WSANA met on August 10,2010 with Oak Park, Illinois Chief of Police in regards to Illinois Public Act 096–1167 which provides a mandatory $500 fine and also a mandatory Class A misdemeanor for any person who denies a pedestrian with a disability the right of use of sidewalks, highways and walkways in the State. This includes crosswalks. The Act requires an operator of a vechile to stop it before approaching closer than 10 feet to a pedestrian with a disability who is using a mobility device, accompanieds by a visibly identifiable service animal, or carrying or using a white cane, and to take all precautations that may be necessary to avoid an accident or injury to the pedestrian with a disability.

This Public Act will help for individuals with disabilities to be independent in the community in which they live 

Public Act 096-1167

HB5095 Enrolled LRB096 16170 AJO 31422 b

AN ACT concerning human rights.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,

represented in the General Assembly:

Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the

Pedestrians with Disabilities Safety Act.

Section 5. Definitions. For purposes of this Act:

"Mobility device" means a support cane, walker, crutches,

wheelchair, scooter, or other device, which may be necessary

for use by a pedestrian with a disability when traveling.

"Pedestrian with a disability" means a person with a

disability, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act,

who may require the use of a mobility device, service animal,

or white cane to travel on the streets, sidewalks, highways,

and walkways of this State.

"Service animal" means a service animal as defined by the

Code of Federal Regulations (28 CFR 36.104).

"White cane" means a cane that is predominantly white or

metallic in color, with or without a red tip, that is held in

an extended or raised position.

Section 10. Rights of pedestrians with disabilities.

(a) A pedestrian with a disability has the same rights as

any other pedestrian to equal access and use of the streets,

sidewalks, highways, and walkways of this State.

(b) These rights are subject only to the conditions and

limitations established by law and applicable alike to all

persons.

(c) Any person who denies or interferes with the rights of

a pedestrian with a disability under this Act, shall be guilty

of a Class A misdemeanor with a mandatory minimum fine of $500

for each violation.

Section 15. Mobility device; service animal; white cane.

(a) An operator of a vehicle shall stop the vehicle before

approaching closer than 10 feet to a pedestrian with a

disability who is using a mobility device, accompanied by a

visibly identifiable service animal, or carrying or using a

white cane, and shall take all precautions that may be

necessary to avoid an accident or injury to the pedestrian with

a disability. Any vehicle operator who fails to take such

precautions shall be liable for damages for any injury caused

to the pedestrian with a disability.

(b) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to deprive any

person with a disability who is not using a mobility device,

not accompanied by a visibly identifiable service animal, or

not carrying or using a white cane of the rights of other

pedestrians, nor shall such an occurrence be conclusively held

to constitute evidence of contributory negligence.

(c) Qualified professionals involved in the training of

visibly identifiable service animals including training a

person with a disability in the use of an animal, orientation

and mobility instructors who are providing instruction to

persons with disabilities or receiving training to enable them

to provide that instruction, or any otherwise qualified person

providing instruction to a person with a disability in the

proper use of a mobility device or white cane shall be covered

by the provisions of this Section.

Section 20. Proclamation. Each year, the Governor is

authorized and requested to designate and take suitable public

notice of Pedestrians with Disabilities Safety Day (October 15)

and to issue a proclamation which:

(1) comments upon the necessity for and significance of

the Pedestrians with Disabilities Safety Act;

(2) calls upon the citizens of the State to observe the

provisions of the Pedestrians with Disabilities Safety Act

and to take precautions necessary for the safety of

pedestrians with disabilities;

(3) reminds the citizens of the State of the policies

with respect to persons with disabilities and urges all

citizens to ensure that the policies are upheld; and

(4) emphasizes the need of all citizens to be aware of

the presence of persons with disabilities in the community

and to keep safe and functional for persons with

disabilities the streets, sidewalks, highways, and

walkways of this State.

Section 80. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by

changing Sections 2-112 and 6-109 as follows:

(625 ILCS 5/2-112)  (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 2-112)

Sec. 2-112. Distribution of synopsis laws.

(a) The Secretary of State may publish a synopsis or

summary of the laws of this State regulating the operation of

vehicles and may deliver a copy thereof without charge with

each original vehicle registration and with each original

driver's license.

