Access Living: Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago is a cross disability organization governed and staffed by a majority of people with disabilities. Access Living's mission includes addressing major impediments to independent living for people with disabilities, such as discrimination in housing, government services and public accommodations. Access Living undertakes advocacy and service programs that reach the entire spectrum of disability from hearing and sight to physical and mental disabilities. These activities include: peer-oriented independent living services; public education, awareness and development; and individual and systemic advocacy and enforcement of civil rights.
Phone:312-253-7000
Fax:312-253-7001
TTY:312-253-7002
www.accessliving.org.
Equip for Equality (already there)
CARPLS - Coordinated Advice & Referral Program for Legal Services: CARPLS is a legal aid hotline that provides advice, information and referral services over the telephone to low-income residents of Cook County, Illinois. 3
Phone:312-738-9200
Fax:(f) 312-223-1522
TTY: 312-738-9433
Web Site:www.carpls.org.
Health and Disability Advocates:Health and Disability Advocates has three main program areas: Children, Youth & Families with Disabilities; Workforce Development for People with Disabilities; and Access to Health Care for People with Special Health Care Needs. HDA staff provide direct legal services to children with disabilities and their families in selected cases and provide training and materials for families. HDA represents children and adults in the areas of Social Security, SSI, Children’s SSI, Medicaid, Medicare, and Insurance law.
Phone: 312-223-9600
Fax: 312-223-9518
TTY: 800-427-0766
Web Address: www.hdadvocates.org
Illinois Legal Aid Online: Illinois Legal Aid Online's mission is to increase access to justice for lower-income and vulnerable Illinois residents through the innovative use of technology to assist and educate the public and to train and support legal aid providers and pro bono attorneys. Their goals include using the Internet to improve and expand Illinois legal services in a coordinated and cost-effective way and increasing the public’s understanding of their legal rights and responsibilities and their ability to satisfactorily resolve their legal problems.
Phone: 312-977-9047
Fax: 312-977-9048
Web Site:
Midwest Center on Law and Deaf: MCLD Provides information to the general public on the rights of deaf and hard-of-hearing people. MCLD will collect and make available all laws that impact or may impact their rights. MCLD helps deaf and hard of hearing people find attorneys willing to provide accessible legal services. MCLD will assist attorneys in providing sign language interpreters, real-time captioning, and any othe rmodes of communication necessary for them to communicate with deaf and hard-of-hearing clients. MCLD, through its intake, will screen the legal needs of consumers and refer them to appropriate attorneys in matching geographic and practice areas. MCLD will build and maintain a database of attorneys to facilitate such referrals. If you or a deaf or hard-of-hearing person you know needs a lawyer, please call MCLD to help you find one.
Phone: 800-894-3653
Fax: 312-726-7182
TTY: 800-894-3654
Web Site:www.mcld.org
Pro Bono Center for Disability and Elder Law:The Pro Bono Center for Disability and Elder Law (Pro Bono CDEL) provides free legal services to the elderly and persons with disabilities through a vast network of volunteer attorneys, paralegals, law students, and social work students located throughout the Chicagoland area. Over 1000 attorneys, who practice in such diverse settings as large law firms, solo practice, corporate counsel, and government agencies, generously donate their time, expertise, and energy to our clients, assisting them with their legal needs. By capitalizing on these free resources, Pro Bono CDEL provides legal services in the most cost efficient way possible. Pro Bono CDEL represents clients in all areas of the law, except criminal, personal injury/tort, and traffic. Practice areas include ADA, Bankruptcy and Collections, Contracts, Consumer Fraud, Elder Abuse, Family Law, Government Benefits, Housing Discrimination, Insurance, Landlord/Tenant, Real Estate, Special Education, and Wills/Probate.
To qualify for Pro Bono CDEL's services, clients must have a permanent physical, mental or developmental disability, or be a senior citizen (age 60 or over). Elderly clients without a disability must be residents of City of Chicago. Clients with a disability must live within Cook County. Priority is given to clients who cannot afford a private attorney. The clients must also fall within the federal poverty guidelines.
Phone: 312-908-4463
Fax: 312-908-0866
TTY: 312-908-8705
Web Site:www.probonocdel.org
