Gov. Ryan’s decision to reverse his earlier commitment to close the Illinois Center for Rehabilitation and Education exemplifies the dearth of community-based services that has led to the unnecessary segregation and isolation of children and adults with disabilities.
Saying that he was “troubled by what I have now found,” the governor decided to keep ICRE open because of Illinois’ inability to provide services to the children at ICRE in the Chicago area.
Maintaining ICRE may be preferable compared to moving its children to nursing homes far from Chicago. Yet Illinois remains one of the only states in the nation that still institutionalizes children, and segregates people with disabilities more than any other state except Tennessee. The governor’s statement confirming the lack of any integrated, community-based services for ICRE’s children explains why the shameful, unneeded isolation of thousands of Illinoisans with disabilities continues.
Illinois must develop a well-funded, stable, and safe community-services system for people with disabilities.
