PERSONS ASSUMING CONTROL OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT INC (PACE, Inc. Center for Independent Living)

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.

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.

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.