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HJ0116 |
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LRB095 20548 GRL 48526 r |
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| HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois General Assembly are |
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| pleased to congratulate the members of West Suburban Access |
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| News Association on the occasion of having over 100,000 |
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| visitors to their website, WSANA.org; and
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| WHEREAS, The West Suburban Access News Association is a |
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| not-for-profit corporation that maintains a web site with |
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| information for persons with disabilities, their families, |
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| friends, and other interested persons; the organization was |
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| founded in 2001 by current Executive Director Joel Sheffel, a |
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| person with a hidden disability and a former resident of a |
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| nursing home; and
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| WHEREAS, The West Suburban Access News Association's |
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| mission is to provide information that will allow individuals |
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| with disabilities to live independently in and contribute to |
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| the community in which they live; such information includes |
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| human and legal rights of individuals with disabilities that |
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| equal access to programs, as well as increasing awareness of |
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| special services aimed at assisting individuals with |
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| disabilities; and
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| WHEREAS, The members of the West Suburban Access News |
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| Association routinely meet with civic and governmental |
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HJ0116 |
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LRB095 20548 GRL 48526 r |
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| officials to create a better environment for persons with |
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| disabilities who live independently; the organization has |
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| established a working relationship with some of the Oak Park |
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| Village Trustees, holding regular meetings with them and |
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| maintaining regular e-mail correspondence regarding |
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| accessibility issues and other matters of concern to |
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| individuals with disabilities; the organization also works |
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| with Mr. Ollie Cantos, Special Counsel to the Assistant |
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| Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of |
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| Justice, in order to help the Department investigate violations |
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| of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing |
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| Act; and
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| WHEREAS, Since its inception in September of 2005, the West |
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| Suburban Access News Association's website, WSANA.org, |
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| averages over 150 visitors every weekday and over 80 visitors |
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| every Saturday and Sunday; having developed a sterling |
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| reputation for fast, easy-to-understand, and reliable |
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| information on their website, WSANA.org has become a major |
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| outlet for news and information on matters of concern to |
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| individuals with disabilities; and
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| WHEREAS, The outstanding work that the West Suburban Access |
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| News Association has done on the behalf of individuals with |
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| disabilities is worthy of the greatest respect; therefore, be |
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| it
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HJ0116 |
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LRB095 20548 GRL 48526 r |
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE |
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| NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE |
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| SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that we congratulate the members of |
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| West Suburban Access News Association on the occasion of having |
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| over 100,000 visitors to their website and wish them continued |
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| success in the future; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be |
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| presented to WSANA Executive Director Joel Sheffel as a symbol |
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| of our esteem and respect.
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