The Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities www.state.il.us/agency/icdd/ is dedicated to leading change in Illinois so that all people with developmental disabilities are able to exercise their rights to freedom and equal opportunity. The Council focuses on a wide range of programs to help improve opportunities for people with developmental disabilities. Just as importantly, ICDD works to build the capabilities of individuals, families and communities, enabling each to become more self-sufficient through the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (the DD Act).
The Campaign for Real Choice in Illinois www.realchoiceinillinois.org/ is a grassroots, citizen action organization consisting of people with disabilities, family members, friends and professionals. We are founded on the premise of participatory democracy and the belief that meaningful reforms in the system of supports for people with disabilities will come only with active involvement of people with disabilities and their families.
The Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities in Illinois www.ccdionline.org is a statewide cross-disability rights organization that advocates for the rights of people with disabilities. For over twenty years CCDI has worked to improve the lives of people with disabilities, and teach the skills needed to affect change through grassroots advocacy efforts.
Disability Beat www.disabilitybeat.com is a weekly radio program about and for people with disabilities with a slant toward social justice, community supports, inclusion, accessibility, freedom and choice. The program can be heard anytime online or live on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:00 on WEFT Champaign, 90.1 FM in east central Illinois.
Life my way www.lifemyway.org is a collection of stories of people with disabilities. Their mission is to show what people with disabilities can do! This site is about how important it is to advocate for your rights, needs, and opportunities.
Access Living Youth Center www.alyouthinfo.org is a website for young people with disabilities that fights shame and discrimination by promoting disability pride and culture. The Youth Center provides information to empower young people to advocate for the lives they want. They work to give young people the power to decide where they will live and what they will do in their everyday lives.
Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered www.sabeusa.org is a national network of self-advocacy organizations that works to ensure that people with disabilities are treated as equals and that they are given the same decisions, choices, rights, responsibilities, and chances to speak up to empower themselves; opportunities to make new friends; and to learn from their mistakes.
The Riot!www.theriotrocks.org The Riot! is an e-newsletter for self-advocates. Self-advocates are people with disabilities who speak up for themselves and others. The Riot! is all about self-advocacy. We also want to make you laugh and feel good about life. Every issue focuses on a timely theme, or a particular idea. We also cover life topics, such as dating, health and everyday fun. Most of all, we want to help people live the life they want with the support they need. We celebrate the strength of self-advocates. We take on the barriers that stand in the way. And we really don’t like silly rules that service systems sometimes have that just keep people down. The Riot! comes out quarterly… that’s 4 times a year. It is written and put together mostly by self-advocates.
The Family Support Network http://www.familysupportnetwork.org/
This is an awesome organization. Check out the website and you will see why!
“The mission of the Family Support Network is to unify individuals with disabilities and their families to advocate for funding, services, and community resources that strengthen and support the individual and the family directly by responding to their individual needs and empowering them to live in their own homes. The Family Support Network further seeks to ensure the continuation of all individual supports throughout the life span of the individual.”
If you are frustrated over the lack of programs and funding to support your family member and you have not taken action to educate your legislators you have no one to blame but yourself. Please contact the Family Support Network. We will give you the information you need to feel confident. We can tell you who your legislator is. We can give you facts. We can give you figures. Please help. We need you.
LOCATE YOUR LEGISLATOR
If you would like to figure out who your legislators are, here’s the website that will do it.
http://www.vote-smart.org
If you would like to review current legislation or learn more about the Illinois General Assembly, this site will help.
http://www.ilga.gov/
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Join the Family Support Network. We will put you on our mailing list and e-mail updates to you as necessary. fsn@familysupportnetwork.org