Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Independent Living
Nursing Home Transition, Personal Assistant Referral, Independent Living Skills, Financial Literacy, Assistive Technology, Youth Support
Advocacy
Using the change levers of raising awareness through outreach, community organizing, and public policy work our Advocacy programming makes a difference in the lives of people with disabilities on a city-wide, state-wide, and nation-wide level.
Civil Rights
Our Legal Services programming provides direct representation, educates people with disabilities about their legal rights, and engages in public policy advocacy around affirmatively furthering fair housing and access to community services. Ultimately, this leads to not only redress of their immediate legal needs but also has a long-term impact on the systems that work to exclude people with disabilities.
Where we work
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of clients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Context Notes
This figure reflects the number of individuals served by our programs and services on an annual basis.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
The guiding vision of our organization is to foster a society where people with disabilities can live in communities of their choice, free from discrimination, with access to the services, supports, and resources they need in order to live with the same quality of life as their non-disabled counterparts. Our five year strategic plan (running from FY15 - FY19) outlines steps we will take toward this vision. Some of the items in our current plan include: (1) being a leader in promoting integrated competitive employment for people with disabilities; (2) becoming an influential voice in promoting person-centered healthcare for people with disabilities in a manner that is consistent with our independent living philosophy; (3) continuing to maximize our impact in the area of fair housing while working to identify and pursue impact litigation in areas other than fair housing; (4) enhancing our outreach, peer based support, and advocacy for people with psychiatric disabilities.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We envision a society where people with disabilities can live in communities of their choice, free from discrimination, and have access to the services, supports, and resources they need in order to live with the same quality of life as their non-disabled counterparts. As such, our work is dedicated to removing the barriers to inclusion and access that work to keep people with disabilities as second-class citizens. To make this vision a reality we offer: (1) peer oriented independent living services, (2) individualized and systemic advocacy, and (3) enforcement of civil rights on behalf of individuals with disabilities.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Established in 1980, our organization has spent the past 37 years fostering an inclusive society with programming that enables Chicagoans with disabilities to live fully-engaged and self-directed lives. As the only federally funded Center for Independent Living in Chicago, we have increased the independence of over 50,000 individuals with disabilities since our founding in 1980. Annually we serve over 1500 individuals with disabilities. We are a cross disability organization governed and staffed by a majority of people with disabilities and have 50 full-time and 11 part-time staff. This allows us to bring a unique perspective and level of expertise to our consumers.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
The work we do at Access Living has been changing the lives of people with disabilities for the last 35 years and are nationally recognized as a leading force in the disability advocacy community. We challenge stereotypes, protect civil rights, and champion social reform. We have increased the independence and quality of life for over 50,000 people with disabilities since our founding. Some of our accomplishments include playing a key role in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Amendments Act. We were integral in making Chicago one of the first cities to have 100% of buses equipped with lifts. More recently we established our headquarters in a universally accessible and green building thereby ensuring that our whole community can benefit from our services and supports. Our future plans include creating a new strategic plan and expanding our work on racial justice and communications.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago
Board of directorsas of 08/01/2018
Andres Gallegos
No Affiliation
Norma Borcherding
Marca Bristo
Doug Dobmeyer
Maurice Fantus
Kevin Fritz
Andres Gallegos
Emily Harris
Kent Klaus
Tuyet Le
Brad Markham
Beatrice Mayer
Mark Owen
Alice Palmer
Gary Prescott
Felicia Rauls
Elliot Roth
Kurt Schulenburg
John Schmidt
Sidney Smith
Kristin Weaver
Cliff Weber
Ken Bennett
Tara John
Wilson Mantilla
Shari Runner
Joan Wolfensberger