Resource Directory /

Accessibility Resources

  • National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS)

    The National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) is a free braille and talking book library service for individuals with temporary or permanent low vision, blindness, or a physical or perceptual disability that prevents them from reading or holding the printed page. Through a national network of cooperating libraries, NLS offers books in braille or audio, which can be mailed to your door for free or downloaded instantly.

    NLS works to ensure that all may read by providing eligible individuals with access to reading materials, regardless of age, economic circumstances, or technical expertise.

    For questions, please contact (888) 657-7323 and follow the prompts or email nls@loc.gov.

  • New Lenox Transportation Service

    New Lenox Transportation Service provides safe, affordable and reliable transportation for all New Lenox Township residents. Transportation is provided within the New Lenox Township and Village, Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Rides are also available to the Mokena, Frankfort and Joliet areas for medical and physical therapy appointments or employment for New Lenox Township residents ages 22 years and older with disabilities. You must make reservations by telephone.

    Transportation office hours are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. To schedule a ride, please call transportation services manager Debbie Cunningham at (815) 485-6431.

  • North West Housing Partnership (NWHP)

    North West Housing Partnership (NWHP) programs cover a broad area of the suburban northwest, west and Chicagoland area. It offers a variety of housing and handyman programs for seniors 60 years and older and people with disabilities, 18 or over, in need of simple repairs in the communities of:

    • Arlington Heights
    • Buffalo Grove
    • Mount Prospect
    • Palatine
    • Rolling Meadows
    • Des Plaines
    • All of Palatine and Wheeling Townships
    • Oak Park Township (including Oak Park and River Forest).

    NWHP also offers:

    For more information, visit the Contact Us page on NWHP’s website.

  • Northern Illinois Foodbank

    The Northern Illinois Food Bank delivers food and healthy eating services across 13 counties (Boone, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Will and Winnebago counties). The Northern Illinois Food Bank provides weekly drive-thru Mobile Markets with free and fresh groceries, an online food pantry, a recipes and nutrition hub, and free economic mobility learning resources.

  • Office of Disability Employment Policy

    The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) provides national leadership in developing and influencing disability employment-related policies and programs.

  • Opportunities for Access – A Center for Independent Living

    Opportunities for Access – A Center for Independent Living (OFACIL) is a member of the Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living serving residents of Clay, Clinton, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Hamilton, Jasper, Jefferson, Marion, Wabash, Washington, Wayne and White counties. Offices are located in Mt. Vernon, Carmi and Effingham.

    Programs include:

    • Skills and employment training
    • Support groups and advocacy
    • Housing referral and community reintegration
    • Youth transition and parent training program
    • Adaptive equipment

    For questions, please contact OFACIL at (618) 244-9212.

  • Over the Rainbow (OTR) – Housing for Individuals with Physical Disabilities

    Over the Rainbow (OTR) is an Illinois non-profit organization providing independent living solutions for individuals with physical disabilities that are:

    • Affordable
    • Accessible
    • Barrier-free
    • Person-centered

    OTR’s apartments are located throughout the Chicago region and Northern Illinois. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and meet OTR apartment communities eligibility requirements.

  • Pace Transportation Services for People with Disabilities in the Chicago Area

    Pace provides a range of inclusive transportation services throughout Chicago and the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) region (Cook, DuPage, Lake, Kane, McHenry and Will counties). Pace services include free fixed route bus rides for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-certified riders, the Rideshare Access Program (RAP), ADA paratransit options and the Dial-a-Ride program throughout the suburbs.

    You must reserve ADA paratransit options in advance. These options are for riders whose health condition or disability prevents them from using fixed route services.

    Visit the Pace website for more information about its transportation services and training programs for people with disabilities in Chicago and the suburbs.

    For questions, please visit Pace’s Contact Us page. You can also call:

    • (847) 364-7223 for help in English
    • (847) 228-3575 asistencia en español

  • Parent Institute Lectures for Families of Children With Hearing Loss

    The Institute for Parents of Preschool Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing is a program for parents of young children who have a significant hearing loss. It takes place on the campus of the Illinois School for the Deaf in Jacksonville each June.

    Participating parents attend daily lectures by experts in the field to learn about raising a child with hearing loss. Lecture topics include the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), advocacy, communication options, language, assistive listening devices, literacy and amplification.

    UIC’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC), a supporter of the Institute, has made these presentations available online so they can benefit more families of children with hearing loss. Visit the 2019 Parent Infant Institute Video Recordings page on the Illinois Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Program website.

  • Progress Center for Independent Living Serving Suburban Cook County

    The Progress Center for Independent Living serves over 133 municipalities throughout suburban Cook County. It is a community-based, non-profit, non-residential service and advocacy organization operated for people with disabilities, by people with disabilities. Progress Center provides a variety of training and education services, housing assistance, and tools and resources for people with disabilities to live independently in their own homes. These include:

    • Youth transition to adulthood program
    • Independent living skills training
    • Peer counseling
    • Housing assistance
    • Deaf services
    • Braille classes
    • Radio Independent Living 24/7

    For questions, please call (708) 209-1500 or email info@progresscil.org.