IL Council on Developmental Disabilities

We are sharing this from the page of Access Living. The Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities mourns the loss of Mike Ervin, a local, state and national disability rights advocate and leader.

Disability Rights Voting Helpline


Voters with Disabilities,

Today, Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2026, from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm, Equip for Equality will have advocates available by telephone and email to answer questions about any voting problem voters with disabilities may have in Illinois.

Disability Rights Voting Helpline
Toll Free Main Line: 800-537-2632
E-mail: [email protected]

Tomorrow, November 3, 2026, is Election Day in Illinois. We are sharing this post from the page of Equip for Equality. This post has voting and voting rights information for people with disabilities.

Your Right to Vote in Illinois

Who Can Vote?
You can vote if you:
• Are a U.S. citizen,
• Are at least 18 years old on or before Election Day, and
• Have lived in your voting area for at least 30 days.

You can vote even if you have a court appointed guardian.
you can vote if you have a criminal history; but you cannot vote if you are currently in custody serving a criminal sentence.

Ways to Vote
• Early Voting: Vote in person before Election Day. Early Voting in person is available until November 2.
• Vote by Mail: Ask for a ballot and vote from home. Sign the ballot and the envelope. All requests by mail must be received by the Election Authority by October 29.
• Curbside Voting: If you cannot enter the polling place, election judges can bring a ballot outside to you.
• Hospital or Nursing Home Voting: You may still vote even if you entered shortly before the election.

Find Voting Information
• Polling Place Lookup: https://ova.elections.il.gov/pollingplacelookup.aspx
• Early Voting Locations: https://ova.elections.il.gov/earlyvotinglocations.aspx
• Local Election Authority: www.elections.il.gov/electionoperations/electionauthorities.aspx

Need Help or Have a Problem Voting?
Visit Equip for Equality’s website for disability rights resources: https://www.equipforequality.org

Below please find a message from a collection of groups. The message includes information about resources for voters with disabilities.

The groups that worked on these resources include:

The Chicagoland Disabled People of Color Coalition
The Arc of Illinois
RevUp Illinois
Going Home Coalition, and
The Institute on Disability and Human Development

Dear friends and partners,

The 2026 Illinois Midterm Elections are approaching, and we want to help ensure that people with disabilities have the information and resources they need to participate in the electoral process.
The Chicagoland Disabled People of Color Coalition, The Arc of Illinois, RevUp Illinois, Going Home Coalition, and The Institute on Disability and Human Development have compiled a collection of nonpartisan voting resources for Illinois voters with disabilities.

The resource library includes information on:

• Voter registration
• Election dates and deadlines
• Vote-by-mail
• Early voting
• Election Day voting
• Accessible voting equipment
• Polling place accessibility
• Curbside voting
• Voter ID requirements
• Guardianship and voting rights
• Voting assistance and accommodations
• Resources for voters living in hospitals, nursing homes, and long-term care facilities
• Disability voting rights and advocacy materials

Access the resource library here:

2026 Illinois Midterm Elections Resources for People with Disabilities

2026 Illinois Midterm Elections Resources - Google Drive

𝗧𝗔𝗣 / 𝗜𝗗𝗛𝗗 / 𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝗪𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀

𝗜𝗗𝗗 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: November 3, 2026 at 1pm
𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: Virtual over Zoom

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆:

As part of the first year of the Coleman Foundation grant awarded to the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) System Redesign Coalition, The Arc of Illinois conducted more than 20 listening sessions across Illinois. These listening sessions involved people with lived experience, families, and other people with a vested interest in services for people with IDD.

As part of these listening sessions, and also available outside them, surveys were provided that allowed participants to share their experiences with IDD services in Illinois. Over 600 surveys were completed. Data from the completed surveys were analyzed by Coalition partners at the University of Illinois Chicago Institute on Disability and Human Development (IDHD). The findings from the data analysis provide a robust perspective into the current state of Illinois IDD services.

In this presentation, Samantha Alloway from The Arc of Illinois and Caitlin Crabb from IDHD will review the survey and data analysis strategy, present the data analysis findings, and discuss how the information gained can be used to guide services, regulations, and legislation pertaining to services for people with IDD living in Illinois.

𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸: https://uic.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rsmLqG4zRUGLEJpfYNbtcw #/registration

Access Living, The Arc of Illinois, Blue Tower Solutions, and the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities are hosting a four-part Legislative Training Series. The training series is designed to prepare participants for an Advocacy Day at the Illinois State Capitol on Tuesday, November 17.

