PERSONS ASSUMING CONTROL OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT INC (PACE, Inc. Center for Independent Living)
Promoting the full participation of people with disabilities in the rights and responsibilities of society.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
One thing people with disabilities have in common is coming up against barriers to independence in the environment. Types of barriers are different. The deaf and blind run into different types of communication barriers( print and voice). People who have mental health concerns meet attitudinal barriers- stigma. People who have mobility concerns meet structural barriers when jobs, events, education, etc are in inaccessible locations. Many PWDs meet economic barriers due to unemployment, underemployment or medical costs. Traditional services considered the disability as the "problem", the PWD a "client" and the professional, an expert taking control. Independent Living Philosophy defines the environment not allowing for PWD's need as the problem. The PWD is the "consumer" choosing what they want. The consumer's control is the most important element. PWDs know best what they want and need IL professionals facilitate consumer direction, they don't manage cases. .
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Reintegration (from facility to community living)
This program aids individuals who are in nursing facilities and often financially trapped to move back into the community.
We can assist with the cost of obtaining an apartment (first month's rent/security deposit), accessibility modifications, as well as the necessities needed to make it a home (furniture, cleaning supplies, etc.) After initial setup and one months support the consumer takes over their own expenses.
Personal Assistance Program
Personal Assistant (PA) program - people who wish to work with people with disabilities (PWDs) are oriented on what it takes to be a PA and basic Independent Living Philosophy which specifies the person with the disability as the employer (not a patient).
PAs aid people who have disabilities with the activities of daily living (cooking, cleaning, personal care) with the goal of enabling the person in continuing to live independently in the community.
Once a person has been oriented to the job and Independent Living, they can be matched with a person who would like to hire them.
The person with a disability who needs the PA is in charge of the process, they select who they want to call, interview, and hire. The employer supervises and if necessary fires. PACE is a third party acting to get the two parties together. PACE is not the employer.
Most PAs are paid by Home Services, some people pay privately. PACE acts as a third party to make sure that both the PA and the employer with a disability have the tools necessary to make the relationship work.
Personal Support Workers
This program serves individuals with developmental disabilities. It is a referral service for Personal Support Workers. PACE acts as a third party bringing the person who has a developmental disability and often their family together with a person who wishes to be a personal support worker that meets the specific needs of the consumer.
This program is funded by the Champaign County Developmental Disabilities Board (CCDDB),
Visual Impairment North of 55 years
This growing program serves people over the age of 55 who are acquiring vision loss later in life. Many have macular degeneration, some diabetic neuropathy, or retinitis pigmentosa and more. The person tells us what they want assistance with, we listen and act as facilitators.
The primary focuses of this program are the monthly low vision support groups in each county, as well as the peer counseling services, and the adaptive technology demonstrations and giveaways which promote trying new ways of doing things to find what works best in the opinion of the person with the vision loss.
The people we serve tell us the program changes their lives and makes it possible for them to remain in their own home.
Fast Track Youth Transition
Fast Track is for youth with disabilities ages 14-21
1. Job Exploration Counseling: This can be offered individually or within a group setting: career exploration for in-demand occupations, as well as nontraditional employment; labor market trends; career interest inventories, and identifying careers of interest to the student.
2. Work-based learning experiences: Work-based learning experiences, which may include internships and apprenticeships that are provided in an integrated environment to the maximum extent possible. These will include: On-the-job experiences and On-the-job training, Employer Paid Work experiences, Work-Site tours to learn about necessary job skills, job shadowing, mentoring opportunities in the community, internships, apprenticeships, short-term employment or fellowships.
3. Counseling on Post-Secondary Education: This can be offered individually or within a group setting. Counseling on opportunities for enrollment in comprehensive transition or post-secondary education programs at institutions of higher education. This would include advising students and parents or representatives on academic curriculum, career options, providing information about college applications and admission processes, completing the FAFSA, advising on the types of academic and occupational training needed to succeed in the workplace, or providing disability support services.
4. Workplace Readiness Training: This can be provided individually or within a group setting. These are skills received beyond that received in a work-related class. This typically provides training in skill areas other than vocational development that students will need to function independently within the community. Skill areas may include, but are not limited to, the use of public transportation, meal preparation, money management, household management, communication, and interpersonal skills, job-seeking skills, understanding employer expectations and are tailored to the individual's needs.
5. Instruction in Self-Advocacy: This can be offered individually or within a group setting. Learning about rights, responsibilities, and how to request accommodations or services as well as being able to communicate any thoughts, concerns or needs while seeking services. Conducting informational interviews, mentoring with educational staff, employers, individuals in the community, or other areas and participating in youth leadership activities are all examples.
Access Alley - Assistive Technology for People who have Disabilities
Access Alley is a store setting where we have all kinds of assistive technology for all types of disabilities. From low tech items like sock puller-oners to OrCam a small camera perched on glasses that reads to the wearer print and once trained can identify faces by speaking their name. Access Alley is a place where you can come in with what is difficult for you or a person you know to do and we can come up with ideas of how you can adapt the task. It is a place where one can try before they buy an item. We have an internet connection and TV screen so we can show people items they may not know about as well as assist them in ordering or pull up a review by a person with a disability. Access Alley is located in Urbana with PACE, anyone from any other area is welcome to drive over and benefit from Access Alley. We can also work with people by phone.
