DSCC team members will be at the fair’s Sensory Station on Aug. 8-11 and help during special sensory-friendly Sunflower Hours on Aug. 10

We understand the importance of having inclusive and accessible activities for children and families available in local communities. We are excited to help support the Illinois State Fair’s sensory-friendly efforts next month.

The 2024 Illinois State Fair is happening in Springfield from Aug. 8-18.

Our Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) team members from central Illinois will help staff the fair’s Sensory Station. The fair is also offering sensory-friendly Sunflower Hours and other programming to make the fair a more comfortable and enjoyable experience for all.

Please read below for more details.

DSCC at the Sensory Station

Thursday, Aug. 8, to Sunday, Aug. 11
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily

Our DSCC team will be at the fair’s Sensory Station from Thursday, Aug. 8, through Sunday, Aug. 11.

The Sensory Station is inside the Emmerson Building, just off Main Street and Brian Raney Avenue in the center of the fairgrounds. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. It is an air-conditioned, dedicated quiet zone with activities and resources to help visitors regroup and refocus.

The Sensory Station will have noise-canceling headphones, calming pods and sensory-friendly activities, such as a foam block pit, a stuffed animal “petting zoo,” a coloring station and more. These tools and activities are for children and adults who need help processing the sights, smells, noises and crowds at the fair.

Our DSCC team will also have a tent and table outside the Sensory Station on these four days. We will have coloring activities and information about our programs and services for families. Be sure to stop by and see us!

Sunflower Hours

Saturday, Aug. 10
9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
 
As part of its sensory-friendly efforts, the fair is also hosting Sunflower Hours on Saturday, Aug. 10, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. During this time, the fair will adjust certain programs and activities to create a softer, more calming environment for children and adults with sensory processing sensitivities.

The fair has Sunflower Hours stickers available for families to use during this timeframe. This sticker allows fair visitors with sensory sensitivities to enjoy select amusement rides for free during the Sunflower Hours. Riders must have the Sunflower Hours sticker and an adult and/or caregiver accompanying them.

DSCC has a limited number of stickers available for our program participants. If you are a DSCC participant family and would like us to send you a Sunflower Hours sticker, please email dscc@uic.edu with your name and your participant’s name. To allow enough time to mail stickers, please make your request by Aug. 5. We will send stickers on a first-come, first-served basis.

All families may visit the Sensory Station during the Sunflower Hours event to get more stickers. The stickers will be available while supplies last.

Conservation World, located at the fairgrounds’ Eighth Street entrance, will also host Sunflower Hours on Tuesday, Aug. 13, and Saturday, Aug. 17, from 9 to 10 a.m. Fairgoers can explore the great outdoors in a more peaceful and sensory-friendly setting during these times.

Social Story and Other Resources

The Illinois State Fair has a social story to help you plan your visit to this year’s event. It is a step-by-step guide to help parents and caregivers explain what to expect during a visit to the Illinois State Fair.

You can find the social story and more details about the Sensory Station, Sunflower Hours, the entertainment schedule and more on the Illinois State Fair website.

We are proud to help support greater accessibility and inclusion at the 2024 Illinois State Fair.

For more information about other sensory-friendly activities and events for children and families throughout Illinois, please visit our Events page and follow us on Facebook.

Check out our list of inclusive camps to help you find the right fit for your child

It’s never too early to start planning for summer break activities.

Fortunately, there are a variety of opportunities for children and young adults with special healthcare needs.

We’ve compiled a list of day and overnight camps across Illinois as well as virtual programs.

Does your child want to make new friends? Develop new skills? Meet others with their condition or become more independent?

Our 2023 summer camp list can help you find the right fit.

These camps are accessible and inclusive for a variety of needs, including many of our program’s eligible medical conditions.

Our events calendar shows the summer camps listed by date. You may also search for events in your area by clicking on a regional office near you.

Know of a good summer camp opportunity to add to our list?

Send us the details at dscc@uic.edu. We’ll continue to update our list of camps and activities, so please check back often. 

How to access at-home test kits at no cost

*** Please see our updated news post, “Free At-Home COVID Test Program Resumes,” for the most up-to-date information about free COVID-19 test availability. ***

If you need a COVID-19 test, there are many ways you can test at home for free.

COVID-19 home test kits are available at no cost by mail or pick-up at specified locations.

You may also be eligible for insurance reimbursement or Medicaid coverage at participating pharmacies. Here is a summary of the current options:

• Every home in the United States is eligible to order another round of free at-home tests through the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) at https://special.usps.com/testkits. Please note:
  • Limit of one order per residential address.
  • Your order will include four individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests.
  • Orders will ship free.
  • For those who cannot access the internet or need help placing an order:
    • Call (800) 232-0233 or the TTY line at (888) 720-7489 to get help in English, Spanish and more than 150 other languages.
      
