Walmart pushes Independent Living Center to new location - CBS4 - WHBF Quad Cities, IL-IA News Weather Sports

Walmart pushes Independent Living Center to new location

By: Jillian Wilson

jwilson@cbs4qc.com

Lois Montgomery is blind. She's been going to the Illinois/Iowa Center for Independent Living for years.

When she found out the city of Rock Island would be building a new center just for them she says she was thrilled.

"It's a great resource for persons with disabilities and my disability being blindness it provides resources that are out there for us individuals to use," says Lois Montgomery, a Moline Resident.

Lois learned brail at the center. She also learned ways to live a more normal life.

"I have also been taught orientation and mobility. It has given me more freedom to go out and travel by myself," says Lois.

When news got out that a new Walmart would be moving in, folks from the center were worried they'd have no place to go.

Now the city of Rock Island is building them a whole new building that's further downtown.

"It seems like it may be a win–win situation for us because we'll get the size of buildings that we actually need. It will be on a location that is accessible to our consumers and it will be a building that's totally accessible too," says Liz Sherwin, the Executive Director, Illinois/Iowa Center for Independent Living.

The new center will be built on 11th street in Rock Island between 5th and 6th avenue. A change the director says they can handle.

"They're just going to have to find a new address," says Sherwin.

For people like Lois who have to cross the street to get to the bus line, she says she won't miss the traffic.

"It's very exciting. I'm looking forward to it and hopefully it will make it more accessible and easier access for us," says Lois.

City leaders say the new center will be ready by November of 2013.