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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3Representatives are pleased to recognize Austin Special 
4Chicago as the agency celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2013; 
5and
  
 
6    WHEREAS, Austin Special Chicago was founded in 1953 by a 
7small group of parents whose hope for their children with 
8developmental disabilities was not to be institutionalized but 
9rather be integrated into the community through special 
10education; and
  
 
11    WHEREAS, 60 years later, Austin Special Chicago has evolved 
12into a nonprofit social service agency whose mission is to meet 
13the needs of adults with developmental and intellectual 
14disabilities, especially those with severe and profound mental 
15retardation, to provide training and education so that they may 
16have more fulfilled and enriched lives, and to assist their 
17families to keep them integrated in the community; and
  
 
18    WHEREAS, Austin Special Chicago pursues this mission 
19through the operation of its Developmental Training Center, 
20where it offers vocational, social, and educational services 
21including general counseling, speech therapy, basic academics, 
22daily living skills, recreational activities, art therapy, 
 
 
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1transportation, and participation in Special Olympics and 
2community-based mainstream activities; and
  
 
3    WHEREAS, Austin Special Chicago also operates 3 Community 
4Integrated Living Arrangement (CILA) homes; they offer 
5developmental training and residential services to adults 18 
6years and older living in the Chicago community regardless of 
7age, race, color, sex, disability, financial standing, 
8religion, national origin, or ancestry; therefore, be it
  
 
  
9    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
10NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
11we thank Austin Special's founders, board members, and staff 
12for 60 years of serving some of Chicago's most vulnerable 
13residents and we wish them well in all their future endeavours; 
14and be it further
  
 
15    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
16presented to Austin Special Chicago as an expression of our 
17esteem and respect.