The first session of the Training Series is tomorrow, October 27, at 10 a.m.

This webinar series is a set of four trainings sessions. The four training sessions will prepare participants for an Advocacy Day at the Illinois State Capitol on November 17.

The trainings will run for 90 minutes. The trainings start at 10 a.m. Central Time. The dates of the trainings are October 27, November 4, November 10, and November 12.

The trainings will cover a variety of issues. You are welcome to attend any or all of the trainings.

1. October 27, 10am CDT - The Legislative Process,
How to Follow a Bill, Learn about the Illinois General Assembly Website

2. November 4, 10am CDT - Witness Slips, Writing
Your Story, Biographies

3. November 10, 10am CDT - Contact Your Legislator,
Talk to Your Legislator, Thank You Letters

4. November 12, 10am CDT - What We Will Talk
About, Finding Your Way Around the Capitol

Individuals who do not plan to attend the Advocacy Day on November 17 are welcome to join the trainings.

Register for the Legislative Training Series at this link: https://illinois.webex.com/webappng/sites/illinois/webinar/webinarSeries/register/d64108c6b2474570a086d3268e00e2a9

If you would like to complete the registration form over the phone, please call (312) 914-2774.

Here is more information about the Advocacy Day on November 17: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=nwgia7qOPEaE9TFxIQ-QBap_PCgrDHNMqSwaI00FOYNUOTNTNTFFMTZEQlVGN1AxVDJYSktMUlFUUi4u&route=shorturl

Earlier in October, Illinois hosted the annual ACED Awards. ACED is the Accessibility Committee for Employees with Disabilities.

This photo is of Illinois Department of Human Rights Director Jim Bennett and Illinois Department of Rehabilitation Services Director Rahnee Patrick with a representative from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, who accepted the Employee of the Year Award on behalf of Jay Williams.

Here is a video message from Governor JB Pritzker recognizing the work of the committee and congratulating honorees: https://vimeo.com/1236376271/896495311b?share=copy&fl=cl&fe=ci

We are sharing this post from the page of The Arc of Illinois. The Chicago Tribune published a piece today that was written by Access Living, The Arc of Illinois, and Equip for Equality.

Advocates: Closing Choate’s developmental disability units is the right decision. Now we have to get it right.

Advocates: Closing Choate’s developmental disability units is the right decision. Now we have to get it right. The move away from state-operated developmental centers allows disabled people to have greater say in the lives they lead.

Here is information from the Illinois Treasurer’s Office about an IL ABLE Webinar on October 22.

What’s ahead for IL ABLE?

Thursday, October 22, 2026 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
(UTC-05:00) Central Time (US & Canada)

Host
ILLINOIS, ABLE

Agenda

IL ABLE is excited to bring coming improvements to your ABLE account.

On November 10, your account will transition to a new program manager to enhance your ABLE experience, including:

• Lower fees
• Simplified account management tools
• A free, customizable True Link Visa® Prepaid Card
• A mobile app to access and manage your account on the go

Account Owners and Authorized Individuals are encouraged to register for “What’s Ahead with IL ABLE,” a 1-hour webinar to learn what to expect with, and how to plan for the changes, including how to request withdrawals to third parties.

If you need an accommodation please email [email protected]

Register at this link: https://isto.webex.com/webappng/sites/isto/meeting/register/7015583e7a414e7483fe9c4fe8e6ea27?ticket=4832534b000000098afd9d43d1e088d13d2a59b4afe0ae8a736ee83afe207f95d69e05b1703810d2×tamp=1792435845074&RGID=r5bdcede4a271dc5788dfd7c8a48a9583&isAutoPopRegisterForm=false

Your Voice. Your Vote. Your Rights.
Illinois Voter Rights Webinar

When: Tue Oct 27, 2026 at 6 to 7pm
Where: Virtual over Zoom

Join disability advocates, community leaders and voters from across Illinois for an important conversation on voter rights, civic engagement, and ensuring that all disabled people can fully participate in our democracy.

The Webinar will cover:

• Voting rights for people with disabilities
• Accessible voting options in Illinois
• How to prepare for voting day
• Advocacy and civic engagement opportunities
• Resources to support disabled voters

This event is hosted by:

• REVUP Illinois
• The Arc of Illinois
• Going Home Coalition
• Chicagoland Disabled People of Color Coalition
• UIC Institute on Disability & Human Development

Register at this link: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/znQOPnb6Rjy1pgErFnzYQA #/registration