Illinois Youth with Disabilities Leadership Summit is an inovative and exciting four-day leadership program for young people ages 17 to 24 that have any type of disability.  The Summit will be held July 26 through July 29, 2009 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. There is NO COST to attend this event. Complete the application packet by June 19, 2009.

Any questions contact Tara Dunning at the State Independent Living Center (217) 744-7777 (V/TTY)

These websites have online instructions and pictures to teach American Sign Language:

American Sign Language Browser

Lesson Tutor

Handspeak.com

St. Philip’s College, Texas

ASL Video Dictionary and Inflection Guide

The Topic: American Sign Language

ASLPro  

ASL Videopedia

A new National Center for Parents with Disabilities and their Families, has been established in Berkeley, California under the auspices of Through the Looking Glass, a non-profit organization founded in 1982. The Center will oversee several national research studies concerning parents with disabilities and their families, as well as provide consultations, trainings and publications to parents, family members and professionals.

The research and resources of the Center will address the nearly 9 million U.S. parents with disabilities - 15% of all American families. Parents with disabilities include mothers and fathers in all disability categories - such as parents with physical disabilities, deaf parents, blind parents, parents with psychiatric or cognitive disabilities. 

The Center will focus its research and resource activities on four critical areas that impact parents with disabilities: custody, family roles and personal assistance; paratransit; and, intervention with parents  with cognitive disabilities and their children. One of the notable

activities planned over the next three years is a scholarship program for high school seniors and college students whose parents have disabilities. The Center will be staffed by nationally recognized experts regarding parents with disabilities, most of whom have personal or family experience with disability or deafness.

More information about the Center and Through the Looking Glass is available at the organization's website (www.lookingglass.org), or by email at tlg@lookingglass.org

The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Library has released a new edition of the Community Services Locator, an online directory that can be used by service providers and families to find health, mental health, family support, parenting, child care, and other services in their communities. Topics include education and special needs, health and wellness, mental health and well-being, family support, parenting, child care and early childhood education, and financial support. It is available online at http://www.mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/kp_community.html

"Change in the Wind" is a Q & A Document from the Family to Family Health Information and Education Center of The Arc of Illinois. This document lists audience questions and answers by seminar speakers on Medicaid for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs. Speakers represented the following agencies: Division of Specialized Care for Children; Doral Dental of Illinois; Illinois Health Connect; Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Developmental Disabilities; and The Arc of Illinois.  

The Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities (ICDD) has funded a project designed to improve receuitment and retention of Direct Support professionals in Illinois, who are competent and confident in the skills needed to provide quality supports and services  to individuals with developmental disablities. The Initiative has created two versions (family and individual) of a toolkit , at  www.ildspinitiative.com, designed to provide easy-to-use tips and strategies to help people find, choose and keep high quality Direct Support professionals. You can download a copy from the website of either version or both versions of  "Find, Choose, and Keep Great Direct Support Professionals".

The Arc of Illinois Family to Family Health Information and Education Center has developed a guide to back-to-school related services and accomodations for children with special needs titled "Tools for Schools". The guide covers many school related services with identified websites.

The National Center for Learning Disabilities has recently developed a comprehensive Parent Guide explaining the special education law called the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA:
http://www.ncld.org/content/view/902/456086/

DSCC established a Family Advisory Council in July 1999 which meets three times per year, (July, November & March), to provide onging and diverse family perspectives to the agency. Council members are selected to represent the cultural, social and geographic diversity of the Illinois children with special health care needs receiving agency services. The Council is coordinated by a parent, Mr. Bob Cook, who serves as the agency's Family Liaison Specialist. He coordinates Council meetings, publication of the family newsletter, Special Addition, and serves as a liaison for staff and families. More information about the Family Advisory Council (text-only version) is available on our website.