IL Council on Developmental Disabilities

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.

05/13/2026

IDD System Redesign Coalition Summit

The IDD Systems Redesign Coalition invites self advocates, family members, providers, and allies to a Summit on May 20. Participants will learn about efforts to redesign Illinois’ IDD system.

Summit presenters will include information gathered through listening sessions and survey. The summit hosts ask attendees to “Come ready to share your story, connect with others, and help shape the future.”

Here are the details of the Summit:

May 20, 2026
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
UIC Student Services Building Conference Room
1200 W. Harrison, Chicago, IL 60607

This event is in person only. Registration is required. Space is limited. Lunch will be provided.

Here is the registration link: https://thearcofil.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/thearcofil/eventRegistration.jsp?event=201&

05/11/2026

On Friday, May 8, Mary Lazare, the Principal Deputy Administrator for the Administration on Community Living (ACL), was in Springfield, Illinois. While in Springfield, Lazare met with Tyson Bedford, Council Chair of the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities and with ICDD Executive Director Kimberly Mercer-Schleider. Lazare was in Illinois to learn more about ACL initiatives, like ICDD, the Illinois Assistive Technology Program, and the Illinois Department on Aging. (In this picture, Principal Deputy Administrator of the ACL Mary Lazare (right) takes a picture with Tyson Bedford, ICDD Chair, and ICDD Director Kimberley Mercer-Schleider).

05/07/2026

The Plenary Session on Day 2 of the 2026 Arc of Illinois Convention featured Meg Cooch (left), Chief of Staff with the Illinois Division of Developmental Disabilities, and Kimberly Mercer-Schleider, Director of the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities. Cooch and Mercer-Schleider spoke about current policy issues impacting the Illinois community and took questions from the audience.