Health Condition and Disability-Specific Resources
Chicago Adaptive Sports provides programming, support and advocacy for individuals with physical and visual disabilities of all ages and backgrounds. The organization adapts programming to meet the needs of individuals who use manual or power wheelchairs or have other ambulatory disabilities such as amputation, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, stroke and other spinal cord or orthopedic impairments. No prior experience is necessary to participate. Financial assistance is available. Participants will not be turned away due to their ability to pay.
Chicago Adaptive Sports programs include:
- Chicago No Limits Fishing
- Wheelchair basketball
- Wheelchair softball
- Wheelchair tennis
- Sled hockey
Chicago Autism Network and Therapy Assistance Grants
The Chicago Autism Network is a nonprofit dedicated to helping locals find and afford effective autism therapy and supports.
The network offers therapy assistance grants for anyone living in Illinois with a current autism diagnosis. It also holds free monthly Autism Parent Workshops.
The Chicago Autism Network also provides a statewide Autism Services Directory to help families connect with services that meet their needs closer to home.
The Chicago Hearing Society (CHS) provides a wide range of programs to support families and connect people who are deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing. Its services include:
- Hearing evaluations and assistive technologies
- American Sign Language classes in English and Spanish
- Community outreach and youth programs
- Interpreter services and captioning
Claire’s Place Foundation for Cystic Fibrosis Support
Claire’s Place Foundation is a non-profit organization providing support to children and families affected by cystic fibrosis (CF).
Its programs are focused on creating a better quality of life for people and their caregivers as well as emergency funding assistance during long hospital stays. Its programs include an Extended Hospital Stay Grant Program and the Support Families and Resources Program.
Helps you understand and apply for services from Illinois Department of Human Services’ Division of Rehabilitation Services.
Coloring Pages for Caregivers
UIC’s Division of Specialized Care for Children has created adult coloring pages to help caregivers relieve stress and practice mindfulness. Four designs are available in English and Spanish:
Lighthouse (Lighthouse Spanish)
Sunflowers (Sunflowers Spanish)
Create Your Own Communication Card for People With Hearing Loss
The Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission (IDHHC) provides a template to create a personalized Communication Card for people with hearing loss. The card helps others understand your communication needs and lists your preferred communication provider’s name and contact information. To create a personalized Communication Card, visit the “Create my own Communication Card” page on IDHHC’s website.
For more information, contact the IDHHC:
- Voice: (217) 557-4495
- Video: (217) 303-8010
- TTY: (888) 261-2698
- DHH.Communications@Illinois.gov
Cued Speech Program for Families of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children
Cue College’s Cue Family Program provides a free, online Cued Speech class to families of deaf and hard-of-hearing children.
Cued Speech combines a small number of simple hand cues with the natural mouth movements of speech to make the sounds or “phonemes” of spoken language clear through vision alone.
The Cue Family Program includes free access for one year to the online Cue College course, “CS100 – Introduction to Cued American English – Self Study”, for parents, guardians, additional family members and caregivers of a child with hearing loss or other communication challenges.
The Danny Did Foundation works toward its mission to prevent deaths caused by seizures with these main goals in mind: advancing public awareness of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), enhancing the SUDEP communication model between medical professionals and families afflicted by seizures, and mainstreaming seizure detection and prediction devices that may assist in preventing seizure-related deaths.
The Danny Did Foundation’s grant program does provide financial assistance for purchasing seizure detection and seizure prediction devices to qualifying individuals.
For questions, please call (800) 278-6101 or complete the online Danny Did Foundation contact form.
DCCC’s Self-Care Skills Assessment for Young Adults
The Division of Specialized Care for Children’s (DSCC) assessment form will help young adults see what they already know about their health, how to use health care and the areas they want to learn more about as they transition to adulthood.