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Welcome to Chicago
Greetings...
From the Office of the Governor
As Governor of the State of Illinois, I am proud to welcome you to our state, which not only boasts an impressive array of topnotch travel opportunities, but is also at the forefront of meeting the needs of residents and visitors with disabilities.
To that end, we are presenting Easy Access Chicago, a comprehensive guide to accessibility of accommodations and attractions throughout the city. This guide is the first of its kind in the United States. Both user-friendly and comprehensive, Easy Access Chicago represents the commitment our city and state have made to provide a welcoming environment for those in need of accessibility. Hopefully this initiative will set an example that others follow.
On behalf of the citizens of Illinois, I wish to thank you for using Easy Access Chicago, and for choosing Illinois for your travel destination. For further information, log on to www.enjoyillinois.com or call (800) 2CONNECT.
Sincerely,
Rod R. Blagojevich
Governor
From the Office of the Mayor
As Mayor and on behalf of the City of Chicago, it is my pleasure to welcome you to our city. Chosen in 2007 as one of America's most disability friendly cities by the National Organization on Disability, Chicago serves as a model for its successful design of programs, services and facilities that are fully accessible to persons with disabilities. With 100 percent of our buses accessible and over 60 taxis that can accommodate wheelchairs, visitors and residents can easily get to their choice of hundreds of accessible venues and events.
Combined with our extensive public transportation, you will have access to shopping emporiums, cultural institutions, restaurants, neighborhoods and more while in the city. Chicago is also home to two premier disability-related events that make the summer an exciting time for those who live, work and visit Chicago. Each July the city hosts the largest Disability Pride Parade in the nation and sponsors AccessChicago, a products and services expo that serves as Chicago's official celebration of the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
We invite you to discover all that makes Chicago a great city. Whether you are a resident or a visitor, we hope you will find Easy Access Chicago a helpful tool in planning your outing or trip. Feel free to contact the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau or the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities for further assistance.
Sincerely,
Richard M. Daley
Mayor
From the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
Welcome to Chicago - where there is absolutely everything for everybody! From the breathtaking views of our magnificent architecture and beautiful lakefront, to our colorful ethnic neighborhoods known for their hospitality and great food, to museums, nightlife and sports teams that are second to none, this great city has something for everyone. Now, thanks to Easy Access Chicago, visitors with disabilities can make sure that "the city that works" - works for them.
Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity are proud to bring you this innovative new guide, which will not only make this world-class city even more accessible, but it will help encourage more travel and tourism across the state. This valuable resource will provide the reliable, detailed information needed for people with disabilities, families with children with disabilities and other family members and friends to plan everything from a weekend getaway to a weeklong business trip. Whether you're coming by yourself or bringing your whole family, Easy Access Chicago is designed to do just that and is another reason why Illinois is the number one tourism destination for everyone. This is something my family will use, and we know many, many others around the state, the country and the world will also depend on it.
Easy Access Chicago is best used in conjunction with the Chicago Official Visitors Guide and the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau's Web site, www.choosechicago.com.
Enjoy your visit, and we know you'll be coming back soon!
Sincerely,
Jack Lavin,
Director, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
From Open Doors Organization
Over a year in the making, Easy Access Chicago is the city’s first-ever comprehensive resource guide for travelers with disabilities and their families. It offers visitors a choice of exciting properties in a range of neighborhoods, with a wide array of amenities and prices to meet different budgets and tastes. In addition to this full online version of the guide, readers can also download or order a condensed print copy for use during their visit.
As a disability-based non-profit, it is our mission to teach businesses how to make their goods and services accessible to people with disabilities. Our staff of professionals has over thirty-five combined years of experience in the disability travel industry, and our research has provided the only credible market study on the needs and preferences of travelers with disabilities in America.
In compiling the information for this access guide, our trained site inspectors visited hundreds of hotels, restaurants, museums, theatres and public facilities to audit their accessibility. We thank everyone who welcomed us to their properties and answered our many questions. But above all, we thank the IL Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and its director, Jack Lavin, for providing the funding to make this important project possible. We are proud to help the State of Illinois promote inclusion and accessibility for everyone.
Our intention in presenting this guide is neither to enforce compliance nor to endorse specific accessible properties, but instead to provide a detailed and reliable source of information that people with disabilities of all types and older travelers can use to locate properties and venues that fit their specific needs.
Thank you for choosing Chicago. We hope that Easy Access Chicago will make your stay much more convenient and pleasurable.
Eric Lipp
Executive Director,
Open Doors Organization
Thank You
We wish to thank the following for all of their support in helping to make this project possible:
- Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
- Chicago Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities
- Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau
- DBTAC: Great Lakes ADA
- Bonnie Lewkowicz, Access Northern California
- Panebianco, Inc.
- Candy & Charles Creative Concepts
Copyright © 2007 - 2008 Open Doors Organization. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or reproduced without the express written permission of Open Doors Organization. Contact Open Doors Organization