Yearly Archives: 2025

Declaración de Progress Center for Independent Living

Hoy es un día devastador para la comunidad de personas con discapacidad y para otros grupos vulnerables aquí en Illinois. El gobernador J.B. Pritzker ha firmado la ley SB 1950, la ley de suicidio asistido. Sí, leyó usted correctamente: una ley que permite que las personas mueran en vez de luchar por vivir; una ley que pone en riesgo la vida de nuestros hermanos y hermanas más vulnerables: personas con discapacidad, adultos mayores, mujeres con anorexia, mujeres con y sin discapacidad que son víctimas de violencia doméstica, y cualquier persona que, en un momento de desesperación, pueda ser empujada hacia la muerte.

Solo hace falta un mal día, sentirse una carga, o escuchar a un familiar decir: “¿Por qué sigues sufriendo?” para que esta ley abra la puerta a la muerte. El código de vida es luchar por la vida, no por la muerte. El código de vida es resistir, persistir, sobrevivir — ¡la vida siempre, siempre la vida!

Y escuchen con atención: en otros estados donde el suicidio asistido ya es legal, la ley no ha sido eficaz. No ha protegido a los más vulnerables. No ha evitado presiones ni errores. No ha cumplido las promesas que se vendieron como protección y cuidado. Y ahora Illinois está siguiendo ese mismo camino peligroso. Illinois abre la misma puerta riesgosa. Illinois permite que las vidas de los más vulnerables queden en peligro.

Organizaciones y líderes comunitarios alzaron fuertemente su voz. Le suplicaron al gobernador que vetara esta ley. Pero él hizo oídos sordos. Escuchó a quienes exigen una ley para morir, en lugar de escuchar a quienes tememos morir mientras queremos vivir. Un gobernador a quien respetamos profundamente, pero creemos que firmar esta ley fue un grave error.

Un aplauso y muchos vítores para todos los que se plantaron frente a la oficina del gobernador, para quienes no se quedaron callados, para quienes gritaron por la vida, para quienes defendieron a los más vulnerables. Gracias por su valentía. Gracias por su lucha.

Se ha perdido una batalla —sí, se ha perdido una batalla— pero la guerra nunca. Nuestra guerra nunca se perderá. Somos invencibles. Nuestras voces nunca serán silenciadas. Somos fuego. Somos rebeldía. Somos lucha. Somos vida.

Gracias a nuestros hermanos y hermanas de Progress Center, a nuestros colegas y a todos los que se niegan a rendirse, a todos los que defienden la vida, la dignidad y la justicia. Amigos, nunca se rindan, nunca, jamás.
¡Hasta la victoria —hasta la victoria siempre!

Como Director Ejecutivo de Progress Center, extiendo nuestra plena solidaridad a nuestros hermanos y hermanas que han luchado por la vida y que ahora pueden enfrentarse a un gran riesgo debido a esta ley de muerte.

Horacio Esparza

Executive Director

Progress Center for Independent Living

Statement from Progress Center for Independent Living

Today is a devastating day for the disability community and other vulnerable groups here in Illinois. Governor J.B. Pritzker has signed SB 1950, the assisted suicide law. Yes, you are reading that correctly — a law that allows people to die instead of fighting to live, a law that puts the lives of our most vulnerable brothers and sisters at risk: people with disabilities, older adults, women with anorexia, women with and without disabilities who are victims of domestic violence, and anyone who, in a moment of desperation, could be pushed toward death.

It only takes a bad day, feeling like a burden, or a family member saying, “Why do you keep suffering?” for this law to open the door to death. The code of life is to fight for life, not for death. The code of life is to resist, persist, survive — life always, always life!

And listen carefully: in other states where assisted suicide is already legal, the law has not been effective. It has not protected the most vulnerable. It has not prevented pressure or errors. It has not fulfilled the promises sold as protection and care. And now, Illinois is following the same dangerous path. Illinois opens the same perilous door. Illinois allows the lives of the most vulnerable to be at risk.

Organizations and community leaders raised their voices strongly. They begged the Governor to veto this law. But he turned a deaf ear. He listened instead to those who demand a law to die rather than to those of us who fear dying while wanting to live. A governor for whom we hold great respect, yet we believe that signing this law was a grave mistake.

A round of applause and many cheers to all who stood in front of the Governor’s office, to all who did not stay silent, to all who shouted for life, to all who defended the most vulnerable. Thank you for your courage. Thank you for your fight.

A battle has been lost — yes, a battle has been lost — but the war never. Our war will never be lost. We are invincible. Our voices will never be silenced. We are fire. We are rebels. We are struggle. We are life.

Thank you to our brothers and sisters at Progress Center, to our colleagues, and to everyone who refuses to give up, to everyone who defends life, dignity, and justice. Friends, never give up, never, ever. Until victory — until victory always!

As Executive Director of Progress Center, I extend our full solidarity to our brothers and sisters who have fought for life and who may now face great risk due to this law of death.

Horacio Esparza He-him

Executive Director

Progress Center for Independent Living

Progress Center invites you…

Illinois ABLE Account Informational Webinar

Wednesday, December 10 at 2:00 pm

Join online from any location, or meet at Progress Center in Forest Park to join the webinar.

