State Parks

For individuals with disabilities, several West Virginia state parks offer accessible facilities, including lodges, cabins, trails, fishing piers, and viewing areas. You can find more details on the official West Virginia State Parks Accessible Travel website.

Click for Accessible State Parks in WV List Item 4

Kanawha County Libraries Accessibility

Visit your Kanawha County Library to join in various enriching activities for all ages. The library system supports ADA accessibility in its buildings and programs.

For more on their ADA policies and procedures, please search: https://www.kcpls.org/accessibility-ada

Click to see the calendar of events

Accessible Hunting Trails in WV

During the fall hunting seasons, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources reminds hunters with disabilities that special access roads are open to Class Q permit holders in select national forests and state-owned wildlife management areas.

The Class Q hunting program allows extended vehicular access on certain gated roads in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, the Monongahela National Forest and select state WMAs. Access is limited to individuals with Class Q permits, which are issued to people with permanent and irreversible respiratory, cardiovascular or lower extremity limitations.

Click to learn more about accessible hunting

Challenged Athletes of WV

Showshoe Mountain Resort

Pocahontas County, WV.

Contact:

Phone: 304-572-6708

Email: cwoody@snowshoemountain.com

Challenged Athletes of West Virginia (CAWV) has been providing adaptive sports opportunities to children and adults with physical and cognitive disabilities since 1996. From humble beginnings, we have grown to become a leader in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

CAWV provides equipment and instruction for adaptive alpine skiing and snowboarding, education and training opportunities for professional and volunteer staff, plus equipment and support for handcycling, adaptive bicycling, whitewater rafting, camping and other outdoor opportunities.

Click to learn about CAWV

WV State Plan for Independent Living (SPIL)ew List Item

WVSILC Seeking Input for the 2028-2030 State Plan

Every three years, The West Virginia Statewide Independent Living Council, or WVSILC, works with Centers for Independent Living and other partners to develop the State Plan for Independent Living, commonly known as the SPIL. The SPIL is more than a required document. It is the roadmap for how the state’s Independent Living Network will identify priorities, address barriers, strengthen services, and advance independent living for people with disabilities.

A strong SPIL does not begin in a conference room with a finished draft. It begins with listening. Public input is one of the most important parts of the SPIL process because the plan should reflect the real experiences of people with disabilities across the state. That includes people in rural communities, people with communication access needs, people from underserved communities, youth with disabilities, older adults, veterans, people living in institutions or at risk of institutionalization, and people who may not already be connected to Independent Living services.

Review Current SPIL & Provide Input

If you are a resident of WV and have a disability or are a family member or caregiver of a person with a disability, we want to hear from you.

Complete the following SPIL Survey and join us at a Public Listening Session to let us know how you believe Independent Living Funds should be spent.

Item Link

Independence for Students

Slide title

Slide title

Slide title

Slide title

Slide title

Slide title

Slide title

Slide title

Slide title

Appalachian Center for Independent Living, Inc.

Building Skills, Creating Opportunities, Living Independently

List of Services