• USPS is also distributing more accessible tests for individuals who are blind or have low vision. The tests work with a compatible Bluetooth-enabled smartphone and a free app to provide users with audible instructions and audible test results. You can order these accessible tests at https://special.usps.com/testkits/accessible or by calling (800) 232-0233. Please note:
  • There is a limit of one order per residential address.
  • Each order includes 12 accessible rapid-antigen tests.
  • Supplies are limited. Please do not order the more accessible tests if you have options for using the standard tests.
  • Orders ship free while supplies last.
    
• Free COVID-19 rapid tests are available for vulnerable Illinoisans. The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is distributing at-home, over-the-counter COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to economically disadvantaged Illinois families in zip codes outside the city of Chicago. Tests are available on a first-come, first-served basis and will be delivered to your home address. To learn if your household is eligible for one package of five tests visit the Project Act website.
  • Note you can find free COVID-19 testing locations on IDPH’s testing locator page.
    
• If you have health insurance through an employer or Marketplace, your insurance will pay you back for eight at-home tests each month for each person on your plan.
  • Learn more about insurance reimbursement for at-home tests on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services website.

• The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) will allow Medicaid-participating pharmacies to prescribe and bill for COVID-19 home test kits.
  • This coverage went into effect on Jan. 1, 2022, and applies to Medicaid fee-for-service and HealthChoice Illinois managed care plans.

• Individuals with disabilities can also contact the Disability Information and Access Line (DIAL) for help with available testing options, including ordering free at-home test kits.
  • Contact DIAL Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. at (888) 677-1199 or email DIAL@usaginganddisability.org.
  • Individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing can reach DIAL using the 711/Video Relay Service (VRS).

You may also visit www.covidtests.gov/ to see where at-home tests are available for sale. The website includes a list of free testing sites available by state. It also provides information about other testing resources.

If you have questions about testing your child, this article from HealthyChildren.org gives a helpful overview of the different types of COVID-19 tests available and what parents need to know.

Your child’s pediatrician can help you determine when testing is a good idea and which type of test would be best. Please contact their office with any questions.

For more information on testing options, assistance programs and caregiver support, visit the Division of Specialized Care for Children’s COVID-19 Resource Directory.

Community support helped the Barmaki family achieve homeownership.

Raising five children in a small two-story apartment is difficult. It’s especially challenging when one of them uses a wheelchair.

Jaouad and Hoda Barmaki had to carry their daughter Bayan up and down the steps to access the bathroom and her bedroom. Bayan, 11, is unable to walk due to scoliosis, cerebral palsy and other health conditions.

This challenge was daily life until the Barmakis applied for Habitat for Humanity of Champaign County’s homeownership program.

With Habitat’s help and community support, the Barmakis now have a brand-new one-story home that’s fully accessible for Bayan’s needs.

“It’s so much easier,” Jaouad said. “No more going up and down the stairs. If I’m not here, my wife can easily get (Bayan) where she needs to be.”

Jaouad and Hoda moved from Morocco to Champaign, where they got married and started a family. Bayan is their oldest child.

Bayan became enrolled with the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) shortly after birth.

Jaouad said DSCC’s support has been extremely helpful for his family, especially when he faced language barriers when communicating with certain providers.

After Habitat accepted the Barmakis’ application, the family’s DSCC Care Coordinator Dan Beagles and Bayan’s school physical therapist helped provide input on the building plans.

“We met at the Habitat office here in town, and the builder had the blueprint of what he was picturing,” Dan said. “We went over what would benefit Bayan the most with accessibility and safety.”

The Barmakis’ new home has zero-step entrances and a more spacious floor plan to make it easier for Bayan’s wheelchair to navigate. Her bedroom has a widened doorway, and the bathroom features a roll-in shower with a lift.

The new home is also located near the Barmaki children’s schools and has plenty of yard space for the kids to play outside.

As part of the homeownership program, the Barmakis put in 250 hours of “sweat equity” that included home maintenance classes, hours working in the

Habitat ReStore and working on the build site.

They moved into the house on March 7.  Local news outlets, including WCIA 3 News and Smile Politely magazine, covered the house’s dedication.

Jaouad recently took Dan on a house tour during one of Dan’s regular home visits with the family.

He said everyone involved in the building process was very helpful and his family is deeply grateful.

Dan enjoyed seeing the finished house and how it’s improved their quality of life.

“It couldn’t have happened to a nicer family,” Dan said. “They are such a joy to work with.”

Congratulations to the Barmakis!