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News & Events

Title Date
Access Living leader elected president of International Disability GroupOn March 6, Access Living’s Marca Bristo was elected President of the United States International Council on Disability (USICD). Committed to international disability rights, USICD is a federation comprised of the leading disability organizations with international agendas and national memberships, government agencies with a deep interest in international disability affairs, and individuals committed to international disability rights. April 28, 2007
Disability Rights Leader honored as Chicagoan of the YearRecognizing her local, national, and international leadership, Chicago Magazine recently honored Marca Bristo as a “Chicagoan of the Year” for 2007. January 25, 2008
DePaul University study of costs and benefits of employing people with disabilities finds few risks to employersA study released on January 28, 2008 conducted by a team of researchers at DePaul University found that employees with disabilities from the healthcare, retail and hospitality sectors in the region were just as dependable and productive as employees without disabilities. February 5, 2008
New Report Identifies Gaps And Inefficient Utilization Of Resources For Illinois’ Developmentally Disabled InitiativesOn Thursday, February 14, the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities hosted a news conference to announce the release of two reports that analyze gaps in services to people with developmental disabilities and that propose recommendations for addressing the gaps. February 18, 2008
Access Living milestone a dream come true for Anton Taylor“It’s like a breath of fresh air,” said Anton Taylor, letting out a small sigh, thinking about his new apartment. Back in early 2004, Taylor moved into a southside nursing home for what he believed to be a short stay. Years later, Taylor was still in the nursing home. March 18, 2008
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Young woman files Fair Housing Complaint against a condominium associationLast week, attorneys with Access Living and with Seyfarth Shaw filed a fair housing complaint on behalf of a woman who has been denied a reasonable accommodation. November 23, 2010
Testimony given to House Committee on Medicaid Reform The State of Illinois is in the process of undergoing Medicaid Reform. The House and Senate have convened committees to hear testimony and to propose a reform plan. Many people with disabilities worry that “reform” is code for cuts in services. In order to protect services, and to stress that any reform should include a strong emphasis on community based services, disability advocates have been submitting testimony before the house and senate committees. Below is testimony from Tom Wilson delivered to the House Committee on December 9. December 11, 2010
Community advocates organize around abuses at institutions Access Living, along with Chicago ADAPT, Jane Addams Senior Caucus, The Community Renewal Society and others began to organize in an effort to hold Alden accountable, improve conditions at the institution, and raise awareness around the need for more community-based service choices. December 22, 2010
Illinois Senate approves changes to Medicaid On Wednesday, January 5, the Illinois Senate, by a vote of 58-0, passed major changes to the current Medicaid package in Illinois. The package now goes to the Illinois House for a vote. January 6, 2011
Tragedy in ArizonaWith all of the work around Medicaid Reform, the upcoming Mayoral Election in Chicago, and the Illinois Budget, there has not been much dialogue at Access Living about the recent shootings and tragedy in Tucson, Arizona. January 13, 2011
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A Huge Step Forward for People with Mental IllnessHistoric agreement reached to transition Illinois residents unnecessarily housed in large, impersonal nursing homesLast week was a good week for people with mental illness in Illinois. On Thursday, a federal judge granted preliminary approval for an historic agreement between the State of Illinois and thousands of people with psychiatric disabilities represented by a number of advocacy groups, including Access Living, and a private law firm - led, in this case, by the ACLU of Illinois - that will give thousands of people with mental illness an opportunity, if they choose, to move out of large, private nursing homes and into community-based settings. This agreement marks a sea change in Illinois state policy - which for far too long has relied on troubled, sometimes dangerous nursing homes to serve people with mental illness. June 14, 2010
Disability coalition testifies in Springfield on behalf of community-based services On April 22, Access Living, as part of the Community for All Coalition, testified in Springfield in support of community based services in the Illinois Budget. April 22, 2010
Olmstead Settlement may transition thousands of people with disabilities into community-based settings A landmark agreement between the State of Illinois and thousands of persons with mental illnesses will result in significant reforms of Illinois’ outmoded, overcrowded and scandalized nursing home system. March 15, 2010
Access Living Statement in Response to March 10 Budget Address Access Living statement in response to
Governor Quinn’s Budget address
March 11, 2010
The Bullhorn - The Newsletter of Access Living Access Living’s bimonthly newsletter The Bullhorn, the newsletter of Access Living, is published bimonthly. Jan 19th, 2010
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