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Welcome
to the neighborhood!
Access
Living's Grand Opening
In 2003, Access Living Board
Chair Henry T. Chandler, Jr. announced the launch of Living the Vision:
Access Living’s Campaign to Build a Permanent Home.
Since 1980, Access Living has campaigned to increase physical,
programmatic and social accessibility in Chicago and around the country. We wanted Access Living’s first permanent home to
incorporate this mission.
On March 5, vision became reality
when Access Living opened the doors to our first permanent headquarters.
Access Living’s four story, glassed faced office along the Chicago
Avenue skyline is one of the first ever to incorporate both universal and green
design, and stands as a testament to the independence and empowerment embedded
within Access Living’s mission.
Universal design creates spaces
that are usable for the most number of people.
Everything about the new office – the entrance, the workstations, the
lighting – was designed with the most number of users in mind.
This is not to say that accommodations will not be needed, but Access
Living now has a space that welcomes everyone and encourages the community to
use the space to pursue their own, individual goals.
For example, in our old office on Roosevelt Road the cramped lobby area
near the front door afforded space to do nothing but wait.
The waiting area at 115 West Chicago Avenue offers comfortable space for
waiting, an informational kiosk, a resource area, two workstations, internet
access, and several phone lines, including a video relay service. Like the lobby on the first floor, every space was designed
to be functional for staff and visitors.
In addition to creating an
environment for the most number of users today, we wanted space that would have
a minimal impact on the environment. With
many sustainable features, including an accessible green roof, the building is
eligible for Silver LEED Certification (Leadership in Environmental and Energy
Design).
Within the new space, Access
Living will launch its first ever arts and culture initiative.
The project plans to use Access Living as a cultural center to display
the work of artists with disabilities and host lectures, performances and
conferences.
Access Living ceremonially opened
the doors to the community on May 7 with a ribbon cutting ceremony and an open
house. At the ribbon cutting, Mayor
Daley, who helped Access Living secure property for the office, Attorney General
Lisa Madigan, Newt Minow, co-chair of Access Living’s Citizens’ Committee,
and others all gathered to celebrate what is an accomplishment for Access Living
and Chicago.
Of course, none of this would have
happened without our supporters, many of them longtime and others who discovered
us for the first time through the capital campaign. As one potential supporter after another stepped up to
embrace our efforts, we realized Access Living’s Vision of an empowered and
independent disability community was shared throughout Chicago and throughout
the country.
Now that the doors are open, a new
journey will begin. With each of
you who were a part of the success of Living the Vision, we look forward
to starting a new vision of service, support and advocacy in Chicago and around
the world.
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