(b) The Secretary of State shall make any necessary

revisions in its publications including, but not limited to,

the Illinois Rules of the Road, to accurately conform its

publications to the provisions of the Pedestrians with

Disabilities Safety Act.

(Source: P.A. 76-1586.)

(625 ILCS 5/6-109)  (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-109)

Sec. 6-109. Examination of Applicants.

(a) The Secretary of State shall examine every applicant

for a driver's license or permit who has not been previously

licensed as a driver under the laws of this State or any other

state or country, or any applicant for renewal of such driver's

license or permit when such license or permit has been expired

for more than one year. The Secretary of State shall, subject

to the provisions of paragraph (c), examine every licensed

driver at least every 8 years, and may examine or re-examine

any other applicant or licensed driver, provided that during

the years 1984 through 1991 those drivers issued a license for

3 years may be re-examined not less than every 7 years or more

than every 10 years.

The Secretary of State shall require the testing of the

eyesight of any driver's license or permit applicant who has

not been previously licensed as a driver under the laws of this

State and shall promulgate rules and regulations to provide for

the orderly administration of all the provisions of this

Section.

The Secretary of State shall include at least one test

question that concerns the provisions of the Pedestrians with

Disabilities Safety Act in the question pool used for the

written portion of the drivers license examination within one

year after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the

96th General Assembly.

(b) Except as provided for those applicants in paragraph

(c), such examination shall include a test of the applicant's

eyesight, his ability to read and understand official traffic

control devices, his knowledge of safe driving practices and

the traffic laws of this State, and may include an actual

demonstration of the applicant's ability to exercise ordinary

and reasonable control of the operation of a motor vehicle, and

such further physical and mental examination as the Secretary

of State finds necessary to determine the applicant's fitness

to operate a motor vehicle safely on the highways, except the

examination of an applicant 75 years of age or older shall

include an actual demonstration of the applicant's ability to

exercise ordinary and reasonable control of the operation of a

motor vehicle. All portions of written and verbal examinations

under this Section, excepting where the English language

appears on facsimiles of road signs, may be given in the

Spanish language and, at the discretion of the Secretary of

State, in any other language as well as in English upon request

of the examinee. Deaf persons who are otherwise qualified are

not prohibited from being issued a license, other than a

commercial driver's license, under this Code.

(c) Re-examination for those applicants who at the time of

renewing their driver's license possess a driving record devoid

of any convictions of traffic violations or evidence of

committing an offense for which mandatory revocation would be

required upon conviction pursuant to Section 6-205 at the time

of renewal shall be in a manner prescribed by the Secretary in

order to determine an applicant's ability to safely operate a

motor vehicle, except that every applicant for the renewal of a

driver's license who is 75 years of age or older must prove, by

an actual demonstration, the applicant's ability to exercise

reasonable care in the safe operation of a motor vehicle.

(d) In the event the applicant is not ineligible under the

provisions of Section 6-103 to receive a driver's license, the

Secretary of State shall make provision for giving an

examination, either in the county where the applicant resides

or at a place adjacent thereto reasonably convenient to the

applicant, within not more than 30 days from the date said

application is received.

(Source: P.A. 91-350, eff. 7-29-99.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,

2010.

Effective Date: 07/22/2010

On Saturday July 17, 2010 WSANA was there as 2 new bills were signed by Governor Quinn at Oak Park’s Farmers Market.
HB4756 -Farmers Market Technology Improvement Program
Introduced by Representative Lashawn Ford.
Assists nontraditonal food markets, such as farmers markets, develop the capability to accept wireless electronic payment cards, including electronic benefitstransfer cards or LINK cards. Provides that the purpose of the program is to increase access to fresh fruits and vegetables and quality meat and dairy for all Illinois residents by allowing LINK program participants to redeem their food stamp benefits at farmers markets. The manner in which this works is as follows each vendor at a farmers market will give a buyer a 2 part receipt for a purchase and then the receipt will be taken to the PAYMENT TENT at the farmers market who will swipe a LINK card and give the consumer a receipt to hand back to the vendor if approved.This program is in effect in some farmers markets already and is expectedto be in effect at Oak Park’s farmers market soon.

SB615- Introduced by Senator Linda Holmes .
Creates a farm-to-school database to facilitate connection between farmers and schools. To be developed jointly by Department of Agriculture and Local Food, Farms, and Jobs Council.

