CEL celebrates Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

The Center for Enriched Living (CEL), which has been providing life-changing opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) for the past 50 years, is celebrating and honoring Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month throughout March. In addition to planning special events, CEL is raising awareness of the importance of giving ALL people, regardless of their abilities, the chance to be fully included in the community – as a neighbor, consumer, co-worker, employee and friend – so they can achieve personal fulfillment and enjoy a good quality of life.

“We believe every person with an IDD should be treated as an equal, valued and contributing member of the community,” says Harriet Levy, CEO of the Center for Enriched Living. “But unfortunately, we still have a long way to go. People with IDDs do not have enough opportunities for socialization, and that’s a barrier to the things that make our lives full, such as employment, housing and friendship.”

In celebration of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, CEL will hold an Employment Information Session on Thursday, March 21, to educate employers about the value of employing people with developmental disabilities and including them in the workplace. About 85 percent of adults with developmental disabilities are unemployed, according to Levy. Many of them have the skills and desire to hold jobs, but they lack opportunities. CEL partners with businesses all over the Chicago area to help people find meaningful work. The Employment Information Session, which will be held 7 to 8:30 p.m. at CEL's facility in Riverwoods, will feature an inspirational speaker who believes the best pathway to inclusion is through employment. More information and a form to RSVP can be found here.

Also in celebration of this month of awareness, CEL will hold a Paint Party on March 19. People from the community can paint with CEL's talented Tuesday night artists and create a beautiful piece, led by artist and CEL staffer Heather Wirth. Art supplies are included in the $25 registration fee. More information and registration can be found here.

CEL provides social events, day programs and employment opportunities for more than 400 people a year, from teens to seniors, from 50 Chicago-area communities. CEL programs include art, technology and fitness classes; summer camp; dances and even vacations. CEL also runs the REACH Adult Day Program to help members continue learning and growing after they exit the school system.

CEL operates out of its 20,000-square-foot Riverwoods facility, as well as a Hoffman Estates location launched in 2017. The organization is looking to expand and has started meeting with parents in Naperville, which has one of the highest populations of people with IDDs in Illinois, to determine the types of services that are most needed.

Levy stresses that organizations like CEL are not the only solution. Everyone must help ensure that people with IDDs have a voice and access to services and activities. She says Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, which was created by President Ronald Reagan in 1987, is about celebrating progress that has been made, but also about spreading awareness of the many barriers that still exist, and working for change.

The situation in Illinois is especially challenging, according to Levy. The state ranks 47th in the nation for community-based funding support for adults with IDDs. In addition, Illinois has more state-operated institutions than any other state, except for Texas. Most experts believe institutions are more expensive and less beneficial than Community Integrated Living Arrangements. Many have advocated for closing state institutions, while better funding community-based settings, which currently have so little funding that it’s difficult to retain qualified staff. And thousands are on wait lists, with many not being served at all. CEL is privately funded so it does not rely on state funding. But Levy says the challenges families face should be of concern to all. “We must fix the funding and structural issues that have been problematic here for decades.”