Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities

About MOPD• The Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) was

established in 1990 by Mayor Richard M. Daley to meet the needs of Chicagoans with disabilities.

• MOPD works to make Chicago a fully inclusive and accessible city

• MOPD serve’s as the ADA compliance office for the City of Chicago

Areas of Focus• Independent Living

• Disability Awareness

• Accessibility Compliance

• Public Policy

Independent Living • Information and Assistance/Advocacy Services• Home Modifications• Individual Needs Assessments• Homemaker Services• Home Delivered Meals• In-Home Adaptive Devices• Amplified Phone Distribution• Benefits Analysis/Work Incentive Planning and Assistance• Housing Assistance• Youth Employment Readiness

Housing Services• Home Modifications

– Kitchens– Bathrooms– Entryways

• Links people with disabilities with appropriate, available and accessible housing.

Before After

Public Policy

• Seeks input to develop MOPD’s legislative and policy priorities

• Monitors and analyzes and advises on City, State and Federal legislation and ordinances

• Develops the City’s official positions on disability-related issues

Policy Initiatives

• Emergency Planning– Operations Plan– Drills, tabletop exercises, FEMA projects

• Parking ordinance to address abuse• Taxicab regulations• Advise on State Legislation, City Ordinances• Develop new policies based on emerging need

Accessibility Compliance

• Accessibility Plan Review• Permitting• Technical Assistance • Site Surveys• Work with City Departments to achieve

compliance

• Revision of Chicago’s Accessibility Code• Oversee curbramp compliance

Plan Review Projects

Conducted accessibility plan reviews on Bloomingdale Trail, Riverwalk, Wrigley Field, Navy Pier, CTA 95th Street Terminal,

Charter One Pavilion and BRT, among others.

Disability Awareness Trainings

• To eliminate discriminatory actions • Promote better city services to PWD’s

• Police Recruits• Fire Academy• EMT’s• Park District Seasonal Hires• TSA• Hilton Hotels• City Department Employees

Employment Services

• Work Incentive Planning and Assistance for SSI/SSDI Beneficiaries Wanting to Work

– 1:1 benefits analysis– Group Sessions/Presentation– Focus on reaching underserved neighborhoods– Focus on working with CPS parents/transition

Youth Summits

WORK INCENTIVES PLANNING & ASSISTANCE (WIPA)

• College (April) and High School (November) Summits for Students with Disabilities

• Parents Sessions

• 2013

554 Total Attendance

Employment Programs --Youth

• Disability Mentoring Day

• Job Shadow Day

• Summer Internships

2013 AccomplishmentsEmployment

• Employment readiness to 819 CPS students • Employment services to 22,560 job seekers• Secured job placements for 73 people with

disabilities via MOPD referrals

• Worked with 186 community partners and businesses and 141 CPS schools

2013 Making Our City Accessible

• Conducted 34 disability awareness trainings for 730 individuals.

• Reviewed 1,815 architectural plans • TA to 3,416 individuals (architects, developers,

attorneys, members of public) • Worked with CDOT to oversee the installation

of 4,860 curbramps in 2013, with a total of 52,314 since 2007

• •  

2013 Accomplishments

• 400 accessibility assessments of all City programs and services

• Accessibility surveys of 10 city-funded homeless shelters

• Developed an accessibility checklist for citywide large public events

• Drafted a disability regulation for the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance

2013 Accomplishments

• Formed an Accessible Taxi Advisory Committee to seek disability community

• Drafted regs for accessible/audible taxicab credit card meters technology

• Selected taxicab medallion award winner for excellent service to PWD’s

2013 Accomplishments

• Secured funding for purchase and installation of 300 accessible smoke detectors (deaf/HH)

• 3 fire safety trainings for CPS deaf/hh students

• Held a Town Hall Meeting, co-sponsored by OEMC and FEMA, on individual emergency preparedness

2013 Accomplishments

Crackdown of Disabled Placard Abuse

• January 1, 2013- December 14, 2013• Vehicles Checked 1,484• Placards Confiscated 275• Parking Citations 267• Vehicles Towed 6•  

Key 2014 Initiatives will focus on

• Taxicabs – increase vehicles and service• Strengthening City accessibility codes and

laws• Enhance the inclusion of people with

disabilities into the City's emergency plan• Fire Safety Trainings for Blind and Low Vision• Initiatives to promote the employment of

people with disabilities

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