The following letter appeared in the 7-12-10 Chicago Tribune

Spending for disabled

Illinois’ progress toward a more cost-effective and just approach to serving people with disabilities and their families took a major blow recently when Gov. Pat Quinn announced more than $300 million in budget cuts to programs for the disabled.

The governor is faced with balancing many difficult budget demands, but this decision hurts both taxpayers and people with disabilities.

When is a budget cut not a budget cut?

The answer is when the least costly and most effective services are cut, leaving only outmoded, expensive and politically entrenched approaches.

In this case that means programs that serve people in their own homes and in community settings are being slashed while the state continues to pour money into expensive nursing homes and state-run institutions that keep people with disabilities trapped in a state of unwanted and unnecessary dependence.

That defies common sense.

Community-living and support options work and are paying off for taxpayers.

We know now that today everyone can be supported in his or her community.

And we know that programs that serve people in their community save money. A 2010 report by the Illinois Human Services Commission found that Illinois provided community-based mental-health services to 175,000 people at a cost of $390 million in fiscal year 2010, half the cost of $640 million for only 15,000 nursing home beds for people with disabilities who do not require daily nursing.

Illinois is one of the few states that waste money on state-operated institutions and nursing homes.

Taxpayers spend a staggering $162,000 per person for the 2,000 residents of eight large state-operated institutions.

We are your families, neighbors and friends. We want, and have a right, to remain in our communities. We do not want to be forced into nursing homes or state institutions. As we approach the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, this budget rolls back civil rights.

We need to keep programs that work and slash those that don’t.

We ask the governor and the legislature to rescind these cuts and support:

• Reforming the wasteful institutional bias in state spending for the disabled.

• No caps on home-service hours and adequate funding to meet demand.

• Closing down the state-operated institutions serving the developmentally disabled and investing those resources in community services.

• New revenue to be applied to cost-effective community and in-home services.

— Ann Ford, executive director, Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living, Springfield

— Charlotte Cronin, executive director, Family Support Network, Peoria

— Tony Zipple, CEO, Thresholds, Chicago

                West Suburban Access News Association (WSANA)
The mission of WSANA is to advocate for and provide local and national information for persons with disabilities seeking to live independently and be a part of the community in which they live.

WSANA is a not –for-profit organization recognized as tax exempt under Internal Revenue code 501 (C) (3).

 PRESS RELEASE

 www.wsana.org Welcomes its 200,000^th Visitor to the Website.

WSANA is happy to announce that as of July 8, 2010 it has

Welcomed its 200,000^th visitor to their website.

This is especially noteworthy considering that on April 16, 2008 WSANA had just welcomed it 100,000^th visitor. In just over 2 years WSANA welcomed 100,000 visitors.

Our website has grown to the point of there now being close to 800

Posts on the website which inform and educate individuals with disabilities.

Please Spread the word of this achievement of WSANA.

www.wsana.org P.O. Box 3221 Oak Park, IL 60302   708-383-6258
joel@wsana.org.

                                            Proclamation
                                     Presented by

                          Senate Assistant Majority Leader  Don Harmon

                                     For

        The 20^th Anniversary   of  theAmericans with Disabilities Act

                Presented this 26^th day of May, 2010

Whereas, the Members of the Illinois Senate wish to recognize the

 20^thanniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act; and

WHEREAS, on July 26,1990, President George H. Bush signed into Law the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure the civil rights of people with disabilities, and this legislation established a clear and comprehensive national mandate for eliminating discrimination against individuals with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, the ADA has expanded opportunities for Americans with disabilities by reducing barriers and changing perceptions, and increasing full participation in community life; however, the full promise of the ADA will only be reached if public entities remain committed in their efforts to fully implement the ADA; and

WHEREAS on the 20^th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we celebrate and recognize the progress that has been made by reaffirming the principals of equality and inclusion and recommitting our efforts to reach full ADA compliance; therefore be it

PROCLAIMED BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS that we celebrate this milestone and reaffirm our commitment to work toward full ADA compliance in Illinois; and be it further

Proclaimed that a suitable copy of this proclamation be presented to The Great Lakes ADA Center, which represents Illinois in the Great Lakes region.

                                 Senator Don Harmon

                                 39^th  Legislative District