The 9th Annual Illinois Youth with Disabilities Leadership Summit took place July 23-25 at the University of Illinois at Springfield. Twenty-three participants between the ages of 16 and 21 traveled from across the state to attend.

Similar to years past, the Summit included workshops, keynote speakers, interactive activities, free time for socializing, and of course, a dance.

Among the many workshop presenters were CCDI staffers Brendt Ramsey, Executive Director, Rhonda Hollinshead, Advocacy Coordinator and Jessica Hayes, PR and Marketing Coordinator. The CCDI team took a unique approach to disability rights laws and the advocates who made them possible with the workshop, "The Fantastic Four: Section 504, IDEA, ADA and the Illinois Accessibility Code." Disability rights greats like Justin Dart and Ed Roberts were compared to superheroes as the laws they helped make possible were highlighted.

Keynote Speaker John Foppe
An opening luncheon kicked things off at the Illinois Youth with Disabilities Leadership Summit on July 23. Held once again at the University of Illinois at Springfield, many of the Summit sponsors were invited to join us for lunch.

The keynote address was given by Illinois native John Foppe; this marked his second visit to the Summit. Born without arms, John Foppe has had to break down and re-engineer every aspect of day-to-day life. He learned that the inability to do something didn't rest on the lack of resources or vision. Instead, it has more to do with one's subconscious perception to meeting a challenge head on. John gave words of encouragement to the participants and mentors. It was a great start to the leadership summit.

Marlin Thomas Mentor of the Year
The Marlin Thomas Mentor of the Year Award recognizes an individual who has dedicated their time and energy to mentoring the young leaders of the independent living movement. In the spirit of the award's namesake, Marlin Thomas, the recipient should embody the standards of dedication and commitment set forth by Marlin during his time as a mentor at the Illinois Youth with Disabilities Leadership Summit.

The first recipient of the Marlin Thomas Mentor of the Year Award was Richard Hunt who in conjunction with Cynthia Webb (Marlin's Mother) and friend and fellow advocate Terri Finn presented longtime Youth Summit mentor Hershel Jackson with the 2007 honors. Hershel has become an integral part of both the planning and actual implementation of the Summit. He serves as the Deaf Services Advocate for the Illinois/Iowa Center for independent living in Rock Island. Congratulations Hershel!

Ed Roberts Independence Award
The Ed Roberts Independence Award honors a young person who strives to become an independent young adult in the tradition of this award's namesake, Ed Roberts. Ed was widely regarded as the father of the Independent Living Movement and during his lifetime knocked down countless barriers to education and community living faced by people with disabilities.

The 2007 recipient was Kristin Mobley, a longtime Youth Summit participant. Kristin has grown from being a shy participant to an active member of the Summit's planning group. This year she will begin her second year as a student at the University of Illinois Springfield. Her move to a college hundreds of miles from her home in the Chicago Suburbs is a brilliant illustration of how much her confidence and independence has grown.

Justin Dart Jr. Lead On Award
The Justin Dart Jr. Lead On Award is presented to a young leader who demonstrates the strength of character and leadership potential worthy of this award's namesake. Justin Dart is widely regarded as one of the most pivotal leaders of the disability rights movement, and is frequently referred to as the father of the Americans with Disabilities Rights Act. David Gayes was the first recipient of the Justin Dart Jr. Lead On Award in 2006, and he was on hand to present Ben Swiggitt of Diamond, IL with the 2007 honors. Although it was only Ben's first year at the Summit, his leadership skills definitely made a big impression.

Peer Advisor Award
Virgil May was honored with the Peer Advisor Award. This award is presented to an individual who is always supportive of other participants. Virgil is encouraging to other participants, helpful and positive. He is always ready to assist with any task and, most important, Virgil leads by example.

Virgil joined the Summit for his first year from the ICRE School in Chicago. The Peer Advisor Award is of special significance as it is the only award chosen solely by the youth participants.

By Valerie Brew-Parrish, Joliet Chapter member

Many moons ago, James Slattery was my high school history teacher. Although I don't recall all of his history lessons, I do remember a precious gift he bequeathed to me.

Mr. Slattery told me to believe in myself. When he asked me if I was going to college, I laughed and said no. The very idea that a kid with a disability could go to college was absurd. Or so I thought.

Mr. Slattery told me I should go away to college, study hard and pursue my dreams. What a novel idea. No one in my family had ever gone away to college or obtained a degree.

I shudder to think what my life would have been like if Mr. Slattery hadn't nagged and convinced me that going to college was feasible.

A solid education provides concrete career opportunities that otherwise would be out of reach.

Unemployment rates for persons with disabilities exceed 74 percent. It is imperative for people with disabilities to become as educated as possible. Today, there are some really wonderful scholarships out there to assist prospective college students in financing their educations.

One of my favorites is an award of $1,000 in recognition of the more than nine million parents with disabilities in the U.S. High school seniors graduating in 2005 must have grown up with at least one parent with a disability, demonstrate academic and personal achievement, and be planning on attending a college in the United States.

For more information, contact Through the Looking Glass, National Resource Center for Parents With Disabilities at (800) 804-1616; http://www.lookingglass.org .

The Marion Huber Learning Through Listening awards are presented by the Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic to high school seniors with learning disabilities. Top winners are given $6,000. Deadline is March 1, 2005. Phone (609) 520-8044 or Email: jhaggith@rfbd.org

Women with disabilities who would like to obtain a graduate degree can apply for the Ethel Louise Armstrong scholarship. This foundation is dedicated to "Changing the Face of Disability on the Planet." The deadline is June 1, 2005. Contact Deborah Lewis at (626) 398-8840 or e-mail Email: executive director@ela.org

The National Federation of the Blind has a plethora of scholarships on the state and national level for students who are blind. Contact Deborah Kent Stein at (773) 631-1093 or e-mail Email: dkent5817@worldnet.att.net or http://www.nfb.org . The deadline is March 31, 2005.

Similarly, the American Council of the Blind also offers scholarships to students who are blind. The deadline is March 1, 2005. For additional information contact Terry Pacheco at (202) 467-5081 ext. 19. http://www.acb.org .

There are probably many more unique scholarships out there to be found.

Many of my very happiest memories occurred while I was a college student. I became independent and made my own decisions. My college friends are my lifelong buddies. I followed my dreams and accomplished goals I never thought possible.

I wish Mr. Slattery could have known the positive influence he had on my life. The best gift we can pass on is encouragement.