Our Annual Report | Fiscal Year
2023
#WeAreAccessLiving
From Our President and CEO
Dear Access Living friends and allies,
In 1996 I was offered my dream job: working at a disability rights organization as an advocate for accessible, equitable housing. For the sole purpose of working at Access Living, I moved to Chicago and began a decades-long career in working to make our city a place where people with disabilities can thrive. Fast forward 28 years; I am so proud to serve as Access Living’s second CEO in its 43 year history.
Reflecting on the accomplishments of 2023, I’m proud of the work Access Living has done to enhance the lives of people with disabilities. A few highlights;
- This year we developed and launched a digital initiative that is providing free laptops, digital literacy, and internet access to Access Living consumers who have been without these critical resources. This custom program was designed by Access Living specifically for the people we serve. Through the Independent Living Technology Program, consumers are accessing technology and learning how to use it to support their independence.
- We expanded our financial empowerment initiatives and direct services, including support with the cultivation of savings, credit repair, establishing bank accounts as a means to achieving economic stability, and one-on-one financial counseling.
- Access Living helped pass 11 pieces of state legislation that strengthen and support the disability community, including educational supports for college students with disabilities, first-time funding for home accessibility modifications, and required cultural competency training for healthcare providers.
- In coalition with advocates from across the state, we advanced our work to end subminimum wages for disabled people in Illinois through the Dignity in Pay Act. This builds on our efforts to address root causes of poverty within the disability community and it is work that we will continue to champion.
Access Living’s civil rights team achieved a significant legislative victory by spearheading the Civil Rights Restoration Act. This groundbreaking bill effectively reverses a harmful Supreme Court decision that had the potential to strip civil rights protections from tens of thousands of people in Illinois. The Civil Rights Restoration Act will protect Illinoisans from age, race, sex, and disability-based discrimination in any federally-funded program. It is our hope that this unique piece of legislation will be used as a framework for similar legislation in other states, and that these important civil rights will once again be protected across the country.
I am so proud of our achievements in 2023 and I am eager to continue our high-impact work in making the world better for people with disabilities in the coming year. I am so grateful for the support of our partners, allies, consumers, board members, and donors. Your commitment to Access Living makes our work possible.
Warmly,
Karen Tamley
President and CEO
Access Living
#WeAreAccessLiving
The Year of MacKenzie Scott
In November of last year, Access Living received an $8 million gift from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. This gift is the single largest contribution we have received from an individual donor in our 43-year history, and these unrestricted funds have already begun to advance our strategic priorities, including economic opportunity, racial and health equity, greater community-based supports, and digital inclusion.
This unsolicited gift from Ms. Scott has allowed Access Living to move projects and programs forward at an incredible rate. In FY2023 alone we have been able to launch important initiatives, bring on needed staff, and begin plans for a future where Access Living’s services reach even more Chicagoans with disabilities.
Our Consumers
By Primary Disability
By Race
By Age
“They were very helpful to me [in getting] a service I’ve been trying to get for years and I’m so grateful.”
Access Living Consumer
Our Services
2000+
People reached through our disability inclusion consulting and training efforts for nonprofits, philanthropies and companies.
11,151
Calls were taken from consumers for support services.
299
Consumers with disabilities were assisted with housing needs.
255
Disabled Chicagoans received case management support through our partnership with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities.
247
Home visits were completed to deliver meals, make assessments and provide assistance.
164
High school youth with disabilities prepared to transition into higher education or the workforce through our youth leadership trainings in 16 schools.
141
Disabled consumers received assistive technology devices and the necessary training to use them to live more independently.
110
Personal assistant trainings were held to empower people with disabilities in their daily lives.
142
Individuals were recruited and trained as personal assistants for people with disabilities.
19
Households received our housing counseling services to improve living conditions.
92
Disabled consumers transitioned out of nursing facilities.
29
Cross-disability support group sessions were held as community-building space and peer support as we transitioned into a post-COVID hybrid environment.
31
Disabled consumers graduated from an 11-week financial literacy training, and shared that they have improved their financial positions as a result.
Our Civil Rights
733
People learned about the fair housing rights of people with disabilities.
55
New fair housing and Americans with Disabilities Act cases were handled with favorable results received in 16 cases. Many cases are still pending.
51
Fair housing tests were conducted.
16
Disability discrimination cases were resolved.
22
Fair housing trainings were conducted.
Our Advocacy and Outreach
Consulting & Training
Access Living worked with more than 21 corporate, foundation and nonprofit clients this year to provide disability inclusion training and consulting as part of their overall diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility efforts.
