The Illinois Spring Legislative Session came to a close last week. Our Advocacy Newsletter subscribers received this information already. Interested in getting advocacy updates to your inbox? Sign up here (just scroll down!). 

The Illinois General Assembly approved the FY2025 budget in the wee hours of Wednesday, May 29. The budget implementation bill includes a $1 per hour DSP wage increase to be implemented in January 2025 (page 40/403). This was a tough budget due to higher spending pressures and lower revenues than the state has experienced over the last few years, and we are thrilled to have accomplished a wage increase for Direct Support Professionals. 

2024 was surely an uphill battle: we began with the state proposing $87 million in cuts to funding for nearly 2.5 million DSP service hours. In February, the proposed budget included $0 towards a DSP wage increase. Now, we have solidified a $1 per hour increase (.75 direct pass through and .25 flexible spending) - this accomplishment is thanks to your advocacy! 

What happened with HB793, the Dignity in Pay Act? Unfortunately, although the Dignity in Pay Act passed the Illinois House, the Illinois Senate ended its Spring Session without taking action on Dignity in Pay. We were thrilled with the final vote in the House – last year, we missed passing it by one vote, and this year it passed the House with 78 votes! On an even brighter side: there is potential to move it this fall during the legislature’s “veto session.” 

Other legislation we were watching that passed: 

HB5276 – This bill mandates that the transition planning process for students with disabilities must include an assessment of their assistive technology needs. Assistive technology needs to be considered both during transition-related activities and in post-school environments. 

HB5354 – This bill strengthens and expands the Customized Employment for Individuals with Disabilities Act by renaming and extending the program, setting clear standards for customized employment, and establishing a detailed reporting and participant diversity requirements. The goal is to provide more structed support for individuals with disabilities in achieving competitive integrated employment, while also ensuring continuous improvement and accountability through data collection and reporting. 

SB3201 – This bill mandates the development and implementation of autism-informed training for law enforcement officers, aiming to enhance their ability to identify and appropriately respond to individuals with autism. It also encourages the development of model policies for law enforcement agencies and includes autism-informed training as part of the ongoing in-service training requirements for officers.  

Thank you for your continued advocacy and support! Let's keep this momentum for veto session! 

In other news, this is my last newsletter. It has been such a joy to make legislative advocacy accessible for you all. I am so proud of the work we have done, the legislators we have visited with, the bills that have moved or passed. It has been wonderful to support you all as you learn about the legislative system. I hope you always remember that your voice matters. Speak up and speak out.  

Celebrate great news with us! 

We are pleased to announce that Going Home Coalition has been awarded funding through The Grassroots Project administered by Human Services Research Institute (HSRI) with funding from the Administration for Community Living (ACL) to continue our much-needed advocacy work.  

We are also tremendously grateful to The Coleman Foundation for our continuing funding and the momentum it has provided Going Home Coalition. 

On June 26th at 3:00 pm, Going Home Coalition welcomes Jennifer Knapp of Community Vision for a virtual meeting.  

Her presentation will focus on the opportunities for independence through a service model called Supported Living.  Many states across the country are using Supported Living to offer one-on-one support to adults with DD who live in their own apartment. She will share the experience of Community Vision, a disability provider in Portland, Oregon, who supports people with significant disabilities to live on their own. 

Jennifer has 20 years of experience in the disability service field. She is currently the Executive Director at Community Vision, a disability provider agency in Portland, Oregon that is an industry leader in offering individualized in-home support, affordable housing, assistive technology, and employment services. In her role, she engages in state-wide advocacy and local community partnerships to support the inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of life. Jennifer has worked for Community Vision since 2016. 

 

Prior to moving to Oregon, Jennifer served as founder and Executive Director of Community Choices, a cooperative in Illinois offering innovative services to support people with disabilities live on their own. 

 

Special thanks to Coalition members and ICDD funded Partner in Policymaking Class 4 graduates, Paul Blobaum of IPADDUnite, and Shirley Sains for collaborating and organizing this meeting topic.  

Please contact admin@thearcofil.org to receive a meeting invitation and membership form to join Going Home Coalition. 

Da Wen and Rosalie are also founding members of REV UP Illinois and are working on raising awareness on the importance of the disability vote!  

Your Vote Matters! 

REV UP Illinois’ mission is to build the power of the disability vote through increasing civic engagement in the disability community and improving the accessibility of elections. REV UP stands for ‘Register, Educate, Vote, Use your Power!’ The coalition, comprised of individuals and organizations will offer participants opportunities to engage in presentations on voter education and registration, voter registration events, polling place accessibility audits, dissemination of accessible voting information, and other grassroots initiatives to empower the disability vote. 

Contact admin@thearcofil.org to learn more, be added to the upcoming REV UP Illinois kick off meeting list, participate in REV UP Illinois activities and access disability voting resources! 

 

In 2023, REV UP presented over 2 dozen in-person and virtual statewide events for transition programs, parent’s groups, day service programs, and The Arc of Illinois’ events such as the Speak Up and Speak Out Summit.  

Presentations in state operated developmental centers have created ongoing success in registering people to vote and getting resident’s other important documents in order. This year, REV UP Illinois has been present at the IDHS Community Resource Fairs in the Choate, Murray, Ludeman, Kiley, and Shapiro State Operated Developmental Centers and will be on-site at upcoming events at Mabley, and Fox.  

The Arc of Illinois’s 2023 REV UP grant extensively expanded its breadth of outreach. Data estimates that more than 260,000 people had access to its outreach through presentations and radio interviews. 

This year, REV UP Illinois participated in The Arc of Illinois Conference and will be on-site for upcoming events including The Illinois Special Olympics Summer Games, The Arc of Illinois Executive Leadership Conference, and Disability Pride Parade.  

Disability Voters Right Week (DVRW) will take place September 9th through 13th, 2024.  Highlights of last year’s Disability Voters Rights Week included proclamations by Governor Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. The pictures taken at last year’s Disability Pride Parade were edited into a video for DVRW and used on The Arc of Illinois’ and Going Home Coalition’s social media platforms. Illinois State Board of Elections also partnered with The Arc of Illinois around Disability Voter Rights Week creating a bilingual accessible voting resource guide.  

Remember the words of American activist Fannie Lou Hamer to heart when she said, “If you don't vote, you don't count.” 

 

Make your vote matter!