Resource Directory /

Accessibility Resources

  • Magic Wheelchair

    Magic Wheelchair is a nonprofit organization that builds costumes for children and youth in wheelchairs at no cost to families.

    To be eligible for a Magic Wheelchair costume, a child must be between 5 and 17 years old and primarily use a wheelchair for mobility.

  • Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) – City of Chicago

    The Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) provides education and training, benefits counseling, information and referral, direct services and more to help foster accessibility, full participation and equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

    MOPD services and programs include:

  • Mental Health Crisis Card for Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

    The Arc of the United States offers a printable Mental Health Crisis Card for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). During a mental health crisis,  individuals can show the card to someone nearby to provide support and help. The card includes critical information about the person’s disability and mental health conditions and actionable steps to help de-escalate stressful situations.

    A mental health crisis can strike unexpectedly. The Mental Health Crisis Card provides information about what you need,  including:

    • How to communicate (verbally, written, through pictures, etc.)
    • Your preferred calming techniques
    • Words or phrases that can help you focus or de-escalate
    • Triggers or actions to avoid, such as physical contact, bright lights or loud noise
    • Numbers to call for immediate help, such as a family member, support person or therapist

    You can download a Mental Health Crisis Card and the instructions for completing it on The Arc’s website.

  • Misericordia

    Misericordia is a not-for-profit corporation providing a community of support, employment and living options for people with mild to profound developmental and physical disabilities. It currently provides residential services for more than 600 children and adults on its 37-acre Chicago campus and in the community. Programs focus on helping residents live as independently as possible and explore their interests, including:

    • Building life and employment skills
    • Art classes and studio time
    • Gardening and greenhouse management
    • Recreational opportunities and more

    Misericordia residential settings include:

    • CILAs (Community Integrated Living Arrangements for small groups in neighborhood homes outside Misericordia’s main campus)
    • On-campus apartments
    • Group homes on campus
    • A skilled nursing residence

    For questions, please see Misericordia’s Contact Us page or call  (773) 973-6300.

  • National Center on Deafblindness

    The National Center on Deafblindness (NCDB) is part of a network of projects for children and youth with deaf-blindness (birth through 21), providing information and learning and development tools for families and educators. NCDB resources include:

    • An overview of deaf-blindness
    • Practice guides and professional development
    • Spanish resources

    NCDB includes state deaf-blind projects in every state, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, the Pacific Basin and the Virgin Islands. For questions regarding Illinois, visit the Illinois Deafblind Project website for more details.

  • National Disability Institute

    The National Disability Institute (NDI) collaborates with organizations nationwide to empower people with disabilities and their families to make informed financial decisions and build a better future. NDI offers a wide variety of webinars, tip sheets, information and resources to help people with disabilities achieve employment, financial stability and independence.

    NDI resources include:

    If you have questions, please email info@ndi-inc.org or call (202) 296-2040.

  • 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.