Adult Services
Believe it or not, we want to work ourselves out of a job. Society should be fully accessible to all people with any type of disability – no barriers and no limits. RAMP wants people to realize that a disability is not the end, but a normal part of life and does not prevent us from making the most of our abilities.
RAMP will assist individuals that seek its services and want to achieve their goals by:
- Requiring that they be part of the solution and take an active role;
- Being emphatic that their disability is only a part of who they are and focus more on their abilities;
- Always being honest with them about their choices and opportunities as well as the possible benefits and/or consequences of those same options;
- Encouraging them to use the talents and passions they possess to create a life of which they are proud.
You have the right to request materials in the language of your preference, including interpreters. To obtain either of these you must give RAMP staff two weeks prior notice.
Everyone has the right to achieve their full potential and this starts with a solid education. RAMP works with students and their families to learn the laws that protect the rights of a student with a disability, how to navigate the maze of community services, and to learn the skills required to achieve their goals. Youth Education & Advocacy Services are for students with disabilities and their families who require information, referral, self advocacy training, or peer support to ensure that they receive a fair and equitable education so they can achieve their full potential during their school years and as they transition to adult life.
ADMISSION CRITERIA
- Have a disability or suspected disability
- Have a barrier to their educational or independent living goals
SERVICES PROVIDED
- Educational rights training
- Self-Advocacy Skills training
- Information & Referral
- Peer Support
- Independent Living Skills training
- Transition Planning guidance
- Educational workshops
- Assistance with letter writing
- Attendance at IEP, 504 or other related meetings
FEES/COSTS:
- PLEASE NOTE: THERE IS NO COST TO THE CONSUMER FOR THIS SERVICE.
Pathways for Success: Preparing for Life After High School is a useful Transition Resource Guide for parents and students. The program also works with school district personnel and teachers to help them understand their responsibilities to children with disabilities and how to appropriately accommodate their educational needs. For more information about youth education and advocacy please contact RAMP or visit the Illinois State Board of Education website.
These services lay a foundation for high school students with disabilities to reach their full potential by encouraging enrollment in college, preparing for employment or career opportunities, and preparing for independent living. These services can be provided in a group setting or via individual instruction. Services include exploring student’s options for post-secondary education and/or employment by gaining job seeking skills, finding job shadow or internships in the community, and/or obtaining community employment while still in school. The goal is to leave students with the tools needed for a successful transition to further their education and/or employment desires.
ADMISSION CRITERIA
• Willing to enroll in the State of Illinois Vocational Rehabilitation Program
• Have a documented disability (IEP, 504, medical/counseling records)
• Ages 14 through 21
• Enrolled in an education program
SERVICES PROVIDED
- Career exploration
- Soft/Essential skill training
- Transportation training
- Job seeking skills training
- Job shadow/volunteer opportunities
- Apprenticeship/Internship opportunities
- Resume development
- Master application development
- Interview skills training
- Peer Support
- Benefit planning assistance/referral
- Mentoring on post-secondary education & certification opportunities
- Independent living skills training
- Self-Advocacy skills training
Provides services and purchases items to establish a home in the community. The goal is to identify the services and support systems that a nursing facility resident may need in order to move into his or her own residence and to live independently again.
Persons Served: Individuals with disabilities living in a nursing home who desire to move back into the community.
Admission Criteria:
- Have a documented disability – physical, mental, cognitive, visual, hearing etc.
- Have a barrier to returning to the community
- Any age
- Live in an Illinois long term care or rehab facility, institution, CILA, or assisted living
- Have income to support costs of community-based living (i.e. SSI, SSDI, etc)
Services Provided:
- Locate and secure affordable housing
- Assist with the first month’s rent and security deposit
- Provide household items
- Provide assistive equipment and devices
- Arrange for home remodeling to ensure independent safe functioning
- Provide training in independent living skills
- Make referrals of personal assistant services
- Provide personal assistant management training
- Provide case management
- Provide advocacy
- Peer support
A personal assistant (PA) is an individual who assists people with disabilities with activities of daily living that a person with a disability cannot do themselves. RAMP assists people with disabilities to recruit, hire, train, and maintain a personal assistant.
