Author Archives: garnold

Progress Center invites you ….

It’s midterm election year. Join this one-hour voter education workshop to lean about the voting process – how to register to vote, where to vote, how to find out what’s on your ballot, how to learn about candidates running for office, and more.

Monday, February 2nd

6:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Progress Center Forest Park office and Zoom (hybrid)

For more information, directions to our office or the Zoom link, call Progress Center’s Community Organizer Clark Craig at 708-209-1500 or email info@progresscil.org.

Kim Liddell joined Progress Center for Independent Living in 2011. Kim provides services to the disability community in suburban Cook County. She works in the Blue Island satellite office providing information and referral. She is knowledgeable about programs and services that promote independence among people with disabilities. Kim also educates people on Medicare and Medicaid. Kim assists deaf people sign up for a free iPhone or iPad. Deaf children as young as four years old are eligible, too. Kim also works with the aging population struggling with hearing loss. They are eligible for a free iPhone and/or amplified house phone equipment. Please inquire to find out what the eligibility requirements are.

Contact Kim at (708) 690-2894 or kliddell@progresscil.org.

Progress Center is hiring a Program Director in the new year.

Follow the Indeed link for the job post and to apply:

https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=c053d86fa1eea0af&from=shareddesktop_copy

The LATONYA REEVES FREEDOM ACT working group will be held every second Thursday of the month from 2:00PM to 3:00PM.

The first LATONYA REEVES FREEDOM ACT working group meeting will be held at PCIL in Forest Park (7521 Madison Street) on Thursday, January 8th 2O26.

We plan to share with the public Latonya’s life story, the need for the REEVES FREEDOM ACT to be reintroduced and passed into U.S. law NOW, and how we can help advocate for it and demand that the United States Congress discuss why the bill is not only a great bill, but it is SURVIVAL NECESSARY for people with disabilities.

Contact Community Organizer Jonathan Barton at 708-209-1500 ext.122 or jbarton@progresscil.org for more information and the Zoom link.

Progress Center is announcing the formation of two new Advocacy Groups in January… on Transportation and Healthcare. These are topics our consumers, members, and the community want to talk about.

Come for discussions, share ideas, and learn how to advocate for services and equality for the disability community. Meetings will be offered hybrid once a month, in person and on Zoom.

Transportation Advocacy Group

Community Organizer Manuel Gonzalez

Time: 10:00 am on the Second Wednesday of every Month

Place: Progress Center Blue Island office and Zoom

Contact Manuel Gonzalez at 708-209-1500 ext. 201 or mgonzalez@progresscil.org for more information and the Zoom link.

The first meeting will be on January 14^th.

Healthcare Advocacy Group

Community Organizer Clark Craig

Time:  1:00 pm on the Fourth Tuesday of every Month

Place: Progress Center Main Office in Forest Park and Zoom

Contact Clark Craig at 708-209-1500 ext. 114 or ccraig@progresscil.org for more information and the Zoom link.

The first meeting will be on January 27^th.

Contact Progress Center to learn about the All of Us research project, incentives for joining, and how to enroll. It’s important that people with disabilities are included.

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.