Did you know that you can turn your everyday online shopping into support for RAMP?
Click here and shop at over 330 stores like Amazon.com, L.L. Bean, Eddie Bauer, Barnes & Noble, Gap and many more! These stores give up to 26% from every purchase you make to your cause. Many of these contributions can be tax deductible for you.

Community Services

In addition to services for people with disabilities, RAMP offers services for our communities. It is imperative for our communities to provide full and equal access to people of all abilities in order to maximize the potential contribution of its citizens.
   Most people with disabilities do not want pity or admiration for adjusting to and living with a normal part of the human condition.  Disability is an unavoidable fact of life, and in most cases, it does not in itself prevent a person from exercising the unlimited abilities they have that are not affected by the disability.  In fact, the greatest barriers faced by people with disabilities stem from those placed upon them by society.
   There are many barriers to people with disabilities trying to lead productive, self-sufficient lives, including economic, physical, communicative or attitudinal.  The first three barriers, which affect people with disabilities in all aspects of their pursuit of independence, are more easily identifiable and correctable although sometimes costly.  For example, not being able to negotiate steps into a building prevents one from applying for a job, taking a class or even shopping. The inability to hear a speaker or read printed material prevents one from communicating. Attitudinal barriers, however, defined as false assumptions and prejudices based upon misinformation and ignorance, play the largest role in limited opportunities and are much more difficult to identify and eliminate. Eliminating attitudinal barriers entails the education of society to break down negative and misguided beliefs and replace them with positive, non-judgmental attitudes open to seeing people for who they are. 
   We provide the following services to public and private businesses, organizations and agencies in order to work towards the elimination of all barriers to independence that face people with disabilities.  Disability only becomes a tragedy when society fails to provide the access to the goods and services one may require.

Advocacy & the ADA
RAMP works with its local communities to facilitate compliance with the Illinois Accessibility Codes and the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines.  
   RAMP works with local, state and national legislators to draft and support regulations and laws that ensure the rights of people with disabilities.
   RAMP provides educational materials and speakers on a wide variety of disability and accessibility issues and regulations.

Accessibility Assessments
RAMP conducts accessibility assessments for businesses, schools, municipal entities, private organizations and individuals. With people with disabilities comprising approximately 20% of our nation's population, accessibility is good business.
   Accessibility assessments are generally requested by businesses that wish to improve the accessibility of their business for either their employees or customers. Upon request, an assessor will visit your site, conduct an inspection and suggest modifications based on the Illinois Accessibility Code and the ADA Accessibility Guidelines.
 

Friends of RAMP Theatre Ensemble (FORTE)
RAMP has collaborated with students from Cornerstone Christian Academy in DeKalb. Together with volunteers from the community, these students volunteer their time and skills to perform various disability awareness skits for people of all ages using Kids on the Block puppets. Kids on the Block is a registered puppeteer program used to educate kids and adults about life issues. 

How will you benefit from a FORTE puppet show?
Audience members, especially young children, are encouraged to meet the puppets after each show. This presents an opportunity to ask the puppets about their disabilities, questions they might not otherwise feel comfortable asking a real person.

Presentations
RAMP staff are available to speak to businesses, services organizations, social services agencies, government agencies and other groups on a wide variety of disability issues.
Presentation examples include RAMP Services, Disability Etiquette and Customer Service, Educational Rights of Students with Disabilities, The Americans with Disabilities Act, Accessibility Standards and Regulations, Disability Awareness, personal stories of staff and/or consumers who have disabilities, self-determination training and more. RAMP can tailor presentations to fit your needs.