» Tina Zemen | Disability Blog

Summer Highlights

08/23/23 - Accessibility in Public, advocacy, Business News, Disability Employment and Housing, Disability-Aware Businesses, Disability-Aware Service, Education, Events, Inspiring People, JJ's List Fun, jjslist.com, Search, Inc., Self-Advocacy, Social Enterprise, Uncategorized - 0 Comments

Ignite, one of our Search Day programs, went on many adventures this summer. They explored the Chicagoland area by going to plays, movies, restaurants, beaches and more. They are excited to share their experience and they had so much fun! Read on to hear more…

Navigating the Changing Landscape of I/DD Services with Greg Petersen

07/31/23 - advocacy, Business News, Education, Independence, Search, Inc., Self-Advocacy - 0 Comments

Within the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) sector, the last few years have witnessed a surge of transformative changes in Illinois. This month, our team had the pleasure of interviewing Greg Petersen, Chief Executive Officer of Keystone Alliance, to gain valuable insights into the recent…

Pride Month: Reflection, Connection, and Celebration!

06/26/23 - advocacy, Education, Guest Blogger, Inspiring People, Search, Inc. - 0 Comments

By Beth Ann Kimura

Pride month is bittersweet for LGBTQIA+ community. It is a time of rememberance for what occurred during the Stonewall riots and discrimation that our community has faced. It is a time to recognize the pain and limitations our community continues to face….

Celebrating Juneteenth at Search

- advocacy, Education, Guest Blogger, Independence, Inspiring People, Search, Inc., Self-Advocacy - 0 Comments

By Princess Porter

June 19, 1865 commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. Although slavery is not discussed in history classes, being able to educate the clients about a significant historical event was exciting.

Surprisingly, Juneteenth is not as well-known as the Fourth of July…

Mental Health Awareness and Today’s Perspective

05/31/23 - Guest Blogger, Inspiring People, JJ's List Fun, Search, Inc., Tools and aids - 0 Comments

By Beth Ann Kimura and Angela Reynolds

If it feels like there are days you are always talking about mental health with your close ones, it is most likely you are not the only one. The conversation of mental health and self-care have been at the…

Interview with Jess F.

04/27/23 - advocacy, Business News, Disability Employment and Housing, Disability in the Media, Disability-Aware Businesses, Education, Employment, Independence, Inspiring People, Self-Advocacy, Uncategorized - 0 Comments

The ComEd Energy Force program is the country’s first program that empowers people with developmental disabilities to teach others about solar options and energy-saving tips. The program began in 2012 with eight nonprofits with which ComEd had established relationships.

At that time, the focus was peer-to-peer…

Catch Up with Our Disability Awareness Players

03/15/23 - Accessibility in Public, advocacy, Disability Awareness Players, Disability-Aware Businesses, Education, Independence, Inspiring People, JJ's List Fun, Search, Inc., Self-Advocacy, Social Enterprise - 0 Comments

This month, we caught up with our Disability Awareness Players. We asked them about accessibility in their communities, recent achievements and about their hobbies. Read on to learn more!

How have public places, in general, more become accessible over the years?

Brian: Over the years, public places… Read More >

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Reflections and Goals

02/28/23 - advocacy, Education, Independence, Inspiring People, Search, Inc., Self-Advocacy - 0 Comments

We asked our participants throughout our Adult Learning Programs to reflect on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) and new things that they would like to learn in 2023.

Read their responses below!

What does Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) mean to you?

Pam: Diversity means people of different…

Black History Month Recap

- advocacy, Education, Featured Blogger of the Month, Guest Blogger, Independence, Inspiring People, Search, Inc., Self-Advocacy - 0 Comments

By Martina Conley, Community Life Coordinator

Black History Month is a time to reflect on and celebrate the trials and triumphs of African Americans in the United States. We kicked off the celebration with a focus on Black hair. Pam S.B presented a lunch and learn educating…

New Year, New Goals

01/31/23 - ABLE - A Better Life for Everybody, Education, Independence, Inspiring People, JJ's List Fun, Search, Inc., Self-Advocacy - 0 Comments

To kick off the New Year, we asked individuals at Search a few questions related to goals and bucket list items. Read their responses below.

What are some of your goals this year?

Pam: Learn Japanese words and get a full time job

Christa: Learn to type on…