Chicago Resources
CDC’s School Decision-Making Tool for Parents, Caregivers and Guardians
Many parents, caregivers, and guardians face new and difficult choices about how their child will return to school in the fall, such as deciding between in-person and virtual learning.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides this tool to help parents, caregivers, and guardians weigh the risks and benefits of available educational options to help them make decisions about sending their child back to school. It is organized to provide parents and caregivers with tools to help assess their child’s and family’s risk of COVID-19 and considerations that will help them make a choice, if offered, of instructional format and more.
Remote Learning for Students Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing or DeafBlind
This document from the Illinois State Board of Education provides suggestions and ideas related to remote learning opportunities for students who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) or deafblind (DB), including ideas that do not depend on technology. It also provides resources for additional information related to services, programming and information intended to enhance learning opportunities and the functional development of students who are DHH or DB.
The document is available at www.isbe.net/Documents/DHH-Ideas-During-Pandemic.pdf.
The ADA National Network provides information, guidance and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The ADA National Network Disability Law Handbook
This handbook is meant to provide basic information about disability rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as resources for finding out more.
The Arc’s Disability Voter Guide
The Arc has developed voting resources in plain language and Spanish, including a disability voter guide and sample questions for candidates.
HealthyChildren.org’s Return to School During COVID-19
The latest American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says children learn best when they are in school. However, returning to school in person needs careful steps in place to keep students and staff safe. HealthyChildren.org provides information about the considerations needed to keep students and staff safe.
Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission
The Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission (IDHHC) is an executive state agency that promotes education and awareness of the legal requirements for effective communication on behalf of people with hearing loss in Illinois.
The commission also provides information about:
- Assistive technology
- Hearing aid assistance
- Service animal resources
- Interpreters and CART providers
- American Sign Language (ASL) videos and publications
Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission COVID-19 Resources
The IDHHC has developed American Sign Language videos of key guidance regarding COVID-19 based upon publications by the Illinois Department of Public Health.
During this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, individualized education program (IEP) teams have a unique educational opportunity to create meaningful distance learning activities at home for transition-age students. The PACER Center provides this handout for how parents can help their children practice and learn new skills to prepare for adulthood.
The Arc of Illinois Family-to-Family Health Information Center
The Arc of Illinois Family-to-Family Health Information Center works with families and professionals to help with questions and concerns related to the health of children and youth with special healthcare needs under the age of 22.
The center focuses on sharing the most thorough, up-to-date resources regarding health insurance options, government benefits, youth transition concerns and more to help children thrive in their community.
For more information, call (815) 464-1832, ext. 1017, or email familytofamily@thearcofil.org or mary@thearcofil.org.