IL Council on Developmental Disabilities

06/04/2026

Happy Pride Month! Recently speaking about Pride Month, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said, "we will stop at nothing to ensure LGBTQ+ people are safe, welcome, and protected in our state. Illinois will always be a beacon for equality."

From the "Enjoy Illinois Website," here is a listing of Pride events in locations across Illinois in the month and near the month of June.

Across the state of Illinois, LGBTQ+ Pride Festivals and parades will take place that celebrate equality and inclusiveness.

06/02/2026

This information taken from the Don Moss & Associates Daily Bulletin:

Goodwill Great Lakes and Ada S. McKinley are hosting an event on Friday, June 12 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Goodwill Employment Center in Great Lake, Illinois.

The event is for participants to explore programs, support and job opportunities.

Friday, June 12, 2026. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Goodwill Employment Center
3012 Mississippi St., Great Lakes, IL

Please bring:

• REAL ID or Passport
• Social Security Card
• Any employment/
disability documentation

Here is a link with more information:

06/01/2026

Join the UIC Disability Cultural Center, the Chicagoland Disabled People of Color Coalition (supported by UIC’s Institute on Disability and Human Development), and the Center for Racial and Disability Justice for the sixth annual Accessible Juneteenth, celebrating the Black disability community!

2026 Accessible Juneteenth
Tuesday, June 18th, 2025
4 to 7:30 PM CDT
Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago
115 West Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60607

The event will include tables to meet people from Black-owned and disability-owned/friendly organizations and businesses. If you’re a Black and/or disability-owned/friendly business or organization and would like to be an exhibitor, sign up at: https://forms.gle/bxvyNLbF25v7RQ2a7

05/29/2026

On May 28, 2026, the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities (ICDD) met in Springfield, Illinois for a quarterly meeting. Following the meeting, ICDD celebrated the career and and contributions of Janinna Hendricks, the Associate Director of Finance and Operations for ICDD. The celebration included a letter from Governor JB Pritzker. In this picture, Ryan Croke, the First Assistant Deputy Governor for Health & Human Services, presents the Governor's letter to Hendricks.

05/26/2026

Starting in June, the Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission will host a series of webinars for Illinois residents and families. These webinars include Understanding Guardianship, Advanced Directives and Supported Decision-Making in Illinois. This is a webinar series for residents, families, guardians and the general public. The first webinar is "Understand Guardianship" and is scheduled for Wednesday, June 3 at 3 p.m.

Here is a description for the first webinar: Adult guardianship involves a court appointing a guardian to make decisions for an adult who is unable to make their own decisions due to disability. This presentation provides an overview of the roles, rights, and responsibilities of the courts, guardians, and adults with disabilities."

Please follows this link for more information, including descriptions of the other webinars and how to join the virtual events.

More information: https://files.constantcontact.com/eeb100c1801/15a50465-583d-4ed0-ba82-78c59f9c1e4c.pdf

05/21/2026

Call for Speakers: 2026 Speak Up and Speak Out.

The Arc of Illinois is in the planning stages for the 2026 Speak Up and Speak Out Summit. This includes recruiting people who would like to present during a break out sessions at the 2026 Summit. Tomorrow, (May 22) is the deadline to submit a proposal for a breakout session.

For more information and to submit an application, please follow this link: https://www.thearcofil.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/CallForSpeakers2026.pdf

05/20/2026

A few days remain of the 45-Day Public Comment Period for the 2027-2031 Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities Five-Year State Plan.

Every Developmental Disabilities Council (DD Council) is required by the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act) to create a Five-Year State Plan. This plan helps guide how ICDD will use its resources, leadership, and systems change work to improve the lives of people with developmental disabilities (DD) and their families across Illinois over the next five years. Public comment is the opportunity for members of the public to give input on the plan.

We would like to hear from you if we have not already. Please visit this link to view the plan and to submit comment. Website Link: https://icdd.illinois.gov/announcements/sitepages/help-shape-icdd-2027-2031-five-year-state-plan.html

05/18/2026

We are sharing this Facebook Post from the page of the Illinois Department of Human Services. May is Jewish American Heritage Month. "This Jewish American Heritage Month, IDHS celebrates Jewish Americans whose lives, leadership, service, and contributions have helped shape communities across Illinois and beyond."

This Jewish American Heritage Month, IDHS celebrates Jewish Americans whose lives, leadership, service, and contributions have helped shape communities across Illinois and beyond.

We honor these contributions as we continue helping to make Illinois a state where every person is treated with dignity, respect, and belonging.

05/15/2026

ICDD Council Member Curtis Harris was in Washington, DC this week for the American Association of People with Disabilities Conference.

As part of the conference, Harris participated in visits to Capitol Hill, where he talked about the importance of Home and Community-Based Services, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and other issues. In these photos, Harris is with US Representative Danny Davis and on the steps of the Capitol.

05/14/2026

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Heritage Month. As one way to recognize this month, here is a post about Stacey Park Milbern.

This is a piece titled "How Stacey Park Milbern Found Power in Disability Identity."

The piece is published online at Smithsonian American Women's History Museum.

Here is a link:

Discover how Stacey Park Milbern’s teenage experiences shaped her identity and sparked a lifelong commitment to disability justice. Hear from Stacey’s father Joel Milbern about how a pivotal youth leadership conference helped her embrace disability as a source of power and purpose.