An organization governed by, ran by, and serving those with disabilities, Opportunities for Access is one of 22 such organizations throughout Illinois and 500 throughout the United States according to Executive Director Michael “Spud” Egbert. The organization launched in 1990 with headquarters in Mt. Vernon, IL. Egbert joined in March 1991 as an administrative assistant and then rejoined after a brief departure as OFA’s 3rd ever Executive Director in 1993. Since then, the organization has gone from serving 5 counties with a budget of $150,000 to serving 16 Egbert says with a budget of just shy of a million dollars.
He says every Center for Independent Living offers five core services including information and referral services, peer advisory or counseling, skills training, advocacy (systems and individual), and transition services whether it’s nursing home or youth to adult transitions.
Egbert says 12.3% of the individuals in Illinois are living with a disability. In the counties that OFA serves, that percentage is even higher.
“In White County, it’s 19.8% that have some kind of disability. And all 16 counties we serve are over the state average of 12.3%.”
You can learn more about Opportunities for Access on the web at http://ofacil.org/ or by calling 618-382-7300.
