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Provides assistance with regaining or maintaining independence in the home and community. Primarily serves those who, due to advanced age or secondary disability, do not wish to obtain paid employment. Rehabilitation teachers travel throughout the state to assist with learning simple techniques to complete everyday tasks such as marking canned goods when a person can no longer read the labels, dialing the telephone, using the microwave or oven, identifying clothing and medications, getting around in the community safely, obtaining newspaper reading programs, and much more.

A program designed to provide community-based services that will meet the needs of individuals with brain injuries and help prevent unnecessary institutionalization.

- Advocates for the civil rights of individuals with disabilities.

- Coordinates public disability awareness activities including presentations to community groups.

- Assists individuals with hearing and speech disabilities access communication needs.

- Assists with independent living skills training (money management, assertiveness training, self-advocacy, etc.).

- Provides information and referral services.

- Provides peer mentoring for individual and group settings.

- Provides transition services such as moving qualified individuals from nursing facilities or other institutions to independent living.

- Assists youth with disabilities transition from high school to adult life.

- Provides personal assistant services.

- Operates a Community Advocacy Training program for youth and adults.

- Assists individuals with vision loss or blindness acquire assistive devices and skills training.

- Operates a medical equipment loan program.

- Provides mentoring for parents of youth with disabilities.

Advocacy and services for persons with all types of disabilities including skills training, peer counseling, information and referral, and technical assistance about the Americans with Disabilities Act.

- Blind Services works with individuals one-on-one to instruct persons who have lost (or are losing) their vision, on how to read Braille and organize their household and travel. Produces and replicates Braille materials. Translates materials such as menus and brochures into Braille and produces multiple copies as a service to the community. (There is a normal cost per Braille page produced, plus $25 per hour for formatting.)

- Captioning at Real Time (CART) provides the translation of spoken words into text using a stenotype machine operated by a stenographer/reporter. Real-time software is used to display the text onto a computer monitor, and a projector or other device is used to display the text on a television or larger screen. CART is especially valuable in large meetings or in communications with a person who is deaf or has hearing loss. CART can be utilized in following settings: community events and workshops, government, legal, educational, medical, theater and auditorium, and captioning of movies and videos.

- Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services provides one-on-one services for independent living skills training, information and referral, advocacy, and peer counseling. Serves as a TTY Distribution site for ITAC (Illinois Telecommunications Access Commission), which provides free TTY devices to Illinois residents. Distributes applications for Iowa TTY distributions for Iowa residents who are qualified (speech impaired or hard of hearing). Distributes amplified phones for residents of Illinois of all ages who have a difficult time hearing on the phone.

- Provides information and resources on low-tech independent living devices such as magnifiers, talking watches, etc., when funding is available.

- Housing assistance provides information and problem-solving assistance with locating and securing affordable, accessible housing, including research into public and private-sector housing markets.

- Information and Referral service provides information through Illinois/Iowa Center for Independent Living's system and library. Requests for information can be made by phone, mail, or in person, and can include loans of library materials.

- Outreach services offers presentations, brochures, media releases, public service announcements, media interviews, and video programs to inform the public of programs and services offered.

- Volunteers are utilized in programs, services, and office operations; volunteers receive training and supervision appropriate to their duties.

Provides supported employment services for individuals with disabilities to obtain and maintain community employment. 

RAMP works with students and their families to learn the laws that protect the rights of a student with a disability, how to navigate the maze of community services, and to learn the skills required to achieve their goals.

Services include legal rights training, self-advocacy skills training, peer support, independent living skills training, transition planning guidance, educational workshops, and assistance with letter writing.

Provides informational and educational programming targeted toward a consumer or a group of consumers with the intent to develop or increase the skills, knowledge and/or abilities required to live, work and play in the community.

Programs offered include self-advocacy and awareness, life skills training, braille training, TTY training, personal assistant information, interpreter referrals and equipment demonstration and loan.

Provides peer support counseling, information and referral to services that help disabled individuals, skills training, advocacy for persons with disabilities and their families and disability awareness and leadership education. Working with individuals in their homes or in locations convenient to the individual.

Empowers people with disabilities to attain new skills and techniques so they are able to participate in daily living, recreational/social opportunities, and vocational/volunteering activities. Services work to assist people in mastering skills they need to live independently, like accessing public transportation, managing a personal budget, promoting self-advocacy, teaching home-making skills, utilizing community services, and obtaining assistive devices and durable medical equipment. 

Helps adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities develop and enhance daily adaptive living skills and economic self-sufficiency through out-of-home training designed to foster appropriate behavior, greater independence, and personal choice.

Provides community day services that focus on developmental skills, daily living skills, and vocational training. Individualized, person-centered goals are developed to promote skill acquisition and foster independence.

Services are provided on a self-contained unit where emphasis is placed on the needs of older adults, including reminiscing, health and aging related issues, socialization opportunities, and retention of skills. Specific services are provided to meet the needs of individuals with dementia.

Also provides classes that clients can choose from, depending on interest, and spend the day learning and doing things that they enjoy.

Provides daily services to adults with developmental disabilities that would like training in a variety of life skills and to participate in community experiences. Training may include communication skills, work skills, daily living skills, social skills, academic skills, and health and safety skills.

Persons in this program may also participate in a variety of work and volunteer experiences, at the agency and in the community. All services and experiences are planned according to the clients needs and choices.

Employment program for people who experience a disability. Assists people with disabilities prepare for, find, and keep a job. Program is voluntary and the services provided will be specific to an individual's needs.

Helps businesses recruit, train, and retain employees with disabilities.

RAMP works with students and their families to learn the laws that protect the rights of a student with a disability, how to navigate the maze of community services, and to learn the skills required to achieve their goals.

Services include legal rights training, self-advocacy skills training, peer support, independent living skills training, transition planning guidance, educational workshops, and assistance with letter writing.

Offers to teach skills to allow visually impaired individuals to maintain maximum independence in their living environment, i.e., food preparation, cleaning, laundering, and other household tasks and management. Transportation to and from the center is available. Visits individuals in homes to assess the individual needs of a client in their personal environment to maximize their independence and add meaning to their life.

Provides peer support counseling, information and referral to services that help disabled individuals, skills training, advocacy for persons with disabilities and their families and disability awareness and leadership education. Working with individuals in their homes or in locations convenient to the individual.

Employment program for people who experience a disability. Assists people with disabilities prepare for, find, and keep a job. Program is voluntary and the services provided will be specific to an individual's needs.

Helps businesses recruit, train, and retain employees with disabilities.

Provides informational and educational programming targeted toward a consumer or a group of consumers with the intent to develop or increase the skills, knowledge and/or abilities required to live, work and play in the community.

Programs offered include self-advocacy and awareness, life skills training, braille training, TTY training, personal assistant information, interpreter referrals and equipment demonstration and loan.