Access Living

This November, all 21 seats on the Chicago school board will be up for grabs. Do you know how the candidates from your district are thinking about disability issues?

Access Living and Legal Council for Health Justice Legal Council for Health Justice asked them. Find out where school board candidates stand on the topics that are top of mind for families of students with disabilities, from cluster classrooms to inaccessible school buildings, the post-high school "disability cliff" and more.

With more than 55,000 students with disabilities in Chicago Public Schools, the school board plays in important role in making strides to ensuring that every student has the resources to succeed. Explore candidates' responses at AccessLiving.org/schools-2026

On this World Gratitude Day we're kicking off Access Living's Week of Gratitude, an opportunity to say thank you to the community who makes our work possible. From donors to Consumers, staff to partners, and everyone in between, your support expands opportunities for people with disabilities and builds a more inclusive world.

Read more about our Week of Gratitude here: https://www.accessliving.org/newsroom/blog/week-of-gratitude-2026-september-21-25/

Housing subsidies are an important way many people access a stable, affordable, and accessible place to live. But anyone who's been through the application process knows that getting approved isn't easy.

And that's why protecting your housing subsidy is vital.

Whether you're struggling with which bills to pay first or knowing what paperwork is most important, we've got tips to ensure you don't lose access to your voucher or a place to call home.

🏠 Read more at accessliving.org/blog

"Can we truly call assisted su***de a choice when some people with disabilities cannot get the services and support they need to choose to live?...Illinois is creating a system in which the state will facilitate access to medication to end a terminally ill person’s life while it cannot guarantee that every person with a disability will have access to the healthcare, services, mental health treatment, palliative care, housing and personal assistance necessary to live."

In an op-ed in today's Chicago Tribune, Access Living healthcare policy analyst Sebastian Nalls responds to Illinois’ End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act, a physician-assisted su***de law which went into effect on Saturday.

Read the full piece at https://www.accessliving.org/newsroom/ or on the Tribune's site: https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/14/letters-091426-flock-cameras/

Letters: The Tribune Editorial Board is right to question the proliferation of Flock cameras By rejecting BriefCam, Cook County would hit the pause button on a rapid, insufficiently scrutinized expansion of AI surveillance technology.

A great opportunity to have your voice heard!

Our friends at American Association of People with Disabilities are collecting the experiences of people with an aging or changing bodies and minds. If you’ve ever wondered if you count as “disabled enough" or felt like disability spaces weren't built with you in mind, this survey is for you: https://www.aapd.com/community-input-survey-for-new-learning-program/

Congratulations to Access Living's Candace Coleman, The Field Foundation of Illinois Leaders of a New Chicago awardee and tireless advocate for our communities!

As we continue to celebrate the 2026 Leaders for a New Chicago awardees, we are shining a spotlight on one leader each week.

Meet Candace Coleman, a nationally recognized disability rights advocate, organizer, and person with a disability with more than 15 years of experience advancing disability justice, racial justice, and systems change.

In her role as Community Strategy Specialist at Access Living, she develops advocacy campaigns and empowers disabled leaders to influence public policy.

The Field Foundation and MacArthur Foundation honor Candace for her impact. Through her work with Access Living and the communities it serves, she is redefining civic leadership and reimagining Chicago’s future.

Learn more about Candace and her fellow 2026 awardees: https://fieldfoundation.org/grantmaking/leaders-for-a-new-chicago/2026-leaders/

Image description:
Portrait of Candace Coleman with shoulder-length braids wearing a red blazer and gold jewelry, smiling at the camera in front of a window. Text overlay reads 'Candace Coleman' with the Leaders for a New Chicago logo and '2026 Awardee' below

“…[I]t represents meaningful progress toward ensuring that people with disabilities can seek emergency care with confidence that their mobility devices will be transported safely and not left in the street.”

Congratulations to team member Ryan McGraw and his community organizing group TFAS on a huge victory for people with disabilities in Chicago!

Mayor Brandon Johnson, MOPD, BACP, and OPSA Announce Emergency Transport of Mobility Device Expansion CHICAGO — Today, Mayor Brandon Johnson, the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD), Chicago Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) and the Office of Public Safety Administration (OPSA) along with public safety partners including Chicago Police Department (CPD), Chicag...