IL IMAGINES CHICAGO

So excited and thrilled for our co-chair, #mentor, #leader, and just #awesome person, Tara Ahern on receiving the 2020 AAPD Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Award. In this video, hear from Tara her story and goals and work. We are very grateful for Tara's leadership, support and positive energy.

Excited to share our Co-Chair Tara Ahern is the 2020 American Association of People with Disabilities, Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Awardee.  Below is quoted from her post/announcement.

“So happy to share the good news! I will be 1 of two people receiving the 2020 American Association of People with Disabilities, Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Award in Washington, DC this March!! Part of the award includes a funded project. (Happy dance!)I will be focusing on the important intersection between sexual violence and disability in Illinois; engaging survivors with disabilities, rape crisis centers and service providers in doing collaborative regional and statewide work aimed at improving services, policies and opportunities for people with disabilities. The Illinois Self Advocacy Alliance will engage with regional teams to organize around this intersection, facilitate trainings and supporting the creation of advocacy empowerment groups.

https://www.aapd.com/aapd-paul-g-hearne-leadership-awards/

IL Imagines Team member, writer, advocate and awesomeness, Cathy Saunders is featured in this story by #Newsy that talks about sexual violence and women with disabilities.  

Picture 1: Lydia standing at a podium looking out while making remarks.

Picture 2: Lydia receiving award from presenter.  They are facing each other. The award is a large curved glass with writing etched on it.

CONGRATULATIONS to our #AMAZING co-chair, ADVOCATE and LEADER

We are so thrilled to add our Congratulations to our co-chair, Lydia Sharp on being awarded the 2018 Kimball R. Anderson & Karen Gatsis Anderson Public Interest Law Fellowship.  The award was presented at the CBA and CBF Pro Bono & Public Service Awards Luncheon on July 12.

We are so excited and thrilled to congratulate and celebrate that our co-chair, Lydia Sharp is recognized for her amazing work to support and empower survivors of sexual violence and trafficking.  Lydia has been and continues to be an amazing team member and leader in our team’s activities.  We are very grateful to have Lydia be part of our team.

Below quoted from Program: 

“Lydia J. Sharp, a 2016 cum laude graduate of IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, already is making a remarkable impact in her legal career as an Equal Justice Works Fellow at Equip for Equality. She provides outreach and legal advocacy to people with disabilities who have been sexually abused or trafficked in Illinois and conducts trainings on the intersection of disability and trafficking.

Lydia’s passion for fighting sexual exploitation of vulnerable populations stems from her personal experiences. Lydia is a survivor of sexual assault and knows firsthand the challenges survivors face in standing up to those in power. During a college trip to the Dominican Republic, Lydia also witnessed the sale of a child into sex trafficking. She returned home to co-author a book about poverty and sex trafficking in the Dominican Republic. But Lydia wanted to do more and decided to go to law school so she could fight the injustice facing victims of sexual exploitation. As she began law school, Lydia was diagnosed with cancer and underwent surgeries and treatment throughout the first two years of school. She did not let this challenge stop her from pursuing her dream of fighting against sexual exploitation of vulnerable populations.

Team co-chair, Tara Ahern, and team member, Jae Jin Pak, representing our partner, the IL Self Advocacy Alliance, presented a workshop at the 2018 National Self Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE) conference.  The conference was held in Birmingham, AL June 7-9, 2018.

They presented on Empowering Survivors of sexual violence with disabilities via the IL Imagines model.   You can learn more about SABE at this link.  

You can learn more about the SABE conference here. 

IL Imagines Chicago Co-Chair, Tara Ahern, and team member, Jae Jin Pak, presented a workshop entitled “OUR RIGHTS RIGHT NOW!  Empowering Survivors with Disabilities via IL Imagines” at the ARC of Illinois 68th Convention on Thursday, 4/26/2018.  Thank you to the ARC of IL for the opportunity to present.

Their session had over 20 attendees and they discussed the intersection between disability and sexual violence.  Topics covered were:

Distinguishing sexuality from sexual violence

Defining sexual violence

Dispelling myths and stereotypes of sexual violence and disability

Risk factors

How to help if and when someone discloses sexual violence.

Suggestions on how to make an organization supportive for survivors.

How IL Imagines has helped connect disability and rape crisis communities together and work to improve access to services for survivors with disabilities.

After the session, attendees shared their appreciation for this session and support for ongoing discussions.

Tara Ahern is the Disability & Advocacy Director at the IL Self Advocacy Alliance

In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness Month #saam, IL Imagines Chicago is re-launching #ourrightsrightnow photo campaign.  We want to show support for survivors of sexual violence with disabilities through the power of pictures.

Our Goal:

We want to collect and post as many pictures of people holding a sign with a supportive message for survivors of sexual violence with disabilities.  Like the ones shown above and below.

Send questions to [email protected]

We invite Survivors, People with Disabilities, and Allies.

Join us! Add your message of support. It's easy.

Download the sign you wish to use above.

If you use the "sample" sign, take a picture of yourself holding it in front of you.

If you use the "blank" sign, write or draw your message of support.

Take a picture of yourself holding your sign in front of you so it is visible and readable.

NOTE: By posting your pic you give IL Imagines Chicago to post and share your picture in our materials with no compensation.

Post to instagram, facebook, twitter with the hashtags;

#ilimagineschicago, #saam #saamchi, #ourrightsrightnow

Tag us in your posts so we can find them.  

Facebok-@ilimagineschicago

Instagram: @ilimagineschicago​ 

Twitter-@ilimagineschgo

Please share and THANK YOU! :)

What is Illinois Imagines Chicago?

Illinois Imagines Chicago’s vision is to ensure that all survivors of sexual violence who have disabilities will have access to high quality, integrated support that is person-centered and responsive to the unique needs of each individual.  We do this through collaborations between disability service providers, people with disabilities (self-advocates) and rape crisis center workers. We identify and address the obstacles that people with disabilities face and work to dismantle those barriers. Illinois Imagines Chicago develops and improves partnerships through the agencies who often work with sexual assault survivors and people with disabilities. We focus on these issues primarily through education and training. We also create community based events to produce a safer space for disclosing sexual violence for people with disabilities.

Why Illinois Imagines Chicago?

Women with disabilities experience higher rates of sexual violence than women without disabilities. Women with disabilities also experience increased severity of violence, multiple forms of violence, including disability-targeted violence and experience the violence for longer periods of time. If a person reports a sexual assault they may experience barriers to service, Illinois Imagines strives to support survivors in navigating through those challenges. Dependence on the perpetrator for personal assistance can add to the cost and complexity of the survivor/perpetrator relationship.

Who is Illinois Imagines Chicago?