The American Society for Deaf Children (ASDC) is a national, non-profit organization providing support, encouragement and information to families raising children who are deaf or hard of hearing.

ASDC offers deaf mentors and online American Sign Language (ASL) classes for beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.  To help support language development, families and providers can also access ASL stories to watch and read together.  Resources are available in English and Spanish.

Early CHOICES  offers a free, online series for parents of young children with disabilities, practitioners, educators and administrators in Early Intervention or early childhood programs. The Understanding Inclusion series covers everything from defining inclusion to dreaming big for your child and includes:

• Short videos
• Activities to promote inclusion
• Topic guides to support you in reflection and resource gathering

Flyers outlining the series’ details are available in English and Spanish.

The Odyssey Project offers free University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign courses in the humanities to income-eligible adults in east-central Illinois. Odyssey students can earn up to eight transferable college credits in an environment designed to support non-traditional students, especially those whose education has been interrupted for whatever reason.

The courses include free textbooks and course materials, access to computers, bus fare to and from class and more.

Visit the Odyssey Project website for more details and program fact sheets in Spanish, French and Simplified Chinese.

iCan Shine collaborates with local charities, parks and recreation departments, schools, and motivated parents to provide recreational programs for people with disabilities who want to learn to ride a bike, swim or dance.

iCan Shine programs include:

• iCan Bike and iCan Dance programs for individuals ages 8 and older that are week-long camps or after-school sessions.
• iCan Swim programs for ages 3 and up that are five-day camps.

iCan Shine’s after-school programs aim to raise awareness and promote inclusion among students. Typically-developing students serve as volunteers and participate in diversity training sessions focused on learning about different disabilities and the accompanying educational and social challenges their peer students with special needs face.

Visit their website to find programs near you.

The Illinois Department of Human Resources (IDHS) provides a listing of Illinois, federal, local and private organizations offering home modification programs to promote accessibility and help individuals with disabilities become more independent.

Rattle the Stars provides community-based suicide prevention services, information and training to the Champaign County area, including:

• Suicide prevention consultations
• Suicide intervention training
• Private training for groups and assistance developing a comprehensive suicide response plan
• Student-led school suicide prevention chapters
• Comfort dog support
• Speaking engagements and workshops

All Rattle the Stars services are free. Visit their website for program information and additional resources.

Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) allow people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind or have speech disabilities to communicate by telephone.

The Federal Communications Commission’s American Sign Language video walks you through the various TRS systems available.

Prairie State Legal Services (PSLS) offers the Legal Advice Line for victims of domestic violence or sexual assault. The Legal Advice Line is available in certain counties served by PSLS.

For a list of counties served, the hours the advice line is open and more information on the services offered, click here for their flyer in English or Spanish.

Offers emotional support from a trained advocate to help you become an empowered and stronger parent. Parent advocates can list, offer emotional support, help you problem-solve, connect you with local resources, help you explore new resources and more.

The National Parent Helpline is available Monday through Friday from 12 – 9 p.m. at (855) 427-2736 (855-4A PARENT).

Pathfinders for Autism has put together a list of social stories, books, printable resources and videos to help children and individuals with disabilities learn about the coronavirus, wearing a mask, social distancing and hand-washing.