The Alliance News. Vision. Mission. Wednesday, May 24, 2017 Going Home Rally State Capitol Springfield, Illinois. Issue 69 June 2017.

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1 The Alliance News Issue 69 June 2017 In This Issue Self-Advocates are Page 2 3, 5 Leaders Leadership & Advocacy Page 4 Information Learning Opportunity Page 6 Vision Our vision is for self-advocates to work together to get the support we need to live the life we want in the community. Mission Our mission is to speak up for ourselves and each other while working together to make changes in our communities and in Illinois. The Alliance is proud to be an Initiative of the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities Going Home Rally Day Page 7 Pictures Wednesday, May 24, 2017 Going Home Rally State Capitol Springfield, Illinois Self-Advocates, Allies, Family Members, Friends attending the rally Legislators receiving handwritten postcards and information about the importance of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities living a full life in the community Press conference - 1 Speakers sharing their personal message of community living at the rally - 13 Standing with and beside self-advocates as they speak up and speak out about their rightful place in the community PRICELESS See page 8 for pictures from the rally! Illinois Self-Advocacy Alliance PO Box 666 Park Forest, IL krescenebeck@gmail.com Website: Find us on Facebook at Illinois Self-Advocacy Alliance

2 Self-Advocates are Leaders Page 2 May 2017 Webinar Recording! Everything Begins with a Dream ~ recorded live on From hearing an idea at Speak Up and Speak Out 2016 and turning it into a dream, you ll learn from Brian, self-advocate and member of Livingston County Advocates in Action (LCAA) (Pontiac), as he shares about the obstacles and the support he found along the way. Dreams really can come true! Access the recording at Everything Begins with a Dream presenters (left to right) Brian Antczak, self-advocate; Tracey Wyant, ally/advisor; Kristin Holtzhauer, Pontiac Public Library Director Judy, Terry, Melissa, and Kimberly, self-advocates from CTF Advocacy Center (Charleston) recently attended a Traveling Help Desk meeting with the district director from US Congressman John Sminkus' office. During the meeting, Judy and Terry spoke up and asked about funding for services and accessibility for people with disabilities while Kimberly spoke up about the need for respect for all people. After the meeting was over, Kimberly summed up her experience by saying "Now we are getting somewhere"! Sandra Clymo, Alliance Self-Advocate Leader, has begun work with Proud & Included, a new initiative to create community and inclusion for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who identify as LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning). Sandra will be teaching others how to speak out for themselves and others in their community as well as teach staff at The Center on Halstead how to include people with disabilities in their community. Sandra says that working on this project is a dream come true for her and she hopes to help people build relationships and to create a family that they may have never had.

3 Self-Advocates are Leaders Page 3 Meet Tabitha, artist and member of Livingston County Advocates in Action (LCAA) (Pontiac). Tabitha has many siblings that love to draw, and she gets her skills from them as well as from her high school art teachers. Tabitha started drawing in high school and has been drawing a long time. In junior high she created a piece of art out of cardboard; in high school, she drew a picture out of a glass mirror. Tabitha took art for five years in school, and received an art award in high school! Tabitha recently completed an oil on canvas piece titled "Springtime". It shows her love of trees in springtime. The picture reminds her that every time she sees a colorful tree in spring she feels blessed and happy. On Friday, May 12, 2017, self-advocates from member group Livingston County Advocates in Action (LCAA) (Pontiac) presented to 50+ high school transition students at the Livingston County Transition Fair Livingston County Transition Fair. Sessions included Welcome to the Self Advocacy Jungle, Respect ~ It s something to Roar About!, On the Hunt! for Relationships, and Caught in the Web! Social Media Safety. This year s Speak Up and Speak Out Summit will be held Monday, October 30, 2017 Wednesday, November 1, 2017 at the Wyndham Hotel (formerly Hilton Hotel) in Springfield, Illinois. This year the theme is We are all Champions! and will focus on providing self-advocates with information to help empower them to use their voice to make positive choices and changes in their life. Are you interested in being a leader and presenting at the Speak Up and Speak Out Summit? The Arc of Illinois is accepting completed proposals through June 16, For a Call for Speaker packet, please contact Krescene Beck at or her at krescenebeck@gmail.com.

4 Learning and Advocacy Information Page 4 New Initiative Seeks to Enhance Employment Opportunities for People with Disabilities Employment Rights Helpline On May 1, 2017, Equip for Equality launched an exciting initiative called the Employment Rights Helpline. The Helpline is a new, free, statewide service to provide people with disabilities with legal rights information and advice, as well as self-advocacy assistance to help them navigate employment issues that arise. The concept of the Employment Rights Helpline was an outgrowth of ADA 25 Chicago, a year-long initiative launched by The Chicago Community Trust that inspired hundreds of partner organizations to leverage the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act by expanding inclusion in the Chicago region. The Trust is also the primary funder of the Employment Rights Helpline. Historically, the unemployment rate for people with disabilities has been significantly higher than that for the general population making the need for an Employment Rights Helpline especially critical. To access the Helpline, people with disabilities can call toll-free: RIGHTS-9 (or ) and a trained attorney will respond to the call. People with disabilities can also the Helpline at employment@equipforequality.org. Helpline staff can: Discuss legal rights under the ADA Answer employment rights questions Assist with reasonable accommodation requests Help understand options Share fact sheets, sample letters and forms Building on its successful Special Education Clinic Helpline, Equip for Equality will be reaching out to the private bar for pro bono assistance with the Employment Rights Helpline. It is anticipated that pro bono attorney participation will exponentially expand the Helpline s capacity, allowing Equip for Equality to assist many more people with disabilities. For more information contact: Barry C. Taylor at , barryt@equipforequality.org Rachel Weisberg at , rachelw@equipforequality.org Information about the Helpline can be found on-line at: The Alliance Staff Contact Information Megan Norlin, Advocacy Coordinator megan.advocacy@gmail.com Krescene Beck, Program Coordinator krescenebeck@gmail.com Tara Wickey, Community Organizer tara.advocacy@gmail.com Leanne Roth, Organizational Coordinator leanneadvocacy@gmail.com

5 Self-Advocates are Leaders Page 5 Living with Purpose, Passion and Possibilities The Arc of Illinois Annual Conference April 26-27, 2017 On April 26, Envision for Freedom and Alliance Ambassadors presented SelfAdvocacy Strategies for 2017 : Self-advocates and staff will learn together how to increase the confidence and skills of individual advocacy group members which in turn will increase the overall effectiveness of local groups. On April 27, DSC (Developing Social Connections) (Champaign) self-advocates Carrie Brown, Charles Elliott, Dorie Roberts, and Darren Wolken presented Expect the Best How to Get the Most Out of You Support Staff : This presentation, developed by self-advocates, discusses how to resolve conflicts with support staff. They will also share how advocates are getting involved in hiring, training, and evaluation of staff. Thanks to self-advocates for speaking up and speaking out and sharing important information at the conference!

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7 Going Home Rally Pictures Page 7 Photos Willow Lane Photography Check out all the Going Home Rally photos at