Where we work
External reviews

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Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
PACE Center for Independent Living is a cross-disability organization many of us are people with disabilities. We bring people with all types of disabilities together to claim the power of the largest minority and work together to take down barriers. By taking down barriers in the environment we increase independence. That enables people with disabilities to take part in the rights and responsibilities of society.
Accessibility is key to Independence. People with Disabilities (PWDs) will vote if they can get to and in the polls. PWDs typically want to work but the unemployment rate is higher than people who don't have disabilities. If PWDs are judged by their abilities, can get into the workplace and communicate, they will work.
Another way we want to see consumer involvement is on decision making bodies of all sorts of organizations. A person who is blind on the Mass Transit Board can be sure riders with vision loss are considered in planning.
We want every consumer to have the opportunity to know about disability laws that protect their rights and learn skills to advocate for themselves and changes in the all types of systems changes that address the needs of people who have disabilities.
We want to support efforts of people who have disabilities to increase or maintain their independence with services that they want and need. For instance in our deaf services we keep an interpreter referral list for American Sign Language and we teach family and co workers sign.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We teach people with disabilities their disability rights by making them aware of the laws that protect their rights as a pwd. We assist them in recognizing their needs and developing skills of presenting those needs to decision makers. We also teach where their rights end and what they cannot expect and are responsible for themselves.
PACE provides services that support the efforts of people who have disabilities to live independently. We work to be sensitive to our own communities needs so the 22 centers of Illinois may provide different programs but all centers are mandated to provide 5 core services.
1. Information and Referral
2. Skills Training
3. Peer Counseling
4. Advocacy - systemic and individual
5. Transition (we provide Youth Transition from school to work and transition from nursing facility back to the community)
We also have specialty programs for Assistive Technology through Access Alley, Visual Impairment North of 55 yrs. Personal Assistance, Personal Support workers for people with Developmental Disabilities, ASL Interpreter Referral Lists, Fast Track Youth Transition for pwd age 14 to 21 yrs. We have services for the Deaf delivered in their first language by a person fluent in ASL.
PACE encourages opportunities for peers to speak with each other. There are things only a peer understands. No one knows better the needs of people who have disabilities than people with disabilities themselves. We operate according to the Independent Living Philosophy that greatly values what we call "consumer control." It is applied in our organization in many different ways. That is why our organization is mandated to be made up of no less than 51% of people with disabilities on our board and staff. PACE and other CILs have had consumer-directed services since the early '70s. We facilitate, we don't case manage. The consumer is the person who determines and directs their plan, we serve as facilitators to provide information and referral, skills training, advocacy, peer counseling, and transition services. All CILs offer those services, they are mandated. Beyond those services we have specialty programs; Deaf Services (facilitator is fluent in ASL), Visual Impairment North of 55 years, Personal Assistance and Personal Support Workers referral, Reintegration to community from Nursing facility, Youth transition from High School to secondary education or work. Advisory Groups are another way we apply consumer control. For each program we have an advisory of people who use the program. We may ask for their input on training, procedures, outreach etc. This is another way people who use the programs direct them.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
PACE has been providing services for 30 years. We have a well-educated staff both educationally and personally with disability experience. We have been monitored in 2019 by the Department of Rehabilitation Services for adhering to the requirements of a Center for Independent Living and have met those requirements consistently.
We are knowledgeable about our area and resources. We have a state network with 21 other Centers in Illinois and our Executive Director sits on that board. We collaborate with the other CILs to advocate throughout Illinois. We live in a fairly accessible community and many PWDs have come to this community in order to attend the University of Illinois which is known for its accessibility. Surrounding communities are less accessible but open to services when they are practical and address the needs of the community.
We provide orientation to our Philosophy and PACE each new staff person their first month. We offer the opportunity for staff to have one time a year when they arrange training they feel would be beneficial to staff. Each Board meeting a staff representative is present to explain what they do in their program, board members can ask questions. Board members have a structured orientation. they are offered trainings through the Independent Living Research Utilization Project.
PACE has a formal appeal process that every consumer receives when they first engage in services. It outlines in detail how they can challenge the manner in which they received services. The process also tells them where they can find assistance in going through the appeal process outside of PACE.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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PERSONS ASSUMING CONTROL OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT INC (PACE, Inc. Center for Independent Living)
Board of directorsas of 02/22/2022
Mr. Charles Lane
Consultant self employed
Term: 2021 - 2025
Dave Appleman Jr.
Urbana Schools
Charles Lane
Consultant Independent Living and Accessibility
Susan Dramin Weiss
University of Illinois, Il Assoc. of Deaf, Illinois Telecommunications Access Board - Board of Directors
Lisa Barkstall
DCFS
Daryl Darnell
Retired, volunteer
Laura Kelly
Illinois Association of the Deaf
Carl Stoltz
Retired, former UCP board
April Jackson
Director, Principal, Educator, Parent of pwd
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