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News & Events

News and Events

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News

Title	Date
Advocates travel to Springfield Illinois to protect independence of people with disabilities.	May 16, 2012
Access Living advocates in Springfield on May 3On May 3, Access Living staff and advocates will be in Springfield Illinois to communicate with legislators about the importance of maintaining Medicaid and community based services for people with disabilities.	May 3, 2012
Support Independence of People with Disabilities: Upcoming efforts to preserve Home Services Access Living and many other groups are organizing this spring to preserve, protect and strengthen Home Services for people with disabilities and seniors.	April 5, 2012
Disability and senior advocates rally to preserve independent living servicesDisability and senior advocates rallied in downtown Chicago on March 28 to protest against inequities in the state budget.	March 28, 2012
Access Living opposes Illinois Senate Bill 3564New legislation makes institution closure more difficult, putting a barrier in the way of community living for people with disabilities.	March 8, 2012

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
Debrief from Spring 2013 Legislative Session During the Spring 2013 Legislative Session, Access Living Advocates spent a lot of time in Springfield raising awareness around issues critical to independence and inclusion for people with disabilities in Illinois. Here is an update that covers some legislative highlights and set backs from the Spring session.	June 17, 2013
Tribute to Senator Bob DoleAt the Access Living Annual Gala on June 3, Access Living presented Senator Bob Dole with a “Lead On!” Award, which recognizes outstanding efforts on behalf of the independence and empowerment of people with disabilities. This is a video tribute put together in Dole’s honor.	June 5, 2013
Demand that Illinois legislators support institution closure and the rebalancing effort Push your legislators to support community integration and continue with institution closure in Illinois.	May 30, 2013
Action Need to stop expansion of Illinois nursing facilities for people with mental illness Contact the Illinois’ House Human Services Committee. Ask them to not let nursing homes continue to warehouse people with mental illness	May 20, 2013
Employment Victory for People with Disabilities in Illinois On Wednesday, May 16, Employment First Legislation passed the Illinois General Assembly	May 16, 2013

Events Calendar

Title	Date
The Disability Rights Action Coalition for Housing, (DRACH)HousingA twice monthly meeting of housing advocates who work to enforce and implement the housing rights of people with disabilities. The group meets the second Tuesday and fourth Thursday of each month.	4th Thursday of every Month and 2nd Tuesday of every month.
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
Stepping Stones A peer support group for people with disabilities who have just moved out of institutions and into their own homes through the Access Living Community Reintegration program.	Tuesdays in the Spring 2013
Personal Assistant Informational SeminarJoin our pool of highly sought PA’s	March 14, 2012
People with Disabilities Speak Out on Health Care DisparitiesAccess Living’s Health Policy Team and the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Department of Occupational Therapy invite you to a Town Hall meeting to discuss the state of health care for Medicaid beneficiaries with disabilities	June 27, 2013

Press Releases

Title	Date
Proposed legislation threatens progress made to support independence, integration of people with disabilitiesNews release announces Access Living concern over State plans that could potentially derail efforts to integrate people with psychiatric disabilities into community based settings	May 8, 2013
Disabled Americans Want Work Now Applauds Introduction of Fair Wages Legalization Urges Passage of Fair Wages for Workers Disabilities ActDisabled Americans Want Work Now (DAWWN) applauds the introduction of Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act – H.R. 831.	March 4, 2013
Senate fails to ratify international disability rights treatyOn Tuesday, December 4, the U.S. Senate failed by five votes to reach the two thirds majority needed to ratify the United Nations International Treaty on the Rights of People with Disabilities. The final vote count was 61-38. Though the treaty earned bipartisan support, Republican Senators cast all 38 votes against the treaty.	December 5, 2012
Access Living celebrates full closure of Jacksonville Developmental CenterGovernor Quinn of Illinois announces that all residents of the Jacksonville Developmental Center have moved out of the institution and into the community.	November 30, 2012
Senator Reid Brings the CRPD to the Senate Floor Access Living Applauds U.S. Senate for considering ratification of treaty on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities	November 27, 2012

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