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News

Title	Date
Access Living White Paper urges Illinois to modify Performance Evaluation Reform Act On October 19, Access Living released an education White Paper that projects the impact that The Performance Evaluation Reform Act of 2010 (PERA) may have on Special Education students in public schools throughout Illinois. The paper, “Holding Educators Accountable For the Academic Growth of Students with Disabilities” examines the relationship within PERA between the achievement of students with disabilities and the performance of teachers.	October 19, 2011
Access Living youth advocates rally for Restorative Justice on June 25Advance Youth Leadership power is part of the HighHOPES Coalition, which is advocating for the Chicago Public Schools to implement restorative justice within the public schools.	June 25, 2012
Access Living youth attend Library’s Lyricist Loft On Wednesday, April 10, a group of Access Living Youth met at the Harold Washington Library in the South Loop for the library’s weekly “Lyricist Loft” Open Mic.	May 2, 2013
Access Living youth continue to push anti-bullying and restorative justice agenda Access Living’s youth advocacy group Advance Youth Leadership Power continues to advocate around the issue of bullying and restorative justice.	June 20, 2012
Access Living’s 2009 Annual Report The 2009 Annual Report is now available online. For a hard copy version of the report, please contact Gary Arnold at Access Living	December 2, 2009

Lead On: The Access Living Blog

Disability Rights & Empowerment

Access Living is committed to the advancement and empowerment of people with disabilities in Chicago and nationwide. Our programs and services represent a multifaceted approach in attaining this goal.

Title	Date
Text of Speech Against Managed Care on August 12.On August 12, scores of people with disabilities who are against a new program, that will force 40,000 people with disabilities into managed care, rallied in downtown Chicago. During the program in Daley Plaza, Tom Wilson of Access Living delivered a speech against managed care and the new program	August 27, 2010
FY 2009 Institution vs Community-FY 2009 Breakdown of Medicaid Services for Older and Younger Americans with DisabilitiesSteve Gold is a civil rights attorney based in Philadelphia. He has collaborated and still collaborates with Access Living on disability rights cases, including the pending “Colbert” case that was filed on behalf of people with disabilities in nursing homes in Illinois.	September 1, 2010
No place like home, April 16, 2010Access Living offers peer oriented, independent living services to individuals with disabilities. One such program is the Deinstitutionalization (DI) Program. The program was created in response to Illinois disproportional support of institutional care. Though the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Olmstead Supreme Court ruling of 1999 both give people with disabilities the right to receive services in their own home, thousands of people are forced into institutions because no community options exist.	September 1, 2010
Annual Review of Chicago Public Schools BudgetAccess Living’s Summary Analysis of the CPS FY 2011 BudgetEvery year Access Living’s Education Policy Analyst, Rodney Estvan, reviews and presents an analysis of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Fiscal Year Budget. CPS currently has about 54,000 students with disabilities enrolled in its 680 traditional, charter, and contract schools. The total FY2011 budget for CPS, including for capital and debt payments, is about $6.4 billion.	September 9, 2010
Events at Access Living the Week of September 20, 2010The week of September 20, Access Living will host two community events that are free and open to the public.	September 23, 2010

Events Calendar

Title	Date
Task Force on Attendant ServicesThe Task Force on Attendant Services organizes consumers to expand and defend home and community services for people with disabilities of all ages.	Group meets the first Wednesday of each month
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Support GroupPeer Support A monthly peer group for people who are Deaf and hard or hearing.	3rd Wednesday of each month
Personal Assistant Informational SeminarJoin our pool of highly sought PA’s	March 14, 2012

Press Releases

Title	Date
Access Living praises healthcare reform that gives people with disabilities option to stay in smaller communities Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago today praised Senator Baucus of Montana for including the Community First Choice Option in Healthcare Reform legislation.	September 24, 2009
Disability community fights cuts to vital servicesProposed cuts to home services threaten independence of people with disabilities	August 28, 2009
Access Living salutes Governor Quinn for decision to close Howe Developmental Center Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago salutes Governor Patrick Quinn for his decision to close the Howe Developmental Center in Tinley Park, Illinois. The decision to close the institution was announced today by the Office of the Governor.	August 28, 2009
Statement from Access Living after the passing of Senator Edward M. Kennedy	August 27, 2009
US signs UN Convention on the rights of people with disabilities	July 31, 2009

The Bullhorn - The Newsletter of Access Living

Access Living’s bimonthly newsletter

The Bullhorn, the newsletter of Access Living, is published bimonthly.

Title	Date
The Bullhorn Volume 78Volume 78 of the Bullhorn, the Newsletter of Access Living, from October 2012.	January 10, 2013
The Bullhorn Volume 77The Bullhorn Volume 77 August 2012	January 10, 2013
The Bullhorn - Volume 76The Newsletter of Access Living Volume 76 of the Bullhorn, the Newsletter of Access Living, published in June of 2012.	January 9, 2013
The Bullhorn Volume 75Volume 75 of the Bullhorn, the Newsletter of Access Living, published in April 2012	April 2012
The Bullhorn Volume 74Volume 74 of The Bullhorn, The Newsletter of Access Living	March 2012