Access Living friends and allies,
Today, we’d like to share an update from Washington DC, as well as upcoming event reminders. Be sure to scroll all the way through so you don’t miss out!
Washington, DC Update: Earlier this week, the U.S. Senate Finance committee released its draft version of the federal budget reconciliation bill that was recently passed by the U.S. House. That bill, known as the “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act”, was very bad for people with disabilities in many ways. However, the proposed Senate version is worse. Not only will the Senate version put the United States even more in debt (despite the claim of “savings”), but it proposes shifting even more healthcare costs onto states and individuals. Check out this statement from our partner Caring Across Generations. Access Living was also one of over 1,100 disability groups that sent a letter to the Senate regarding the devastating impact of the reconciliation proposal. Stay tuned for upcoming advocacy opportunities.
Virtual Play Debut for Juneteenth: Tomorrow, Thursday, June 19, Chicago disability leader Cherlnell Lane will debut her new play “Chicago Ain’t No Home For The Disabled.” The play will be presented on Zoom in partnership with Access Living, and starts at 5:30 pm Central Time. Click this link to enter the Zoom or register. The play follows Amari, a Black disabled woman living in Chicago, as she navigates barriers in accessibility, family tensions, and the search for belonging while finding empowerment in her community. You don’t want to miss it!!! To learn more about Cherlnell’s work, visit www.linktr.ee/cherlnell.
Equal Pay Event at Access Living: People Over Profit (POP), Access Living’s economic justice organizing group, is partnering with Women employed to host “Equal Pay: Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present, and Empowering the Future.” The free, in-person event will feature a screening of “Lilly”, a film about the advocate Lilly Ledbetter, and a discussion. Learn more about details and logistics at this link. The event is on Tuesday, June 24, from 5 to 8 pm Central.
Don’t forget these great events TODAY!
Knowledge is Power (KIP): KIP is TODAY, June 18, from 1-2:30 pm Central. The Zoom registration link for KIP is here. After you register, you will get an email with instructions about how to join KIP. KIP is hosted as a partnership between Access Living and the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities (ICDD). At KIP, we share about federal advocacy work affecting people with disabilities, and how we can make a difference on topics like Medicaid, education, and the federal budget. Our next few sessions will be July 16, August 6, August 27 and September 17, all at a new time of 2:30-4 pm Central.
2025 Accessible Juneteenth: The fifth Accessible Juneteenth starts at 4 pm TODAY, running through 7:30 pm Central. It’s at the UIC Quad (near the UIC Student Center East Building. 750 S. Halsted in Chicago. The event will celebrate the Black disability community in a fun and accessible way. DJ Matt returns to set the musical atmosphere, Victoria Boateng will perform with her djembe, and MC Donna will be host an Open Mic where you can share your talents in singing, spoken word, playing instruments, and more! Pinqy Ring and J Bambii will headline the performances this year. Here is the link to sign up for the Open Mic. If you have any questions about the event, please email dcc@uic.edu.
Please share this email with fellow advocates. As always, thank you for your advocacy.