Programs

Promoting Children's Early Development

Strengthening Families

Encouraging Leadership

Creating Awareness

Supporting People with Disabilities

Mrs. Guadalupe Reyes, El Valor's founder, dreamed of a world where her son, Bobby, and others like him would be able to live in a community close to family and friends rather than in an institution. Bobby had spinal meningitis resulting in intellectual disabilities, epilepsy and physical limitations. In the early 1970's, Mrs. Reyes was unable to find the help that she needed for her son. This need provided an impetus in the creation of El Valor. Mrs. Reyes' legacy continues to inspire others to work for the inclusion of people with disabilities of all backgrounds into the framework of our society.

El Valor's Adult Services Program for People with Disabilities engages individuals with special needs in a culturally and linguistically appropriate program of education, counseling, case management and direct care, to enable them to enjoy all that the community has to offer. This program works to build relationships that strengthen individual families, connecting them to the community and empowering them to become advocates.
El Valor recently began a Transitioning Program to work with young Hispanic adults with disabilities leaving the entitlement of special education and moving into a phase of life where there are no entitlements. As part of the Adult Services Program, we bring together the individual with the disability and his/her family members to develop a Futures Plan which may include college, employment, placement in a residential setting and/or day program. This is the very first program of its kind in Chicago's Hispanic community. Prior to the initiation of this program, young Hispanic adults were left to fend for themselves or to walk the streets with no supportive services available to them.

Individuals coming to El Valor from state institutions bring behavioral challenges, vision, hearing, dental, psychiatric needs, and limited communication skills. Individuals from institutions who come to El Valor are able to establish partnerships as a result of coming into the community and are able to establish friendships for the first time, and participate in a fuller and richer life. One example is an individual who was abandoned and ended up isolated in a nursing home for years where no one spoke his language. When he arrived at El Valor he could not see and was desperately in need of a vision exam. He did not communicate with others and behaved inappropriately. This person now has proper glasses and can see. He communicates with others and is living in a community where he is respected and cared for and where he cares for and respects others. This is not an isolated example. With slight variations, almost all adult program participants have similar stories of transformation. The disabilities that we work with include adults with profound/severe, mild and moderate mental retardation, cerebral palsy, autism, epilepsy, Downs syndrome, acquired brain injury, mental illness, and visual and hearing impairments.

In 2005, the Hispanic population of Illinois was 14%, yet only 5% of the Illinois Department of Rehabilitation's services go to Hispanics. The State of Illinois is 46th in the nation in funding for people with developmental disabilities. In wealthier communities, almost every young adult with developmental disabilities leaves special education with a transition plan for work, further study, or placement in a community center. In our service area, virtually no one leaving special education has a transition plan. We hope that with the establishment of a true transition program and the advocacy efforts of our families, things will change towards the positive and every individual will have a transition plan.

Adult Program News and Updates...

• El Valor’s Adult Programs were featured in "UIC Chicago Outcomes" Volume III issue. El Valor has developed a multifaceted partnership with UIC Chicago’s Allied Health Program. The community practicum at El Valor offers students the opportunity to interact with El Valor’s program participants in diverse settings. For more details, go to www.ahs.uic.edu/OT
  
• On October 28th and 29th the Adult Program held its second annual Haunted House. Over 200 people visited to help raise funds for the program.
  
• The boutique Barney's New York-Chicago, just off Michigan Avenue on the corner of Rush and Oak, is featuring paintings from El Valor's artists in their holiday windows. The paintings are being sold at $100.00 each with all proceeds going to the artist. The display "Kings and Queens" will run through January 1st 2006.