Dear Friends,

The past few weeks have brought significant challenges for the disability community. Proposed reductions in Medicaid funding could have serious consequences for our members, affecting their access to housing, healthcare, employment support and other essential services. Additionally, recent public statements have raised concerns about how individuals with disabilities are perceived in the workforce.

While these moments are concerning, they reinforce the importance of our mission. At Envision Unlimited, we remain committed to creating opportunities and advocating for the dignity and potential of every person we serve. In this photo, for example, members from our Nashville Center are learning to navigate public transportation.

Thanks to our dedicated supporters, a group of our older members will soon move into our state-of-the-art, ADA-accessible DreamHome. We have also launched a groundbreaking initiative to support individuals with lived experience of mental illness in obtaining professional certifications and building meaningful careers. Additionally, we continue to strengthen our members’ independence through environmental stewardship and adaptive cycling programs.

This redesigned newsletter highlights how we’re making a difference every day. I invite you to read and share these stories, helping us expand our impact and continue shaping a future filled with possibilities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and mental health conditions.

Sincerely,

Mark McHugh

President and CEO

Envision Unlimited

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

It’s been said that good things come to those who wait. And now, our members are just weeks away from moving into our ADA-accessible DreamHome.

For many years, we dreamed of having a fully-accessible group home for our older members. This state-of-the-art home in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood will enable seniors with disabilities to age in place and continue living a life of choice, independence and inclusion as their needs get more complex.

Last month, we held a grand opening reception for our generous supporters, aka “the Dream Team.” The evening included guided tours by our brilliant architect Susan D. Turner and the opportunity to meet some of our soon-to-be residents. Check out photos here.

We extend our deepest gratitude to everyone who helped make this dream a reality.

Photo credit: Vincent D. Johnson

Going Above and Beyond for People with Disabilities

At Envision Unlimited, choice, independence and inclusion have been driving our mission for the past 75 years to help individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as mental health conditions live their best lives. Most of us take these rights for granted, but they’re not easily attainable for people with disabilities.

In the past year, we have grown our geographic reach and range of offerings to connect 5,000 people with disabilities and their caregivers with the life-changing services they need, want and deserve. 

But we’re not done, not even close. For every member we transition out of an institutional setting and into community living, there’s another waiting. For every caregiver to whom we offer crucial time for respite and recuperation, another is waiting.

We invite you to learn more about our successes and how our work creates impact for our members, families and others in the Envision Unlimited community. And as we pause to look back on 2024, we hope you will also see what is before us: the opportunity and necessity of growth.

Photo credit: Joel Lerner

Creating Pathways to Success for People with Lived Experience

At Envision Unlimited, we understand the importance of ongoing professional development for dedicated individuals who work on the front lines for people with disabilities. We continuously invest in opportunities, so we can ensure that we provide the highest quality care and services. That includes training the next generation of staff.

We recently launched the Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) and Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) Success Program, a comprehensive, empowering initiative designed to train and guide individuals with lived experience of mental illness and/or substance use recovery towards professional certification and successful careers as peer supports. 

Our program equips participants with the skills, knowledge and practical experience necessary to work as a recovery support specialist, providing peer-to-peer services in a variety of settings such as community mental health centers, hospitals and treatment facilities.

The goal of this program is to strengthen the local mental health resources for individuals experiencing serious mental illness. According to the Behavioral Health and Economics Network, Illinois has a particularly severe behavioral health workforce shortage. There are only about 14 behavioral healthcare professionals per 10,000 Illinois residents, which means 38% of residents live in a designated shortage area.



The program is free for individuals with lived experience who want to become certified to support others in their recovery and meet the minimum requirements for participation. Dates for the summer and fall sessions will be announced soon.

Grab a Ticket for Our 10th Annual Bright Futures Ball!

Envision Unlimited cordially invites you to the 10th annual Bright Futures Ball, where we will celebrate our amazing impact and Envision More possibilities for thousands of people with disabilities and their caregivers in Chicagoland and Central Illinois.

Join us Saturday, April 5 at the Sheraton Chicago Riverwalk, as we honor Susan D. Turner with this year’s Humanitarian Award for her extraordinary contributions to making our DreamHome come to life and ensuring that our members can age in place with dignity and accessibility.

If you’d like to show your support by purchasing a ticket or an event sponsorship, details are available below. Tickets are on sale until March 24!

Getting by with Help from Our Friends

Helping those in need is one of the greatest gifts that we can give. Two Envision Unlimited members recently lost everything in a devastating apartment fire and need our help to rebuild their lives. They are some of the most loving and caring men we know, and they’re determined to turn their lives around after facing much adversity.

We’re accepting donations to help get their lives back on track, and we hope you’ll consider contributing. Please check out their wish list of items, so they can start making memories in a new home. Clothing donations would also be appreciated.

All items can be shipped to our central office (8 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60603). Thank you for your generosity.

• Men’s shirts: Large and 2X-3X

• Men’s pants: 33-34 waist, 36-38 waist and 36 length

• Men’s shoes: size 12 and 14

Gear Up for Summer of Cycling 2025

Are you dreaming of warmer weather? Woodstock Willie predicted an early spring, so we’re already counting down days until this year’s Summer of Cycling begins.

Our adaptive cycling program empowers our members to be more mobile, independent and out in their communities. We have witnessed people take their first bike ride, achieve personal milestones and make new friends.

Mark your calendars for these six exhilarating rides. More details coming soon! 

Nurture Nature with Us!

Our members consistently show determination to leave the world better than they found it. Through our environmental stewardship program last year, they maintained nearly 10 parks and other green spaces across the Chicago area. And thanks to our partnerships with The Nature Conservancy and Friends of the Forest Preserve, we’re aiming to make an even greater impact.



We invite you to join our members in planting seeds, removing invasive species and more at our upcoming environmental stewardship events. If you’d like to volunteer, please contact chief external affairs officer Brandi Adams at badams@envisionunlimited.org.

Envision Unlimited is a full spectrum of care organization serving people with disabilities and mental health conditions from infants to senior citizens, regardless of race, gender, religion, or ability to pay. Founded in Chicago in 1948, Envision Unlimited has a legacy of evolving care delivered with empathy, every time and everywhere. To learn more, please visit www.envisionunlimited.org.