IL Imagines Chicago Team Agency Spotlight: IL Self Advocacy Alliance

IL Imagines Chicago
Team Agency Spotlight

AGENCY:
Illinois Self-Advocacy Alliance
PO Box 666
Park Forest Il 60466
Phone: 618.806.9431
Email: krescenebeck@gmail.com
Web: http://selfadvocacyalliance.org/

AGENCY OVERVIEW:

The Alliance is a statewide team of self-advocacy groups in Illinois. We work together to make life better in our communities and to work to make services better in our state.
We want groups from around the state to speak together with one loud voice. We can do more when we all work together!

Our Vision

Our vision is for self-advocates to work together to get the support we need and to live the life we want in the community.

Our Mission

Our mission is to speak up for ourselves and each other while working together to make changes in our communities and in Illinois.

Range of services: 

The Alliance is all of the self-advocacy groups from around the State. 

 1. Support Local Groups
 We can accomplish a lot when we support each other to reach our goals! Alliance leaders will visit local self-advocacy groups to find out how the Alliance can help each group. The Alliance can help by:
● Spreading the word about a local event
● Sharing ideas about what other groups have done
● Holding regional meetings to discuss issues, plan activities, and have fun
● Inviting you to get involved in statewide actions to make change

2. Work Together on Important Issues
We want self-advocacy groups from around the state to speak together with one loud voice about our services, transportation, jobs, community housing choices, and other issues that affect our lives. When we work together, we can make a difference in our own lives, in our communities, and across our State.

We will work together in several ways. We will:
● We will gather information from Alliance members about important issues to develop position statements . These statements will help others understand what we believe.
● We will use our position statements to deliver a clear message with one voice to policy makers and others.
● We will plan state actions on issues that are important to us.
● We will support each other at the state level to promote self-determination, self-advocacy, and the rights of people with disabilities.

3. Offer trainings & presentations on disability related topics

4. Participate on a number of grants,  projects & committees that address many disability related topics or issues including; Proud & Included (LGBTQ initiative for those who identify as I/DD), IL Imagines, SEAT (Supported Employment Action Team), WIOA trainings, SUSO, etc. 

Specialties:   

Intellectual & developmental disabilities, advocacy, trainings & presentations  

Team Member Spotlight: Tara Ahern

IL Imagines Chicago

Team Member Spotlight

Team member name: Tara Ahern
Position: Community Organizer
Agency/Program: The IL Self Advocacy Specialist 
Member since: 2014

Member Bio:

Tara Ahern is a graduate of New York University (B.A.) & DePaul University (M.S.). The cornerstone of her life’s work is to encourage & teach individuals how to speak up for themselves in order to live a full life in their communities. She works as a state-wide Community Organizer for The IL Self Advocacy Alliance & activities facilitator at Center for Independent Futures in Evanston. In her role at The Alliance, Tara has conducted issue campaigns to influence local and state systems change, nurtured relationships & mobilized self advocates, disability groups and other allies and most recently, spearheaded The Alliance Ambassador Leadership Program for adults with intellectual & developmental disabilities. She also serves a co-chair for IL Imagines.

Tara’s passion for disability rights stems from her own experiences living & loving with Muscular Dystrophy, a degenerative neurological disease, and also wanting to live in a world that sees value in all people. In her spare time, Tara pursues her passion of photography, documenting weddings, portraits & events at her own company, Roots of Life Photography.

Quote: 

“Never doubt that you are valuable and powerful & deserving of every chance & opportunity in the world.” -HRC

Why I joined IL Imagines. 

After participating in an IL Imagines sexual assault prevention for women with disabilities training and learning more about how prevalent this issue is, I wanted to get more involved with the project. 

Upon joining the Chicago team, I felt relieved to find a small tribe of passionate people committed to proactively addressing this topic.

A Fun Fact:

I have visited 15 countries in Canada, Europe, Central America, Africa & the Middle East.