Dustin Jones felt isolated and adrift after he became disabled when he lost part of his left foot in a surgical accident at 23 years old. Then he discovered a new purpose: advocacy. He started campaigning for accessible transit and housing in the city. Along the way, he became connected with the Harlem Independent Living Center (HILC).
“What they’re doing for Harlem is an amazing thing,” he said. “Being young, Black, and disabled is really hard. I got my disability in 2011, and I didn’t really have anyone there for me. The resources that they’re bringing to this neighborhood [are] needed a lot.”
Jones was among the attendees at HILC’s 35th anniversary celebration, hosted at its newly renovated offices in central Harlem on August 13. As one of six independent living centers in the city, HILC has played an essential role supporting the Harlem disability community since its founding in 1990.
“We provide independent living services to people with disabilities, mainly to make sure that they live independently, they make their own choices and decisions, they are free to advocate for what they want, and [can] take risks like everybody else,” said Yaw Appiadu, HILC’s executive director.
The mood was jubilant as Appiadu welcomed guests on a tour of the renovated space, which was expanded over the course of three months.
“We used to only have three offices and three cubicles in the same space, and one conference room. Now, when you come, you have eight cubicles, you have the conference room, two meeting rooms, one training room, and … five offices,” Appiadu said. “All the spaces are also intentionally designed, including [for] people who have intellectual disabilities and folks who have other unknown disabilities.”
Christina Curry, commissioner for the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) and a former executive director of HILC, praised HILC’s continued growth after attending the celebration.
“Harlem Independent Living Center has been a steady and trusted presence, and events like this remind us of the progress we’ve made together,” she said in a statement to the AmNews. “For MOPD, it’s also about staying connected at the local level, showing up in neighborhoods where residents have sometimes felt overlooked.”
Keith Taylor, HILC’s board chair, emphasized the important role the organization plays providing services to residents of color.
“HILC is a miracle in the sense that there are very few organizations that are run by people of color for people of color, and for this organization to successfully run for 35 years addressing the needs of the community is very significant,” he said.
Appiadu said HILC began as part of a grassroots movement primarily to respond to the needs of gun violence survivors with disabilities in Harlem.
“At that time, gun violence was so high, and people would end up with disabilities, and they didn’t know where to go for services,” he explained. “But when the Center came to be, people were able to come here for other services, get their Social Security disability, get food stamps, get Medicaid … [and get assistance] for training and applying for jobs.”
Looking toward the future, Appiadu said HILC is working to expand services for people with mental health disabilities.
“Most of the consumers we are seeing of late are folks who come in with mental health disabilities, so we want to look for funding that can [allow us] to provide services to folks with mental health disabilities,” he said.
However, funding is a challenge for the organization. Appiadu said that HILC receives the least amount of state funding of any independent living center in the state. Funding comes primarily from the state’s Department of Education, which did not respond to AmNews requests to confirm HILC’s claim. Insufficient funding makes it difficult to provide services for everyone who needs them, Appiadu said.
“It’s been a challenge for us to grow … We only have 10 staff. [In one] day, we can have 30 walk-ins for people who need information and referral services,” he explained.
The recent federal cuts to Medicaid and safety net programs contained in the Trump administration’s “big, beautiful bill” also pose a challenge to the disability community that HILC serves. However, Taylor said the organization is prepared to fight to protect the rights and livelihoods of disabled people.
“Respect is not something that is given. Often, you have to fight for it. And this organization, this little organization in Harlem, has been fighting very hard for 35 years against all kinds of challenges,” he said.
Shannon Chaffers is a Report for America corps member and writes about gun violence for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.
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