2024
Annual Report
#WeAreAccessLiving
From Our President and CEO
Dear Access Living friends and allies,
I am incredibly proud to share the progress we’ve made this year in advancing the rights and opportunities of people with disabilities. Our work continues to be fueled by the support of our community: the donors, community partners, board members, staff, consumers, and allies who believe in our mission.
Thanks to your generosity, Access Living has been able to make a profound impact on the lives of people with disabilities. This past year we have:
- Transitioned people with disabilities from institutions into their own homes in communities of their choice;
- Taught high school students with disabilities how to become confident self-advocates, empowering them to attend college, pursue meaningful employment, and live independently;
- Connected individuals with disabilities to the digital world for the first time, opening doors to housing and employment opportunities, as well as providing new ways to engage with the world around them.
In addition to these programs, we have continued to advance greater accessibility across transportation systems, schools, parks, government offices, businesses, sports arenas, and housing.
As shown in the impact video below, we are addressing systemic barriers, such as subminimum wage employment programs and restrictive benefits policies, that prevent many disabled people from building wealth, and perpetuate cycles of poverty.
The relationship between poverty and disability is profound. Poverty not only contributes to the prevalence of disability; it also perpetuates it. In response Access Living has prioritized direct community engagement, offering peer-based financial counseling on critical topics such as credit repair and savings strategies in order to empower individuals to achieve lasting financial stability
The disability community is one that anyone can join at any time, and Access Living is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive world not just for those of us living with disabilities today, but for all those that join us in the future.
With your ongoing support, we will continue to build a world where everyone has the choice to live with dignity, independence, and financial security. Thank you for being a part of making this important work possible. Together we are creating lasting change.
Warmly,
Karen Tamley
President and CEO
Access Living
#WeAreAccessLiving
As of November 2024, HB 793, the Dignity in Pay Act, was PASSED by the Illinois State Legislature and sent to Governor Pritzker’s desk for his signature. Access Living is proud to have collectively passed this legislation alongside a coalition of Illinois workers, employers, state agencies, and legislators.
Our Consumers
By Primary Disability
By Race
By Age
Our Work: By The Numbers
7,206
Individuals received information and referral services
1,027
Participants in 519 community organizing meetings, to advance disability policy.
3,500
People reached through our disability inclusion consulting and training to the corporate, non-profit and philanthropic sectors
1,453
Disabled Chicagoans received independent living supports through our partnership with the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities
1,369
external collaboration meetings, expanding the reach and impact of organizing efforts
1,026
Consumers with disabilities were assisted with housing needs
373
People learned about the fair housing rights of people with disabilities
278
Participants reached through book readings, art making for mental health, storytelling workshops, and more
194
Households received our housing counseling services to improve living conditions
161
High school sutents with disabilities prepared to transition into higher education or the workforce through our youth leadership trainings in 17 schools
137
137 meetings with elected officials to advance disability rights and policy change
98
Disabled consumers received assistive tech devices and the necessary training to use them to live more independently
89
Disabled consumers graduated from an 11-week financial literacy training, and shared that they have improved their financial positions as a result
83
Disabled consumers transitioned out of nursing facilities/Individuals were recruited and trained as personal assistants for people with disabilities
81
Disabled consumers were provided with technology (such as computers/tablets) as well as technology training as well as a computer/tablet in order to increase their independence through digital literacy
64
New or ongoing legal cases related to the Fair Housing Amendments Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act
50
Tests of housing units for compliance with the Fair Housing Act were conducted
25
Disability discrimination cases resolved
22
Cultural events and Cross-disability support group sessions held for community-building
9
Fair housing trainings conducted
Building Momentum: Advocacy in Action
Access Living has led the fight for affordable, accessible housing in Chicago since we opened our doors in 1980. This fight continues to this day through our direct services, community organizing group, advocacy efforts, and an ongoing lawsuit against the City of Chicago, Access Living v. Chicago.
Community Organizing
Legal Cases
Policy Victories
Arts and Culture
Auden, a 3Arts/Bodies of Work resident artist, shows a notebook filled with overlapping images and text, including handwriting, photos, cutouts of jellyfish, and comic strips. A quote along one side reads, “Disability is not a brave struggle, or courage in the face of adversity. Disability is an art, an ingenious way to live.”
Access Living intern, Bee Randolph, prepares for Access Living’s grand re-opening. They sit at a table surrounded by many colors of yarn and fabric preparing to facilitate a group activity to produce a large yarn bowl.
Collaborating Arts Organizations
Collaborating Artists
Our 2024 Board of Directors
Officers
Denise Avant
National Federation of the Blind of Illinois
Vice Chair/Program Committee Chair
Kevin Bradley
HUB International
Board Chair
Karin M. Norington-Reaves
Secretary
Chad E. Turner
Bank of America
Treasurer/Finance Committee Chair
Members
Drew Beres
Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres LLC
Resource Development & Communications Committee Vice Chair
Kristen Carey
Northern Trust
Resource Development & Communications Committee Chair
Sangeeta Patel Driver, MD MPH
Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
Program Committee Vice Chair
William Haffner
Hon. Neil Hartigan
Anthony Hinton
Leah Jaron
Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies
Dr. Zachary Kordik
Modern Mental Health
Ben Lumicao
Allstate
Nominating & Board Development Committee Chair
Chaitanya Manchanda
Discover
Rosanna A. Márquez
AARP
Nominating & Board Development Committee Vice Chair
Nancy Prussian-Weber
General Parking Corporation
Jaya Sharma
Deloitte
Carlos Terrazas
McDonald’s Corporation
Molly Walsh
J.P. Morgan
Peter Yi
Finance and Human Resources Vice Chair
The 2024 Access Living Gala Supporters and Sponsors
Visionary Sponsors
Leadership Sponsors
Host Committee
Our Funders
$25 Million Leadership Campaign
Corporations and Foundations
Individual Donors
In-Kind Donors
In Memorium
Marca Bristo Legacy Campaign
Planned Giving Legacy Society
Public Funding
Tribute Gifts
Our Financials
For security purposes, we post our financials as a PDF.
Download our statements of financial position: June 30, 2024 and 2023