Access Living is a change agent committed to fostering an inclusive society that enables Chicagoans with disabilities to live fully-engaged and self-directed lives.

Advocating Change Together ACT is a grassroots constituency driven organization, its board makeup is 90% persons with developmental and other disabilities. ACT has been around for over 33years, established in 1979 as a reaction to organizations that were not identifying persons with disabilities as being capable of making decisions about their lives. ACT has been striving to bring justice to a forgotten community, persons with developmental and other disabilities. We take every opportunity to anticipate and react to society’s absence of inclusion for persons with all disabilities. Our main principle and philosophy comes from the statement “Nothing about us, without us”.

American Association on Health and Disability AAHD's mission is to advance health promotion and wellness initiatives for children and adults with disabilities through research, education, public policy and awareness at the national, state and community level. AAHD strives to reduce health disparities between people with disabilities and the general population

American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) promotes progressive policies, sound research, effective practices, and universal human rights for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Founded in 1976, AAIDD is the oldest professional society concerned with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

American Association of People with Disabilities is the nation's largest cross-disability organization. We promote equal opportunity, economic power, independent living, and political participation for people with disabilities. Our members, including people with disabilities and our family, friends, and supporters, represent a powerful force for change.

American Samoa University Center for Excellence on Developmental Disabilities (AS-UCEDD)

The Arc of the United States The Arc is the nation’s leading and largest organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Through a national network of more than 700 chapters, The Arc advocates for and serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, promoting and protecting their right to live, learn, work and play as valued and contributing members of their communities.

Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) is the premiere professional association committed to full participation of persons with disabilities in postsecondary education. As an international resource, AHEAD: values diversity, personal growth and development, and creativity; promotes leadership and exemplary practices; provides professional development and disseminates information; and orchestrates resources through partnership and collaboration. AHEAD dynamically addresses current and emerging issues with respect to disability, education, and accessibility to achieve universal access.

The Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living is a national membership organization dedicated to advancing the rights and responsibilities of people with disabilities in rural America.  APRIL provides leadership and resources on rural independent living through a national network of rural centers for independent living, statewide independent living councils and individuals concerned with the unique aspect of rural independent living.  The goal of APRIL is to work together to find solutions to common problems and to bring rural issues in independent living into focus on the national level. 

The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) is a national, nonprofit organization that promotes and supports three national networks of interdisciplinary centers on disabilities representing every U.S. state and territory: 67 University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), 43 Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) Programs, and 19 Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Centers (IDDRC). Together, these organizations advance policy and practice through research, education, leadership, and services for and with individuals with developmental and other disabilities, their families and communities, in support of independence, productivity, and a satisfying quality of life.

Bender Consulting Services, Inc.  is a for-profit company that creates employment for people with disabilities, in information technology, engineering, finance/accounting, human resources, and general business areas throughout the United States.  Founder and CEO, Joyce A. Bender hosts a weekly Internet radio show, Disability Matters with Joyce Bender on www.voiceamerica.com.

BlazeSports America, Inc

CBM US is an international Christian development organization, committed to improving the quality of life of people with disabilities in low income regions of the world.  CBM works in partnership with local organizations around the world to realize this commitment

Centre for Disability Law and Policy National University of Ireland

Center on Disability Studies - University of Hawaii at Manoa was established in 1988 as the Hawai‘i University Affiliated Program, and is a charter member of a National Network of University Centers, the Association of University Centers on Disability (AUCD). This national network of university centers focuses on education, research, and service activities which impact upon the quality of life of persons with disabilities in each state.The mission of the Center on Disability Studies is to promote diverse abilities across the lifespan through interdisciplinary training, research, and service.

Center for International Rehabilitation Research Information & Exchange (CIRRIE)  The mission of CIRRIE is to facilitate the sharing of information between rehabilitation researchers in the U.S. and those in other countries. CIRRIE makes available to the disability community in the U.S. knowledge that has been found useful in other countries.

Developmental Disabilities Institute - Wayne State University is the State of Michigan’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD).  Located in Detroit’s Cultural Center, our mission is to contribute to the development of inclusive communities and quality of life for people with disabilities and their families through a culturally sensitive statewide program of interdisciplinary education, community support and services, research and dissemination of information.

Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Inc (DREDF), founded in 1979, is a leading national civil rights law and policy center directed by individuals with disabilities and parents who have children with disabilities.  The mission of (DREDF) is to advance the civil and human rights of people with disabilities through legal advocacy, training, education, and public policy and legislative development.

Disability Rights International (DRI) is an international advocacy organization dedicated to rights enforcement and full participation in society by children and adults with disabilities worldwide.  DRI trains and supports disability and human rights activists, documents human rights violations, and works through international oversight mechanisms and the media to hold governments accountable for the discrimination and abuse of people with disabilities.

