How to Be an Advocate August 28, 2025

October 10, 2023

Written by Joe O’Sullivan, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy

For far too long in Illinois, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities have been undervalued and de-prioritized. They have struggled to receive crucial services and supports that empower them to live independently and help integrate them into their communities.

The Illinois disability services system has fallen far behind the rest of the country. Our level of investment into disability services ranks 49th out of all 50 states. We have more individuals residing in state-run institutions than any other state besides Texas. More than 15,000 individuals with disabilities remain on a waiting list to receive services.

Why do we need advocates in the first place?

Overall, Illinois has been failing to adequately support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Because of this, a court ruled that the state must provide adequate resources to support community options for individuals with disabilities. However, the state of Illinois has failed to comply with this court decree for more than 6 years.

Because of these failures as a state, the Illinois General Assembly contracted Guidehouse Consulting to conduct a comprehensive study to identify the most prominent issues with disability services, and how to best address these issues.

The Guidehouse study analyzed all community residential services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to identify where improvements were most needed. It contained 10 major recommendations to address the issues with disability services in Illinois along with an investment timeline. This state-issued study has served as a roadmap for investment into community services.

Despite the state issuing this study, Illinois had not abided by the Guidehouse timeline, and they have not reached the level of investment recommended by Guidehouse. Major investments have been made, but because the disability services system had been neglected for so long, more aggressive investments are needed.

Illinois needs to invest in individuals with disabilities, but to do that we need to convince elected lawmakers to make disability services a priority issue. The best way to demonstrate to the Illinois House of Representatives, Senate, and

Governors that their constituents want to see better lives for individuals with disabilities is to get involved with advocacy.

So what can you do as an advocate?

Advocacy is one of the best ways to support individuals with disabilities, and anyone can make an impact if they are willing to use their voice. Elected officials take notice when their constituents advocate. Your voice has tremendous power, and through Clearbrook Advocacy you can use that power to help improve the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Clearbrook Advocacy is a comprehensive non-partisan grassroots platform that gives you the tools you need to be heard by elected officials in Springfield.

Through the Clearbrook Advocacy program you can learn who represents you in the state and federal government, share your experiences with Illinois disability services, learn about our policy priorities, register to vote, learn about Clearbrook events, and most importantly take action on our advocacy campaigns.

Clearbrook Advocacy provides you with a streamlined platform where you can make an impact with just a few clicks. It has never been so easy to be an engaged citizen and speak out for individuals with disabilities.

Through our streamlined platform you can send a pre-written email to your elected officials with just a few clicks. If you want to make your message more personal, you can edit the email or write your own. We encourage all advocates to share their personal insights with legislators.

The platform also provides a click to call option to contact your legislators’ district offices to share your thoughts and urge them to support individuals with disabilities. Talking points on the issues are provided to you if you choose to make a call, so don’t worry if you aren’t aware of every detail.

You can also choose to make a short personalized video message. These videos can last up to 30 seconds, and provide a great opportunity for legislators to see and hear one of their constituents taking the time to reach out to them with a personal message.

Our advocacy campaigns also utilize social media, a continuously growing area of influence. You can tweet at your elected officials asking for their support, or informing them on the issues. You can also share the campaigns on your social media which educates other Illinois residents on the issues impacting individuals with disabilities, grows our network, and maximizes our impact.

Elected officials depend on you, their constituents, to inform them on issues that are important to you and your community. You have the power to make individuals with disabilities a priority. Through our platform you can do that with ease.

How do you make an impact as an advocate?

As an advocate, you decide how involved you will be. You can use the platform to take action on campaigns, educate yourself and others on the issues impacting individuals with disabilities, submit ideas for legislation, attend advocacy events, set up legislative meetings, and more.

The more active you are, the more of an impact you will have. We have had advocates speak at events, meet with legislators at the state Capitol, and even be recognized on the floor of the Illinois House of Representatives. These advocates go above and beyond, but you can still make an impact with ease by taking action on our campaigns and sharing them with friends, family, coworkers, or anyone else who you think would like to support individuals with disabilities.

Legislators can receive hundreds of emails per day concerning a wide variety of issues. That is why it is so important to take action and get others to do the same. We need as many advocates as possible standing up and urging their legislators to take action and make some long overdue investments into individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

There is strength in numbers, and the more advocates we have, the more influential we will become. Our diverse network of grassroots advocates represents over 1,000 Clearbrook families, clients, staff, volunteers, donors, and community supporters. These advocates use their voice to influence decision makers in the Illinois House of Representatives and Senate.

You can make a difference too. Join Clearbrook Advocacy to be added to our network where you will receive regular in-session updates, important information regarding legislation concerning disability services, and receive calls to action for our advocacy campaigns.

Our advocates join together to let legislators know that enough is enough and individuals with disabilities deserve more. We need your voice. You can become a Clearbrook Advocate at https://advocacy.clearbrook.org/join-us/ and join the movement to fix disability services in Illinois!