Welcome to CyberCIL of Arizona, the first virtual Center for Independent Living!
Our Executive Director
Judy Benshoof became a person with a disability in 1970. She has worked at Arizona Bridge to Independent Living (ABIL) since 1990 as a field representative in the Personal Assistant Services department, then as an Independent living advocate, peer counselor, independent living skills trainer and home modification coordinator in the Community Integration department. Judy has also been involved with the development of CyberCIL since 2000 as a board member, the peer counselor and the interim independent living skills trainer. Judy is a graduate of Des Moines Area Community College, Arizona State University and San Francisco State University. Her office is located in Pinal County, AZ.
Our Services
If you have ever been to a traditional Center for Independent Living, a lot of the features that you find in CyberCIL will be familiar, and the methods that we use to assist consumers are similar.
The primary difference is our location. CyberCIL of Arizona exists completely in cyberspace, enabling us to provide Independent Living services to persons with disabilities throughout the state of Arizona and the world. Our goal is to assist persons with disabilities to live as independently as possible in their community. You can let us know how we can assist you by completing our Consumer Information Tracking System. Your feedback will assist usas we continue to develop our services, so if you have any suggestions or ideas, feel free to contact me at jlbenshoof@CyberCIL.comor you can complete our Consumer Satisfaction Survey online.
Our History
CyberCIL of Arizona was the creation of advocates in 1998who believed that isolated Arizonans with disabilities needed the support of a center for independent living.
With the assistance of Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU) Program of Houston, CyberCIL established itself as a non-profit Arizona corporation in 2000 with a mission to assist "Arizonans with disabilities so that they may attain or continue an independent lifestyle." ILRU is a national center for information, research, training and technical assistance.
At about the same time, the Arizona Technology Access Project (AzTAP) lent a hand by providing the in-kind support of their webmaster. AzTAP, a project of the Institute for Human Development at Northern Arizona University, educates Arizonans about assistive technology and helps them secure equipment that will increase their independence.
In 2002, the Arizona Governor's Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) began providing financial support to CyberCIL. This funding made it possible for us to reach out to all areas of Arizona, collaborating with our sister centers in Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, Tuba City and Prescott Valley.
Today, we embark on a new adventure as we hire our first Executive Director. With the increased support of the Arizona Statewide Independent Living Council (AZ SILC), CyberCIL becomes more and more of a reality. We remain a virtual center, existing entirely in cyberspace, while providing very real assistance to people with disabilities.