Advocacy Team
Access Living friends and allies:
There’s a LOT going on this week with some great advocacy opportunities and new announcements! Check out today’s list and don’t miss out.
Chicago Town Hall on Evictions, Vaccines and Homelessness: The Chicago Housing Initiative (CHI) is hosting an online town hall tomorrow, Wednesday December 9 at 7 pm Central time. The event will be on Facebook Live with ASL interpretation and Spanish translation. The event is free to all and the event page is at this link. The Town Hall will discuss what people need to know about vaccines, tenant rights during Covid, and the proposed Public Health and Housing Covid-19 Emergency Ordinance. CHI is a longtime ally to Access Living.
Illinois Medicaid Coverage for Immigrant Seniors: As of December 1, Illinois is the first state in the nation to offer the new Health Benefit for Immigrant Seniors Program. This is a comprehensive health coverage program administered through the Medicaid agency with state-only funds. Eligible seniors include undocumented seniors and those who have had their green cards for less than five years, and who earn less than 100% of the federal poverty level. Enrollment is through: ABE, the call center, and community navigators such as the IDHS welcoming centers and IFRPs. According to Protecting Immigrant Families Illinois, for seniors who might be subject to the public charge test, enrollment in this program is not harmful and in fact may be helpful.
Great News on DACA Restoration: Access Living also applauds the restoration of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA protects about 650,000 young immigrants from deportation and allows them to work in the United States. Many DACA recipients also happen to be persons with disabilities, or are support workers for people with disabilities. Access Living applauds the restoration of this opportunity for young immigrants. See this story from the AP for more details.
DCAL Open Studio & Chill: Sometimes, advocates just need a break, and the Disability Culture Activism Lab (DCAL) is here for you. DCAL will be hosting online open studio dates on December 12 and December 19, with open hours from 1 pm to 9 pm. You can drop in when you like! Learn more about DCAL, the hosting artists, and sign up for this event at this link. Please help let others know about this great opportunity! DCAL is a collaboration between the Arts & Culture Project at Access Living, and the Department of Art Therapy and Counseling at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. DCAL is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.
Please share this update with interested disability advocates! Thank you for your ongoing advocacy.