Kimberly Mercer-Schleider

The Illinois Economic and Employment Opportunity for Persons with Disabilities (EEOPD) Task Force Dignity in Pay Act Multi-Year Plan outlines a five-year roadmap to end subminimum wage for people with disabilities. It focuses on transitioning individuals to competitive integrated employment (CIE) or meaningful day activities, transforming provider capacity, and coordinating state government efforts. The plan includes recommendations for education, service improvements, data collection, transportation, and policy changes to support equitable access to employment and economic opportunities for people with disabilities.

The 2025 Investment Description Report for the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities details investments and initiatives aligned with the Council's Five-Year State Plan (Federal Fiscal Year 2022-2026). The plan focuses on ensuring that people with developmental disabilities and their families have a part in the design of and access to culturally competent services, supports, and opportunities that promote independence, productivity, integration, and inclusion into the community. Key goals include enabling individuals with developmental disabilities to knowledgeably advocate and participate in decisions affecting their lives, optimizing support systems to improve employment, housing, and post-secondary outcomes, and addressing service access barriers for linguistically diverse communities.

The 2017-2021 5-Year State Plan outlines goals for individual and family advocacy, ensuring individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families can knowledgeably advocate and participate in decisions affecting their lives. It also focuses on systems change, optimizing support systems for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to thrive in the broader community. Key objectives include strengthening self-advocacy programs, increasing knowledge and access to coordinated services, expanding life choices for youth in southern Illinois, and facilitating state systems to provide coordinated and responsive supports.

The Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities' 5-Year State Plan focuses on individual and family advocacy, ensuring individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families can knowledgeably advocate and participate in decisions affecting their lives. It also aims to optimize support systems, enabling individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to thrive in the broader community. Key objectives include strengthening self-advocacy programs, increasing knowledge and advocacy opportunities, providing coordinated information about services and supports, and expanding life choices for youth through personalized support systems. Additionally, the plan seeks to facilitate state systems in providing coordinated services, develop local resources for community access, impact identified issues, and support leadership within the Developmental Disabilities Network.

The strategic plan focuses on individual and family advocacy, ensuring that individuals with developmental disabilities and their families can knowledgeably advocate for themselves and participate in decision-making processes. It aims to optimize support systems to enhance stakeholder capacity, improve employment systems, expand community housing options, and improve post-secondary outcomes for youth in transition. The plan also addresses disparities in service access for linguistically diverse communities and promotes cultural competency within the developmental disabilities service delivery system.