Digital Divide
Access Living launched a new digital program to get laptops, digital education, and internet connectivity to disabled people who want to empower their independence through technology.
Diversion & Reentry
Access Living developed the Accessible Public Safety Campaign to advance policy solutions that reduce mass incarceration and recidivism of people with disabilities.
Economic Empowerment
Access Living launched targeted policy work to support wealth building and economic empowerment for people with disabilities and increased our capacity to increase the financial stability of people with disabilities by helping to repair their credit, build savings accounts, and become banked.
Education
We advocated for and won the passage of two different education bills to support students with disabilities as they transition to colleges or universities and secured a commitment from the Illinois State Board of Education to provide guidance to Illinois schools on documenting informal school removals.
Healthcare
Access Living supported the passage of the Illinois Healthcare Cultural Competency Bill which will require healthcare professionals to complete cultural competency training, improving healthcare for a wide range of groups, including people with disabilities.
Housing
Access Living and CIL partners from around the state supported the passage of a new Illinois bill that will create a new state funding stream for disabled statewide to make their homes accessible.
Latinx and Immigration
Access Living continued its work to empower and support immigrants and refugees with disabilities and protect the desperately needed healthcare benefits for undocumented immigrants.
Legal Support
Access Living and our partnering attorneys finished discovery in our lawsuit against the City of Chicago, finding the City has failed to enforce accessible housing standards in its 50,000-unit affordable housing program, preventing people with disabilities from accessing those units.
Mental Health
Access Living supported the passage of a key bill to improve mental health parity and expand access to mental health services by increasing patient provider options.
Racial Justice
Access Living launched the Survivors of Firearm/Gun Violence Resource Project, a new initiative focused on supporting and understanding this community of survivors – those who have acquired a disability due to gun violence – and determining what future role Access Living can play in order to meet their needs.
Transportation
Drawing on insights from a broad spectrum of community members and partners, Access Living developed a comprehensive guide to Chicago-area transportation, paratransit, program offerings, and procedural guidance from major transit providers for people with disabilities, laypeople, and the newly disabled.
Strategic Plan Snapshot
Organizational Stability
In November of 2022, Access Living received the single largest donation in our organization’s 40+ year history: an $8 million dollar gift from philanthropist McKenzie Scott. These unrestricted funds were earmarked for the long-term financial stability of Access Living, and to advance our strategic priorities including economic opportunity, racial and health equity, greater community-based supports and digital inclusion.
Systems Accountability
In keeping with our commitment to systems changes that advance us towards a more equitable future, Access Living and its Board of Directors emphatically restructured our compensation policies to ensure our actions and rhetoric remain aligned.
Organizational Visibility
In 2023, Access Living had seven individual staff members selected to serve on Mayor Brandon Johnson’s inaugural transition committees, in addition to one staff member serving as Co-Chair of Johnson’s Human Rights, Equity and Inclusion Subcommittee.
Our Arts and Culture
Collaborating Arts Organizations
Collaborating Artists
Our FY2023 Board of Directors
Officers
Kevin Bradley
HUB International
Board Chair
Chad E. Turner
Bank of America
Treasurer
Denise Avant
National Federation of the Blind of Illinois
Vice Chair
Karin M. Norington-Reaves
Secretary
Members
Ken Bennett
Social Works
Jennifer Brown
Resource Development & Communications Committee Chair
Kristen Carey
Northern Trust
Resource Development & Communications Committee Vice Chair
Sangeeta Patel Driver, MD MPH
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
Will Haffner
Hon. Neil Hartigan
Anthony Hinton
Leah Jaron
Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies
Dr. Zachary Kordik
Modern Mental Health
Ben Lumicao
Allstate
Nominating & Board Development Committee Chair
Chaitanya Manchanda
Discover
Wilson Mantilla
Peoples Gas
Rosanna A. Márquez
AARP
