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Illinois Life Span Program

Statewide Resources and Information, Focused on Developmental Disability Services and Supports

Illinois Life Span (ILS) is a program of The Arc of Illinois – a statewide advocacy organization committed to empowering people with disabilities to achieve full participation in community life through informed choices.

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The search buttons below will take you to frequently requested resources in your County and Statewide. If you can’t find what you need or just want additional help, please call us at 1-800-588-7002.

If you can’t find what you need or just want additional help,
please call us at 1-800-588-7002.

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Resource Toolbox

Advocacy information specific to available disability services and supports in Illinois, arranged by topic.

Resource Links
Related Links

An extensive list of links to helpful resources, organized by category.

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Statewide Event Calendar

Discover upcoming programming, conferences, and trainings.

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Fact Sheets from The Arc of Illinois

Documents and information created by The Arc of Illinois and Programs of The Arc of Illinois

Webinar Videos
Monthly Webinars

Where to go to find information about recorded Monthly Webinars

Resource Toolbox

Advocacy information specific to available disability services and supports in Illinois, arranged by topic.

View Resource Toolbox
Related Links

An extensive list of links to helpful resources, organized by category.

View Related Links
Statewide Event Calendar

Discover upcoming programming, conferences, and trainings.

View Statewide Event Calendar
Fact Sheets from The Arc of Illinois

Documents and information created by The Arc of Illinois and Programs of The Arc of Illinois

View Fact Sheets from The Arc
View Fact Sheets from The Arc in Spanish
Monthly Webinars

Where to go to find information about recorded Monthly Webinars

View Webinars
View Webinars in Spanish

About Us

The Illinois Life Span Program has been in existence since 2001, providing information and resources on advocacy, supports and services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities of all ages, their family members, and others statewide.

Rocio Perez, MSW, LCSW, CRS-A/D

Rocio is Director of the Illinois Life Span Program. She is married and has two adult children. Her oldest is an adult with Autism.  Her background in Social Work complements her lifelong goal for her son Tony to have as many choices as possible. Prior to joining, The Arc of Illinois, Rocio worked at well-known not for profits such as Metropolitan Family Services, Community Support Services, and Community Alternatives Unlimited.  She has worked for the Arc of IL since December 2018.  She started out working for both The Illinois Life Span Program and The Family to Family Information Center where she was mentored by Deb Fornoff and Faye Manaster.   She moved over full time to The Illinois Life Span Program in 2019 and was promoted to Assistant Director in 2020.    Today, she is the Director of the Life Span Program and looks forward to continuing the legacy of Ms. Fornoff and her co-workers.

La Sra Perez es casada y tiene dos hijos adultos. Su mayor es un adulto con autismo.  Su experiencia en el campo de Servicio Social complementa su objetivo de toda la vida de que su hijo Tony tenga tantas opciones como sea posible. Antes de unirse al Arc of Illinois, Rocío trabajó en conocidas empresas sin fines de lucro como Metropolitan Family Services, Community Support Services y Community Alternatives Unlimited. Ella ha trabajado para el Arc of Illinois desde diciembre de 2018.  Comenzó a trabajando para the Illinois Life Span Program  y El Centro de Información de Salud. Sus mentores han sido Las Sras. Deb Fornoff y Faye Manaster.   En 2019, se dedico tiempo completo al Programa Life Span de Illinois y fue promovida a directora asistente en 2020.    Hoy en día, es la Directora del Programa Life Span y espera continuar el legado de la Sra. Fornoff y sus compañeros de trabajo.

Suzanne Aaron, CRS-A/D

Suzanne is the Information and Outreach Specialist for the Illinois Life Span program for northern Illinois. She has worked and volunteered in the areas of disability advocacy and family support since 2008. She and her husband are the proud parents of a young adult with I/DD and Autism. Her passion is helping families access and understand services that are available to them so they are empowered to build an included and meaningful life with their loved one with disabilities. She is a 2018 graduate of Illinois Partners in Policymaking and has navigated disability services in the states of Illinois, Ohio and Indiana. 

Vicki Borlin

Vicki Borlin is dedicated to helping families find resources that enable them to navigate the sometimes difficult world of raising a child with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities.  She holds a public relations degree from the University of Central Missouri.  Vicki is also a 2023 UIC LEND  (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities) graduate. She has a two children, one of whom has a genetic disorder, autism and special healthcare needs.  Raising a child with disabilities spurred her to become her daughter’s biggest advocate and has taught her how to keep fighting for what is best for her children.

Faye Manaster

Faye has been with The Arc of Illinois for over 13 years. Her unique qualifications include over forty years of professional experience in the areas of special education, family support, early intervention, and public health. Faye is the parent of an adult daughter who is deafblind, and has cerebral palsy. She became involved as a volunteer with Family Voices, Inc., our national umbrella organization, in 1992 based on her experiences as the parent of an uninsured child with multiple special healthcare needs.

Tiffany Steinhauser, M.Ed., CRS-A/D

Tiffany Steinhauser, M.Ed. is the Information and Outreach Specialist for the Illinois Life Span Program. Advocacy is something that is close to her heart and has led her to spend her life teaching, advocating, and supporting parents.  As an educator of children with disabilities for many years, she has found there to be a huge need for more family resources and supports. Tiffany is a parent to two children. In her free time, her husband and she both enjoy camping and boating. Tiffany also enjoys reading and being outdoors. Tiffany holds a Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Special Education from Quincy University (IL) and a Master’s Degree in Education Administration from Williams Wood University (MO).

Need More Help?

If you need additional assistance, call our toll-free line at 1-800-588-7022 or send us a message.

Resources listed on this website do not constitute an endorsement by the Illinois Life Span Project, The Arc of Illinois, or the Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Developmental Disabilities. The Illinois Life Span mission is to provide comprehensive resources and information on advocacy, supports and services to people with disabilities, families and professionals statewide. Please contact us if you find incorrect/outdated information or are aware of resources not currently included. Thank you.