Financial Assistance and Grant Programs Resources
Curb Mobility – Chicago Wheelchair Accessible Taxicabs
Curb Mobility, LLC (CURB) manages Chicago’s Centralized Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) Taxicab Dispatch Service. Passengers can call CURB or use a smartphone app to request and connect with an available WAV taxicab. Passengers can also request wheelchair accessible taxis in advance for Chicago events that may include high turnout from accessible vehicle users.
Passengers can request a CURB WAV taxicab ride by:
- Calling (888) WAV-CABS (1-888-928-2227)
- Downloading the CURB app
- Emailing a request to the City of Chicago Centralized Wheelchair Accessible Taxicab Dispatch Service, CURB, at least three business days in advance to chicagowav@gocurb.com
The Danny Did Foundation works toward its mission to prevent deaths caused by seizures with these main goals in mind: advancing public awareness of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), enhancing the SUDEP communication model between medical professionals and families afflicted by seizures, and mainstreaming seizure detection and prediction devices that may assist in preventing seizure-related deaths.
The Danny Did Foundation’s grant program does provide financial assistance for purchasing seizure detection and seizure prediction devices to qualifying individuals.
For questions, please call (800) 278-6101 or complete the online Danny Did Foundation contact form.
The Illinois Department of Human Services’ Division of Mental Health provides frequently-asked questions, tips and resources for how to handle traumatic events.
Information includes possible symptoms after experiencing a traumatic event and when to seek help from a trained professional.
Dean Ritter Foundation Scholarship for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
The Dean Ritter Foundation Scholarship for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing awards scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000 annually to graduating high school seniors throughout Illinois who have severe to profound hearing impairments. Individuals with financial needs will receive special consideration, but the program does not make scholarship decisions solely on a financial basis. Application deadlines and the number and amount of scholarships vary each year.
Students must be continuing their education at an accredited university or technical school to receive tuition scholarships. They must also:
- Be an Illinois resident
- Be a senior in high school in good standing
- Have significant (severe to profound) hearing loss in one or both ears
Department of Financial and Professional Regulation: License Lookup
The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation aims to ensure that competent professionals are licensed to provide services to the public. You can use its License Lookup for many professions, including physicians, nurses and therapists.
DHS List of Community Service Agencies Serving Immigrants in Illinois
The Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) provides a statewide list of community service agencies serving immigrants. The list includes:
- The agency name and contact information
- Their geographic service areas
- Citizenship, case management and other services provided
- Languages available
The Arc of Illinois Family-to-Family Health Information Center and Family Voices of Illinois provide this fact sheet on possible options for help with the cost of diapers for children, youth and adults with disabilities.
Digital Literacy Training for People with Disabilities and Their Families
The Arc and AT&T offer digital skills training nationwide to people with disabilities and their families. The safe and accessible digital skills trainings aim to help people with different learning styles gain the skills they need to apply for jobs, be socially connected and more.
You can access online courses anytime on AT&T’s website.
The Arc of Illinois also offers in-person workshops. For more information, visit The Arc of Illinois website or email becca@thearcofil.org.
Disability Belongs™ is a diverse, disability-led nonprofit focusing on accessibility, inclusion, belonging and empowering people with disabilities. They provide a wide range of resources including training, webinars, networking and fully-accessible leadership and internship opportunities for people with disabilities.
Disability Belongs also provides:
- A variety of toolkits, including a toolkit with steps for making virtual and in-person events accessible.
- A paid, fully accessible National Leadership Program for people with disabilities in the fall and spring.
- A five-month, Disability Belongs™ Virtual Entertainment Lab for creatives with disabilities in development and production, and careers as writers, cinematographers, animators and other roles.
Disability EmpowHer Network is a non-profit run by and for girls and women with disabilities that connects, motivates, and guides girls and women to learn and develop to their highest potential and have the confidence to lead. The group, based in Rochester, NY, focuses on building skills and community by connecting girls with disabilities with successful women with disabilities to serve as mentors and role models.
Resources and programs include:
- A stories blog
- EmpowHer Camp (a year-long program)
- Letter from a role model
- Get a Mentor
- EmpowHer Expressions, a public speaking and career coaching program