Easter Seals, Inc. is the leading Disability Service provider in the United States, delivering exceptional services, education, outreach, and advocacy so that people living with autism and other disabilities can live, learn, work and play in our communities. For nearly 90 years, Easter Seals has been helping individuals with disabilities and special needs, and their families live better lives through child development centers, physical rehabilitation and health services, job training, early intervention, transportation, and older adult services to help people with disabilities address life's challenges and achieve personal goals.

ED101, Inc.  is a U.S. firm offering international and domestic training, marketing, assessment and consulting services to groups or individuals that serve two distinct populations: those with disabilities and special needs, and at-risk youth. Best practice services include research and evaluation, training and program management, marketing and public relations, IEP advocacy, expert witnessing, grant writing and more.

Employment and Disability Institute - Cornell University

Handicap International is an independent and impartial aid organization working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. We work alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, taking action and bearing witness in order to respond to their essential needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights.

Houston Center for Independent Living

The HSC Foundation is dedicated to improving access to services for individuals who face social and health care barriers due to disability, chronic illness, or other circumstances that present unique needs.

Independence First is a non-profit 501c3 Independent Living Center (ILC) directed and controlled by persons with disabilities, primarily serving the four county metropolitan Milwaukee area.  Our mission is to effectively facilitate empowerment of individuals with disabilities through:  education, advocacy, independent living services, coalition building. 

Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) promotes the full inclusion of people with disabilities in every area of society. We do this through training, research, consultation, and clinical and employment services. Our projects increase disability inclusion throughout New England, across the United States, and internationally. We work in four main areas: employment, education, health care, and community life. The ICI is a program of the University of Massachusetts Boston and Children's Hospital Boston.

Job Accommodations Network

Mobility International USA (MIUSA) works to empower people with disabilities to achieve their human rights through international exchange and international development. Our vision is to ensure a just, accessible and inclusive community in which the human rights, citizenship, contribution and potential of people with disabilities are respected and celebrated, which we do through training and technical assistance to ensure that people with disabilities are leaders and participants in the international development process.

Montana Independent Living Project

National Association of the Deaf

National Council on Independent Living As a membership organization, NCIL advances independent living and the rights of people with disabilities through consumer-driven advocacy. NCIL envisions a world in which people with disabilities are valued equally and participate fully.

National Organization on Disability (NOD) is a private, non-profit organization that promotes the full participation of America’s 54 million people with disabilities in all aspects of life. NOD’s aim is to increase the employment prospects of the 79 percent of working-age Americans with disabilities who are not employed by acting as a resource to the field and to employers.

MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. We help each person address the challenges of living with MS. In 2012 alone, the Society invested $43 million to support 350 research projects around the world while providing programs and services that assisted more than one million people. We are people who want to do something about MS now.  JOIN THE MOVEMENT

Oregon Health & Science University - University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities The University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) promotes the well-being of persons with developmental disabilities through training, research and evaluation, community services, technical assistance, dissemination, and policy development. We are committed to improving the lives of persons with disabilities and their families by focusing on best practices and the highest quality service.

Partners for Youth with Disabilities is committed to empowering young people with disabilities to reach their full potential. We do this by providing high quality one-to-one and group mentoring programs where caring adults act as positive role models and provide support, understanding and guidance for youth as they strive to reach their personal, educational and career goals.

Perkins International enables people around the world who are blind, deafblind, or have low vision, including those with additional disabilities, to fulfill their potential as integrated members of society.  As the world-renowned center of excellence for the education of children with disabilities that educated Helen Keller and her teacher Anne Sullivan, Perkins works in over 60 countries building capacity at local, regional, and national levels to develop independent, sustainable education services and to empower children with disabilities and their families.

Post-Polio Health International's mission is to enhance the lives and independence of polio survivors and home ventilator users through education, advocacy, research and networking.

Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) 

is the premier professional organization dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of people with disabilities through increasing access to technology solutions. RESNA advances the field by offering certification, continuing education, and professional development; developing assistive technology standards; promoting research and public policy; and sponsoring forums for the exchange of information and ideas to meet the needs of our multidisciplinary constituency. 

Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago

Vermont Center for Independent Living is people with disabilities working together for dignity, independence and civil rights.

World Institute on Disability As a public policy center formed by and for persons with disabilities, the World Institute on Disability promotes long-term systems change, and past achievements in public policy research and advocacy have resulted in far-reaching and influential legislative and policy changes to improve the lives of people with disabilities in the areas of human rights, education, information technology, employment, economic security, transportation and international development.