Health Condition and Disability-Specific Resources
“Consider the Alternatives: Decision-Making Options for Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities”
As youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are making plans to attend college, it is more important than ever that families become fully informed about guardianship as well as less-limiting alternatives. This brief, written by Think College partners at PACER Center, defines some of the options and possible ramifications. It also suggests ways to promote self-determination no matter which option is chosen.
Able Flight Aviation Scholarships for People with Disabilities
Able Flight is a nonprofit organization offering scholarship opportunities for flight and aviation career training for people ages 18 and up with physical disabilities. Past recipients have included wheelchair users, wounded veterans, and people with a variety of congenital birth defects or who have lost limbs. You can learn more about eligibility requirements, application deadlines, what scholarships will cover and more by reading Able Flight’s frequently asked questions.
Able Flight also offers three different scholarships programs:
- The Full Flight Training Scholarship for people who wish to earn a Sport Pilot certificate.
- The Return to Flight Scholarship for someone who becomes disabled after already having earned a pilot’s license.
- The Career Training Scholarship allows an individual to earn an FAA-issued Repairman Certificate (Light Sport Aircraft) with Maintenance Rating, an FAA Dispatcher License, or for training to qualify for a career in the use of drones for commercial purposes. This scholarship can pay for academic expenses for an aviation career with committee approval.
Accessible Live Theater Productions Calendar
The League of Chicago Theatres works with Chicago-area theaters to make live theater performances accessible to everyone. The league provides a calendar of upcoming performances based on specific access requirements and disabilities.
The calendar includes touch tours, American Sign Language (ASL)-interpreted, audio-described, open-captioned, sensory-friendly and Spanish subtitled performances. Sensory-friendly performances are relaxed and sensory-friendly theatre experiences aimed to be more accessible for individuals on the autism spectrum or others with cognitive/developmental disabilities.
For more information, contact the League of Chicago Theatres at (312) 554-9800 or info@chicagoplays.com.
Adaptive Adventures Recreation Opportunities
Adaptive Adventures focuses on providing children, adults and veterans with physical disabilities the opportunity to achieve greater independence in outdoor sports while experiencing camaraderie and the benefits of recreation and adventure. Their ongoing programs, camps and clinics include cycling, climbing, kayaking, paddle boarding, dragon boat racing, skiing, snowboarding, waterskiing, wakeboarding and rafting.
Adaptive Adventures travels the country to provide direct program services. Programming is offered to participants and their families free of charge or significantly subsidized. Adaptive Adventures believes cost should never be a barrier to someone’s participation in quality outdoor adaptive sports opportunities.
Visit the Adaptive Adventures website for information about programs and events in Illinois.
Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) Clinic Directory
The Adult Congenital Heart Association’s ACHD Clinic Directory provides information on ACHD Board Certified providers certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) and ACHA ACHD Accredited Centers.
You can search for clinics by zip code and state. You can find more details and health information on the Adult Congenital Heart Association’s website.
Adventures Unlimited in the Chicagoland Area
Adventures Unlimited is a free, state-funded respite program in Illinois that provides programming and events for participants with intellectual and developmental disabilities and respite to caregivers.
Adventures Unlimited offers two-hour recreation opportunities and events focusing on fitness, art, media training and food preparation for adults and children as young as 4 years old.
To be eligible for Adventures Unlimited, individuals must have a documented developmental disability. They must also not be enrolled in any other Medicaid waiver program.
Advocate Dental Center in Chicago
Advocate Dental Center provides a wide range of dental services for adults and children with developmental disabilities through its Special Patient Dental Care Program. The program’s services include:
- Dental exams and cleanings
- X-rays
- Fillings
- Root canal treatments
- Extractions, crowns and tooth replacements
- IV sedation
- Operating room dentistry
Call (773) 871-2188 to discuss Special Patient Dental Care Program eligibility and appointment scheduling.
After 22 Transition Program for Adults With Disabilities
After 22 is Richard J. Daley College’s comprehensive transition program for adults with disabilities ages 18 and older. The After 22 Pilot Program connects adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to career training, educational opportunities and jobs. This program also teaches students life skills, provides them with coaches and mentors, and allows them to experience social and extracurricular activities.
Students who complete this program will earn a Career Advancement Certificate from the college (not an academic degree).
To enroll in After 22, students must have been ensured a free public education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), have a documented intellectual disability, have a high school diploma or GED, and be 18 or older.
Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
The Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (AGBADHH) is a non-profit organization providing resources to support hearing-impaired individuals and their families, information to help increase understanding of hearing loss, and research relating to auditory or verbal communication.
AGBADHH also offers in-service training for teachers, scholarships and conferences, and collaborates with physicians, speech/language specialists and other professionals to promote educational, vocational and social opportunities for affected individuals. Visit the AGBADHH website for more details.
AMC Theatres has partnered with the Autism Society to offer sensory-friendly movie showings on the second and fourth Saturday (family-friendly) and Wednesday evenings (mature audiences) of every month.
Participating theaters are located throughout Illinois in areas including Chicago, Edwardsville, Peoria, Quincy, Mount Vernon, and Springfield.
The Sensory Friendly Film program allows families to see a movie with lights on, lower sound and the freedom to get up, dance, walk, shout or sing. Please check your local theatre listings for specific showtimes.