On June 22, 1999, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the unnecessary institutionalization of people with disabilities is discrimination against people with disabilities. The decision was a victory for the independence and integration of people with disabilities, giving the community a tool to fight for programs and policies that give people with disabilities quality supports…
A resident of Lyons and a member of the Board of Directors, Linda Marek has been a part of the Progress Center community since 2002. She identifies as an advocate. “I can’t help it,” she said. “When I find things wrong, I advocate. I advocate every day.” This included her time living in an…
Following the State of the State delivered by Governor Rauner on January 31, 2018, Progress Center calls on Governor Rauner to utilize the final year of his first term in office to increase community-based support for people with disabilities in Illinois. Progress Center is one of 22 Centers for Independent Living in Illinois. Each Center…
People with disabilities don’t need ‘compassion’ In his budget address, Gov. Bruce Rauner said structural reforms will enable Illinois to be “as compassionate as we want to be,” and later he said, “compassion is in the DNA of Illinois.” As a person with a disability who works with a disability organization, I think compassion is…
WASHINGTON – In response to news that Congress has passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, NDRN Executive Director Curt Decker issued the following statement: “Today, the Congress passed, and the President will sign, a tax reform bill that does little to help low and middle income Americans or people with disabilities. “The tax…
Throughout last year and this year, disability advocates and disability allies were key in the effort to end the budget impasse and support community services that help people with disabilities live independently in their own homes. Though Illinois has a budget, there is still much work to do to protect the independence and rights of…
In October, Progress Center welcomed Gary Arnold as the organization’s new Program Director. Announcement: Dear PCIL Families, Friends, & Supporters, On behalf of the Progress Center for Independent Living’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee, it is with great pleasure that I announce to you that Gary Arnold has been selected as the new Program Director at Progress Center…
The Illinois House voted 71-42 in favor of overriding Gov. Bruce Rauner’s vetoes of a budget package Thursday, giving the state its first spending blueprint in more than two years and ending the nation’s longest fiscal stalemate since at least the Great Depression. http://abc7chicago.com/politics/illinois-house-approves-state-budget-ends-historic-impasse/2187933/ Thursday, July 06, 2017 SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois House voted…
