The Arc of Winnebago, Boone and Ogle Counties

10/11/2026

The improvement has been huge over a longer period too. CDC data says Americans with Down syndrome lived only about 10 years on average in 1960, compared with 47 years by 2007. Better medical care, especially for health problems associated with the condition, has helped more people survive well into adulthood.

10/09/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1DkNyfJozV/

10/08/2026

10/08/2026

10/07/2026

10/07/2026

🗳️ You have the right to an accessible polling place.

People with disabilities deserve an equal opportunity to vote and have a say in the decisions that affect their lives. At The Arc of Winnebago and Boone Counties, we encourage voters to know their rights:

✅ Polling places must be accessible to voters with disabilities, including the entrance and voting area.

✅ Each polling place in a federal election must have at least one accessible voting system that provides privacy and independence.

✅ Voters who need assistance because of a disability may choose someone to help them, except their employer, an employer’s agent, or a union officer or agent.

Before you head to the polls, contact your local election office with questions about accessibility or voting equipment. If you encounter a barrier, let an election judge know and ask for assistance.

Resources to help you prepare:

🔗 Learn about accessible voting and your rights:
https://www.ada.gov/topics/voting/

🔗 Explore Illinois voting rights resources from Equip for Equality:
https://www.equipforequality.org/resource/voting-rights/

Your voice matters. Your access matters.

10/05/2026

Congratulations!

10/03/2026

Governor JB Pritzker has proclaimed October National Disability Employment Awareness Month in Illinois.

Throughout the month, IDHS is recognizing the contributions of people with disabilities in the workplace and highlighting the importance of expanding access, opportunity, and inclusion in employment.

We’ll share IDHS programs, services, and resources that support people with disabilities in pursuing their employment goals, along with resources that help employers build more accessible and inclusive workplaces.

Read the proclamation: https://bit.ly/3TCMtDj

10/02/2026

💜 October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month 💜

Everyone deserves to feel safe, respected, and supported in their relationships. Unfortunately, domestic violence can affect anyone, and people with disabilities face unique barriers and an increased risk of experiencing abuse.

People with disabilities may experience abuse from a partner, caregiver, or someone they depend on for daily support. Abuse isn't always physical. It can include withholding medication or assistive devices, controlling finances, restricting access to food or personal care, isolating someone from friends and family, or using a person's disability to threaten or control them.

💜 People deserve safety, dignity, independence, and the right to live free from abuse.

This October, let's raise awareness, listen without judgment, recognize the signs of abuse, and make sure people with disabilities know they are not alone and that help is available. Creating safe, inclusive communities means ensuring that everyone has access to support and resources.

Together, we can help break the silence and remind every survivor that they deserve to be safe, they deserve to be heard, and they deserve to be believed.

💜 Local Resources:

📞 Remedies Renewing Lives – Winnebago County
24-hour Domestic Violence Hotline: 815-962-6102
Emergency shelter, advocacy, safety planning, and other confidential services. Remedies states that its domestic violence services and shelter are accessible to people with disabilities.

📞 Rockford Family Peace Center
779-348-7600
315 N. Main Street, Rockford
Provides coordinated support for survivors of domestic violence and other forms of interpersonal violence, including abuse of people with disabilities.

📞 HOPE of Ogle County
815-562-4323
Provides domestic violence advocacy and emergency shelter services for adults and their children experiencing domestic abuse.

📞 Rockford Sexual Assault Counseling
815-636-9811
Provides free and confidential support for survivors of sexual assault and abuse, including support for families and significant others.

If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, you don't have to face it alone. Help is available, and you deserve to be safe.

💜