From the Archives: 2004 – The Creation of the Disabilities Fund

December 3rd is International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which celebrates the achievements of people with disabilities and raises awareness of the challenges experienced by the disability community.

From our early days through the 1990s, the Trust spearheaded research that brought issues facing the disability community to the attention of those who might be unfamiliar. In 1924, we published “Crippled Children in Chicago,” emphasizing prevention, early identification, education, and vocational training for children with disabilities. After the 1990 passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Trust published a supplement in the Chicago Tribune, “Equal Access to the American Dream: The Americans with Disabilities Act and What It Means To You,” which reached over 700,000 people. Seven years later, the Trust commissioned “Responsiveness to Disability Issues at The Chicago Community Trust,” highlighting ways to support the civil rights goals described by the ADA.

The role we played in supporting this research throughout the years raised awareness of how improving the wellbeing of people with disabilities can uplift all Chicagoans. But since then, the Trust has expanded the scope of its support.

The Trust’s interest in the needs of people with disabilities in the region led to the creation of the Persons with Disabilities Fund in 2004. The fund was established thanks to the generosity of Shawn Donnelley through a gift of $750,000 from the Naomi Williams Donnelley Fund, which was housed at the Trust. It made grants to organizations that developed programs, policies, and public actions to empower people with disabilities and help them fully participate in society.

In 2010, in honor of the ADA’s 20th anniversary, the fund published “A Quest for Equality,” a white paper based on research from convenings of multiple stakeholders that formalized the fund’s concentration on the critical issues facing the disability community in Illinois. The report contained a call to action for Illinois leaders that involved closing gaps in education, employment, and community living. That same year, the fund also published “Renewing the Commitment,” a guide instructing nonprofits on how to comply with ADA guidelines.

The Persons with Disabilities Fund continues today at the Trust as the Disabilities Fund. In the 21 years since its founding, it remains unwavering in its commitment to expanding the autonomy and inclusion of people with disabilities in the region. In 2024, a new cohort of advisory board members was appointed to reflect the diversity of metropolitan Chicago’s disability community. Board members center the perspectives of those living with disabilities while guiding the Fund’s work in distributing resources to the community. To date, the fund has granted over $1.1 million to over 50 organizations advancing the ADA’s promise of equal opportunity, self-sufficiency, and full participation of people with disabilities.