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Illinois Advocacy Organizations

Caregiver Resource Centers in Illinois
This link provides resources to all of the aging caregiver centers in the state of Illinois.

Center for Child Welfare and Education
The Center aims to assist the education and development of children and youth who have been abused or neglected. Its work contributes to the body of knowledge and influences training and practice to positively affect educational outcomes of this population. Ultimately, the mission is to ensure academic success and social competence in school for every child in custody.

Coalition Against Sexual Abuse of Children with Disabilities (CASACD)
The Coalition Against Sexual Abuse of Children with Disabilities (CASACD) aims to influence thoughtful and inclusive decisions that affect the systemic responses to cases of sexual abuse involving children with disabilities, promote primary prevention strategies and explore ways to exact policy change. Led by Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center, 23 core partners represent social service, prevention, law enforcement, medical, advocacy and mental health disciplines

Equip for Equality
The mission of Equip for Equality is to advance the human and civil rights of children and adults with physical and mental disabilities in Illinois. It is the only statewide, cross-disability, comprehensive advocacy organization providing self-advocacy assistance, legal services, and disability rights education while also engaging in public policy and legislative advocacy and conducting abuse investigations and other oversight activities.

Family Voices of Illinois/Family to Family Health Information Center
Family Voices, a national grassroots network of families and friends, advocates for health care services that are family-centered, community-based, comprehensive, coordinated and culturally competent for all children and youth with special health care needs; promotes the inclusion of all families as decision makers at all levels of health care; and supports essential partnerships between families and professionals.

Illinois Imagines
Illinois Imagines is a statewide project to improve services to women with disabilities who have been victims of sexual violence. The project is directed by the Illinois Department of Human Services, Illinois rape crisis centers, disability service agencies and self-advocates. Collaborative teams have been established in 30 communities across the state.

Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living
As the association for CILs, we advocate for independence, inclusion, equal opportunity and civil rights in every arena – and we serve as an authoritative source on many critical issues facing the disability community.

Illinois Public Transportation Association
The Illinois Public Transportation Association is an organization dedicated to achieving the best public transportation service possible. We will accomplish this through: Advocating the value of public transportation, representing the legislative, regulatory and administrative interests of member, and providing a forum for the exchange of information, ideas and experiences.

Illinois Self-Advocacy Alliance
Our vision is for self-advocates to work together to get the support we need and to live the life we want in the community.

Ligas Family Advocate Program
The Ligas Family Advocate Program has one purpose – to connect recipients of Ligas award letters seeking Home Based or CILA services and their families with family advocates who are knowledgeable about creative ways to utilize their Ligas funding to build successful lives in the community.

The Arc of Illinois
The Arc of Illinois is committed to empowering persons with disabilities to achieve full participation in community life through informed choices. The Arc of Illinois, consistently recognized as an effective leader in working with others to provide informed choices, is the champion of quality services, empowerment and equality for all people with developmental disabilities and their families.

The Family Support Network of Illinois
The mission of the Family Support Network is to unify individuals with disabilities and their families to advocate for funding, services, and community resources that strengthen and support the individual and the family directly by responding to their individual needs and empowering them to live in their own homes. The Family Support Network further seeks to ensure the continuation of all individual supports throughout the life span of the individual.

UIC – Department of Disability and Human Development
The Institute on Disability and Human Development (IDHD) is the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service (UCEDD) for the State of Illinois currently authorized under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (the DD Act). The mission of the Institute on Disability and Human Development is to promote the independence, productivity and inclusion of people with disabilities into all aspects of society. The IDHD serves as a bridge between academia and the community of Americans with developmental disabilities.