Nancy Prussian-Weber
General Parking Corporation
Shari Runner
The Humanity Institute
Program Committee Chair
John Schmidt
Mayer Brown LLP
Molly Walsh, J.P. Morgan
Our FY2023 Young Professionals Council
Justin Cooper, President
Rachel Wittenberg, Social Media Chair
Laura Maule, Secretary & Friendraising Chair
Michelle Bonin, Friendraising Chair
Ellis Wills-Begley, Recruitment Chair
John William Abbate
Joshua Adams
Azeema Akram
Chris Alessia
Nora Ames
Sarah Arora
Natalia Avila
Margot Macaulay Babington
BACKBONES
Becky Baker
Ray Baker
Vishal Bansal
Molly M. Bathje
Brianna Beck
Drew Beres
Jasmine Betancourt
Bavna Bhagavat
Maggie Bridger
Faith K. Brown
Jenny Burke
Jezabel Cardenas
Nirali Chauhan
Tonera Chiume
Candace Coleman
Kate Connolly
Carson Creamer
Elizabeth Cummings
Timothy M. Curtis
Melissa Dappen
Anton Dietzen
Abby L. Draper
Chelsea Emond
Norberto Escobales
Bridget Evans
Seth Feldman
Haley Elizabeth Feller
Alicia Gallegos
Katie Garvey
Tara Giuliano
Kevin Griffin
Greg Grigoropoulos
Emily Hall
Jess Hauert
Jenna Heffron
Bradley Stavros Heit
Stephen D. Hiatt-Leonard
Russell Houser
Rachel Howland
Sharon Lee Hsieh
Megan Hufnagel
Kelsey Ibach
Ben Jacobi
Leigh Juranitch
Adam Kahn
Nicholas Kaleel
Ravi Kasi
Erin Kim
Arjun G Kumar
Kapil Kumar
Angela Larson
Josh Lewis
Jonathan Lira
Christopher A Ly
Zhiying Ma
Chaitanya Manchanda
Amy Mashburn
Ryan McGraw
Janie Mejias
Abraham Melendez
Kaitlin Miller
Aziza Nassar
Greg Oguss
Neel Patel
Radhika Patel
Shivam Patel
Viki Peer
David Pirszel
Boss Povieng
Caitlin Powers
Caitlin Regan
Sylvie Sabones
Elizabeth Schroeder
Ray Shipley
Morgan Stasell
Alan Stupnitsky
Maggie Sugrue
Glenna Sullivan
Alex Tapas
Kim The
Hannah Thompson
Theresa Tran
Irene Tseng
Ismail Umer
Will Vandenberg
Amelia Wallrich
Kelsey Watters
Alli Wickes
Temaka Williams
Elizabeth Wirtz
Hye-Jin Yun
Robert Zimmerman
Russell Zimmerman
The 2023 Access Living Gala
The 2023 Lead On Award: Lachi
This year, Access Living’s signature Lead On award went to multi-award-winning artist, GRAMMY Awards Board DEI Ambassador and Founder and President of RAMPD.org, Lachi.
Born legally blind, Lachi has dedicated her platform and craft to amplifying disability culture, promoting inclusion and advocating for accessibility in the music industry.
The Access Living Lifetime Achievement Award: Judy Heumann
At the 2023 Gala, Access Living announced the Judy Heumann International Disability Institute, through which we will remember Judy and honor her legacy as we build a more inclusive world for disabled people.
2023 Lead On Gala Supporters and Sponsors
Gala Changemaker Sponsors
Gala Visionary Sponsors
Gala Leadership Sponsors
Gala Host Committee
Our Funders
Corporations and Foundations
Individual Donors
In-Kind Donors
Marca Bristo Legacy Campaign
In Memory
$25 Million Leadership Campaign
Planned Giving Legacy Society
Public Funding
Tribute Gifts
What’s Next at Access Living
Closing the Digital Divide
Access Living is proud to introduce our new Digital Accessibility Consulting Team, a group of experts in assessing and remediating websites, apps, and digital spaces. As part of Access Living’s consulting and training, they will work closely with consulting clients from across sectors to achieve accessible, inclusive digital spaces. This new team reflects our commitment to inclusivity across both physical and digital spaces, and furthering our goal of building a more accessible and equitable society for all.
Survivors of Firearm/Gun Violence Resource Project
As we move into phase two of the Survivors of Firearm/Gun Violence Resource Project, we are preparing to establish two new internal staff positions specific to this new area of work. With the insights we gained from impacted community members during phase one of this project, we will be on-boarding a part time peer mentor and a full-time benefits coordinator to provide direct services to consumers as part of our ongoing work with the survivors of firearm violence.
The Independent Living Technology Program
As a result of our 2021 technology pilot program, the Independent Living Technology Program (ILTP) was developed to empower and support people with disabilities in gaining equitable access to technology and digital resources.
This brand new direct service program is already making an impact on our consumers, with full rosters of learners during each seven-week class series and a waiting list of other interested consumers. This program meets a crucial need by providing disabled individuals with essential technology and internet skills, enabling them to lead fuller, more independent lives.
Our Financials
For security purposes, we post our financials as a PDF. Download our statements of financial position: June 30, 2023 and 2022.