The Home Services Program (HSP) offers individuals with disabilities, who are at risk of premature or unnecessary institutionalization, the alternative of in-home assistance where home care does not exceed the cost of a health care facility. HSP provides options that address needs and preferences which allow the individual to enhance their abilities and lead a more satisfying life while preserving their dignity and that of their family. For a list of available services HSP offers, please visit the Illinois Department of Human Services website. One service that allows individuals to remain in their home and live independently is the Personal Assistant Program. A Personal Assistant (PA) is an individual who assists people with disabilities with activities of daily living that a person with a disability cannot do themselves.
Activities of daily living
- Dressing
- Grooming
- Bathing
- Transfers
- Meal preparation
- Health care
- Telephoning
- Housework
- Supervision
- Shopping
- Feeding
- Finances
- Laundry
- Toileting
Need a Personal Assistant
If you are a RAMP consumer and are interested in obtaining the Personal Assistant List to find a Personal Assistant for yourself, please contact your local RAMP office.
Centers for independent living must be able to identify with consumer needs; therefore, a minimum of 51% of board and staff must have disabilities. A mentoring relationship can develop between staff and consumer that enhance the provision of service.
RAMP responds to inquiries from people with disabilities, family members, other service providers, the business community and the general public on programs, resources, and other issues related to disabilities. Questions span a broad range of disabilities-related topics including, but not limited to: Accessible housing, transportation, employment services, personal assistants, assistive technology, and accessibility requirements. RAMP strives to answer every inquiry that we receive and do not hesitate to refer an individual to other resources that may be of assistance.
The heart and soul of Independent Living is being in control of your own life. RAMP’s independent Living Skills Training empowers people with disabilities to attain new skills and techniques so they are able to participate in daily living, recreational/social opportunities, and vocational/volunteering activities. Through the creation of self-developed goals RAMP assists motivated individuals to gain greater overall independence. RAMP can assist with independent living skills training including but not limited to the following areas:
- Accessing public transportation
- Developing and managing a personal budget
- Promoting self-advocacy
- Teaching home-making skills
- Utilizing community services
- Obtaining assistive devices and durable medical equipment
- Hiring and maintaining a Personal Assistant
We advocate for the implementation of current laws, promotion of needed legislation and improvement of existing systems for people with disabilities while working to diminish negative attitudes that threaten to impede equal access.
We advocate on individual and systemic levels.
Individual advocacy includes:
- Assisting people with disabilities in dealing with barriers to their independence
- Helping them find ways to negotiate with the various support systems they use
- Helping them find appropriate resources to solve problems
Systemic advocacy includes:
- Building strong relationships with local state and federal elected officials
- Working with local authorities to improve the enforcement of ADA and other relevant laws
- Working with the community-at-large to remove both physical and attitudinal barriers that prevent people with disabilities from accessing and participating in our community.
The RAMP offices located in Stephenson & DeKalb Counties are ITAC selection centers providing telecommunications access to people who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Late Deafened, Speech Disability, and Deaf-Blind. This is accomplished by providing the Illinois Relay Services and issuing equipment that range from amplified telephones to Braille phones. Bluetooth/cellular capable devices are now available through ITAC.
Eligibility Requirements include:
- You must be a legal resident of the State of Illinois.
- You must have working land line telephone service at the address on your application form.
- You must be certified as Deaf, Hard-of-Hearing, Speech-Dis
abled or Deaf-Blind by: licensed physician, speech-language pathologist, audiologist, or designated DHS/DRS counselor.
RAMP loans portable ramps with a $100 deposit. Photo identification and a security deposit are required at time of pick up. We do not have any large durable medical equipment available.
We assist people with disabilities in learning how to use public transportation. RAMP believes that this is an important skill for people with disabilities to learn so that they can be productive members of their community and get the services that they need in their community. Bus training services are provided in the counties RAMP serves.
- RMTD https://rmtd.org/
- Paratransit Application https://rmtd.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/2018PARAAPP-002.pdf
Rockford Paratransit Guide to Ride https://rmtd.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/RMTD-Paratransit-Guide-to-Ride-126574.pdf