The Arc of Illinois is committed to empowering persons with disabilities to achieve full participation in community life through informed choices. The Arc of Illinois is the lead advocacy organization for people with developmental disabilities and their families in Illinois. The Arc writes most of the developmental disability and special education legislation in Illinois. This year we have introduced Employment First legislation. We offer a variety of seminars and conferences to the community to share the most up-to-date information in the world of I/DD. The Arc of Illinois administers "The Consumer Involvement Fund Program" and distributes consumer stipends to enable people with developmental disabilities and their family members to attend conferences of their choice that are directly related to developmental disability issues.

Services The Arc of Illinois offers:

Family to Family Health Information Center: The Arc of Illinois Family to Family Health Information Center is a free service for families of children and youth with special needs, funded by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and The Arc of Illinois. A Collaborative project with Family Voices of Illinois, we are part of a national network speaking on behalf of children and youth with special health care needs.

The Family Support Network: The mission of the Family Support Network is to unify individuals with disabilities and their families to advocate for funding, services and community resources that strengthen and support the individual and the family directly by responding to their individual needs and empowering them to live in their own homes.

Illinois Life Span Project: Illinois Life Span (ILS) is a free information and referral service for people with disabilities. Information is provided through this website and a toll-free phone line

The Arc of Illinois is in affiliation with The Arc of the United States and over 750 chapters.