About PICL

Creating Opportunities

“We are working to level the playing field so people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else to get into the community to pursue their goals.”

- Craig Ravesloot, PhD

Why We Need Community Living Research

Americans with disabilities deserve opportunities for education, employment, health care, recreation and civic engagement. Yet, despite improved opportunities and increasingly accessible environments for people with disabilities, many continue to face barriers to living and participating in their communities.  

The Research and Training Center on Promoting Interventions for Community Living examines the effectiveness of interventions designed to support greater community participation for people with physical and other co-occurring disabilities.

Who We Are: A Research Partnership

The University of Kansas (KU) Research and Training Center on Independent Living and the University of Montana (UM) Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities are partnering on this research and training center.



The research team collaborates with Centers for Independent Living (CILs) and other stakeholder groups to test the interventions and ensure that this work is relevant and useful to people with disabilities and to the professionals who provide services and support.

People with disabilities are also essential partners in this work. Our goal is to benefit these consumers, especially those with severe limitations that hinder their participation in the community. 

Finally, a Scientist-Consumer Advisory Panel (SCAP) provides external perspectives. This group helps ensure that we maintain a high level of rigor and relevance in the research. 

Our Funding Partner

In 2016, The University of Kansas Research and Training Center on Independent Living (RTC/IL) was awarded a five-year, $4.375 million grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research to promote community participation for adults with physical disabilities through this center.

The contents of this website were developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90RT5043). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this website do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.