Know about tax-advantaged IL ABLE savings and investment accounts if you have a disability or you help someone who has a disability. Join the IL ABLE team to learn:

• Who is eligible to own an IL ABLE Account and expanded eligibility starting January 1.
• Who can open an IL ABLE Account.
• How individuals receiving public benefits such as SSI and Medicaid benefits can build assets with an IL ABLE Account.
• How IL ABLE Accounts work alongside other financial tools such as special needs trusts and retirement accounts.

Call Progress Center at 708-209-1500 extension 118 or email dkaras@progresscil.org for information on how to join the webinar.

The 30-day public comment period for the City of Berwyn ADA Transition Plan has begun.

The City of Berwyn invites residents to review and share feedback on the draft Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Transition Plan. Comments are welcome through December 4th, and the plan can be viewed on the City’s website.

La Cuidad de Berwyn invita a todos los residentes a revisar y compartir comentarios sobre el borrador del Plan de Transición de la
Ley para estadounidenses con Discapacidades (ADA). Los comentarios serán aceptados hasta el 5 de diciembre, y el plan puede ser consultado en el sitio web oficial de la cuidad.

For a hard or electronic copy of the plan, or to request accommodations to view it, please contact:
Travis Helmkamp
travis.helmkamp@oatesassociates.com
618.345.2200

Para solicitar una copia impresa o electrónica de plan o para pedir adaptaciones para poder revisarlo, por favor comuníquese con:
Travis Helmkamp
travis.helmkamp@oatesassociates.com
618.345.2200

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17KDiEzcqx/

Progress Center is encouraging Governor Pritzker to veto the physician
assisted suicide bill added as a rider to SB 1950 on sanitary food
preparation.

The physician assisted suicide provision or amendment of SB 1059 does
not provide adequate safeguards against misuse. The disability community
is especially vulnerable to coercion or decisions made on our behalf without
respect for autonomy and freedom of choice. Historical medical bias and
views on the quality and value of the lives of people with disabilities cannot
be left out of this discussion and have not been in the conversation as fully
as they should. Furthermore, a topic this large should not be attached to an
unrelated bill as an afterthought or tactic for passing legislation that had
previously not been successful; it deserves full attention and input.

Contact the Governor’s office and encourage him to veto the bill, SB 1950,
or return it to the legislators with changes, changes that will remove
physician assisted suicide, hence preventing it from becoming law in
Illinois. Go to https://gov.illinois.gov/contact-us/voice-an-opinion on
Governor Pritzker’s website to voice your opinion or call his office at
217-782-0244.

Progress Center for Independent Living

Now that the Illinois legislature has passed a bill creating some transportation system reforms and provides for added funding sources for the regional system, we would like RTA’s decision-makers, whose recommendations are almost assuredly fulfilled by PACE, to follow through with their commitment to reconsider the drastic cuts to the RAP and TAP programs.

On October 1^st, the number of one-way rides allowed per month for RAP and TAP per person were reduced from 240 to only 30. We encourage the restoration of rides per month. Since October 1^st we have seen Paratransit bus problems escalate. This is happening because people have to use Paratransit buses more since a lot fewer RAP (Rideshare Access Program) and TAP (Taxi Access Program) rides are available, so an already strained Paratransit is even more so strained now. Availability during booking has decreased, pick-ups come later, rides are longer, and drivers and dispatchers are more stressed.

The disability community is calling for the number of rides per month under the RAP and TAP programs to be increased. Contact RTA at communications@rtachicago.org and submit your opinion.

Progress Center for Independent Living

ASL COMMUNITY CLASSES
CLASS MEETS FOR 6 WEEKS IN PERSON

Learn the basics of American Sign Language,
including Deaf Culture, the alphabet,
numbers, greetings, farewells, family signs,
community vocabulary, and more.

When: January 15th, 2026
Every Thursday | 1pm to 3pm
Where: Progress Center for Independent Living,
7521 Madison Street, Forest Park, IL
Cost: FREE

Register before January 9th, 2026
Email: ASL instructor, Carol Nemecek-Kowalski
Caroln@progresscil.org

Train to become a Personal Assistant. Choose from several November training dates throughout suburban Cook County including at our offices in Forest Park and Blue Island.

Progress Center urges the Illinois State legislature to fully fund public transportation and restore Paratransit services. Contact your State Senator and State Representative and tell them funding is needed to keep people with disabilities engaged in the community and work.

Lack of reliable and affordable transportation is often a barrier to employment for all Illinois residents, but especially for those with disabilities. We have been dealing with route reductions of mainline transportation services, lack of Paratransit bus availability at times needed and often long and unpredictable routes to our destinations, and more recently, drastic cuts to the PACE RAP (Rideshare Access Program) and TAP (Taxi Access Program) from 240 trips a month down to just 30.

Thousands of Illinois residents rely on the RAP and TAP programs as a more reliable alternative to other Paratransit services wrought with issues. Thirty one-way rides a month are not enough even to go to work and back home, let alone other essential trips to medial buildings, merchants, relatives’ dwellings, and community venues to keep people with disabilities healthy and active in the economy, family, social and community networks, and work.

This month we mark National Disability Employment Awareness Month. In honor of all who have in history and today advocate for disability and independent living rights, call and email your State legislators before the October 28 veto session and tell them to fund Paratransit, restore reductions in services, and stop fare increases. Contact Progress Center at 708-209-1500 or dkaras@progresscil.org for your State Senator’s and State Representative’s contact information.

Progress Center for Independent Living