Welcome to LifeMyWay.org

We believe in the importance of advocating for your needs, rights and opportunities. We believe that the best quality of life for all persons with developmental disabilities can be achieved in the community with the right supports and services. We believe in the infinite power of your story.

Thank you for visiting LifeMyWay.org. We hope this site will help empower you to tell your story.

LifeMyWay.org is collecting stories from every corner of Illinois so that our voices can be heard. Our mission is to showcase our abilities – show who we are, what we like and where we want to go in life.

Please allow us to walk you through our site.

campaign

Visit our campaign section to learn more about our campaign and mission. You will also find links to the Blueprint, a detailed plan for transforming the state’s system of supports and services for individuals with developmental disabilities from the status quo, which emphasizes large and centralized congregate facilities, in favor of smaller-scale community-based supports and services.

action center

Visit our action center to learn what steps you can take to get more fully involved and to help us move Illinois toward a system that truly supports and protects the rights or individuals with developmental disabilities.

Please take the time to tell your story and to sign a petition for change. We understand how much you have to say about issues pertaining to individuals with developmental disabilities, and we have designed this site as way to focus and convey your voice to other individuals just like you as well as to policy makers, members of the media and other stakeholders.

Sharing your story is simple and secure. Just click here, complete the form and we do the rest.

You control what is public on the site. Your contact information is for internal use only. You may upload a photo to accompany your story, or you may choose not to. It's your choice. We review all submissions before posting and we reserve the right to refuse a posting.

Featured stories are by people who agreed to share more of themselves with us, including video and additional photos. If you would like to become a featured story or if you need additional help, please drop us an email by clicking here.

Please take a moment and peruse our calendar of upcoming events, particularly those in a community near you. We look forward to your story and we hope to see you soon at an event near you! If you’d like to submit an event to be reviewed for posting to our calendar, please click here.

While visiting our action center, sign up for our free breaking news alerts and weekly newsletter to stay connected to the issues that impact your life. Our breaking news alerts allow you to receive the latest, Illinois developmental disability news in a convenient e-mail format. Our LifeMyWay newsletter rounds up the week’s top campaign and news headlines, upcoming Illinois events and inspiring stories about people with developmental disabilities and their families.

our stories

In our stories section, please enjoy learning about the lives of people just like you from around Illinois.

news

Looking for more information? Our news section is the place for you. We feature the latest news stories pertaining to advocacy, community and life.

resources

Have you shared your story, caught up on news, reviewed our events calendar, signed a petition and learned how to take action? Now, you’re ready to learn even more. Visit our resources section to pull everything together into advocacy, community and life.

Also here, you will find dozens upon dozens of rich, compelling photos and videos.

We hope you enjoy using LifeMyWay.org as much as we enjoyed building it. Thanks for visiting and please return soon.