Resource Directory /

Education Resources

  • Community Foundation of Northern Illinois

    The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (CFNIL) provides scholarships, including scholarships for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and grants to charitable organizations in Boone, Ogle, Stephenson, and Winnebago counties. Visit CFNIL’s scholarship opportunities page to learn more.

  • Continuing Education and E-Learning Resources (#KeepLearning)

    The Illinois State Board of Education curated the following free resources to assist districts, teachers, and parents during this unprecedented time. The intent is to provide free or temporarily free learning resources for teachers and parents to support student learning while Illinois’ schools are closed.

  • Cued Speach Program for Families of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children

    Cue College’s Cue Family Program provides a free, online Cued Speech class to families of deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

    Cued Speech combines a small number of simple hand cues with the natural mouth movements of speech to make the sounds or “phonemes” of spoken language clear through vision alone.

    The Cue Family Program includes free access for one year to the online Cue College course, “CS100 – Introduction to Cued American English – Self Study”, for parents, guardians, additional family members and caregivers of a child with hearing loss or other communication challenges.

  • Dean Ritter Foundation Scholarship for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

    The Dean Ritter Foundation Scholarship for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing awards scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000 annually to graduating high school seniors throughout Illinois who have severe to profound hearing impairments. Individuals with financial needs will receive special consideration, but the program does not make scholarship decisions solely on a financial basis. Application deadlines and the number and amount of scholarships vary each year.

    Students must be continuing their education at an accredited university or technical school to receive tuition scholarships. They must also:

    • Be an Illinois resident
    • Be a senior in high school in good standing
    • Have significant (severe to profound) hearing loss in one or both ears

  • Digital Literacy Training for People with Disabilities and Their Families

    The Arc and AT&T offer digital skills training nationwide to people with disabilities and their families. The safe and accessible digital skills trainings aim to help people with different learning styles gain the skills they need to apply for jobs, be socially connected and more.

    You can access online courses anytime on AT&T’s website.

    The Arc of Illinois also offers in-person workshops. For more information, visit The Arc of Illinois website or email becca@thearcofil.org.

  • Disability Belongs™

    Disability Belongs™ is a diverse, disability-led nonprofit focusing on accessibility, inclusion, belonging and empowering people with disabilities. They provide a wide range of resources including training, webinars, networking and fully-accessible leadership and internship opportunities for people with disabilities.

    Disability Belongs also provides:

  • Disability Belongs™ Virtual Education & Students With Disabilities Resource Guide

    Disability Belongs™ Virtual Education & Students with Disabilities Resource Guide offers a wide range of information for supporting student success. This toolkit includes:

    • Virtual resource guides
    • Homeschool programs
    • Information on legal rights
    • Special education resources
    • Mental health resources and more

  • Disability Resource Center in Joliet

    The Disability Resource Center provides advocacy, peer support groups, S.K.I.L.L.S. independent living classes, visual impairment services, seminars, workshops and more for people with disabilities in Will and Grundy counties.

    Programs also include:

    Deaf and hard of hearing services
    Information and referral (I&R) for accessible housing, where to buy assistive devices, how to secure a sign language interpreter and more
    Assistive technology for children up to age 23
    Personal assistance program and information

  • Distance Learning Activities During COVID-19 to Help Transition-age Youth on an IEP Prepare for Adulthood

    During this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, individualized education program (IEP) teams have a unique educational opportunity to create meaningful distance learning activities at home for transition-age students. The PACER Center provides this handout for how parents can help their children practice and learn new skills to prepare for adulthood.

  • DSCC and Illinois LEND’s Transition Resources for Hispanic Teens in the Chicago Area

    The transition to adulthood can be a challenging time for both adolescents and their parents. These challenges can be more difficult when the adolescent has a disability.

    Illinois LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities) and the Division of Specialized Care for Children (DSCC) partnered to provide helpful information about the unique challenges Hispanic families can face during the transition to adulthood. This resource list is aimed at transition-age teenagers and their families in the Chicago area:

    Transition Resources for Hispanic Teens (English)

    Transition Resources for Hispanic Teens (Spanish)