September 2023 Illinois Department on Aging Announces 2023 Senior Illinoisans Hall of Fame Inductee Shirley Paceley
Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA) Director Paula Basta announced three new members of the Senior Illinoisans Hall of Fame, who will be honored during award ceremonies in their home communities this fall. “Each of this year’s inductees represents a positive image of aging and has made meaningful contributions over the course of their lives, including in older age,” said IDoA Director Paula Basta. “I’m pleased to welcome these three individuals into the Senior Illinoisans Hall of Fame and to recognize their impressive accomplishments.”
The Senior Illinoisans Hall of Fame was established by the state legislature in 1994 to honor older adults’ accomplishments and contributions to their communities. Each year, up to four Illinoisans aged 65 or older are inducted into the Hall of Fame for their work in community service, education, arts or the labor force. This year, IDoA received a record-setting number of nominations, and after careful review by a panel of judges, the Department is recognizing three new inductees for 2023.
Shirley Paceley was inducted into the 2023 Senior Illinoisans Hall of Fame for her work in education. Paceley is a published author, international trainer, consultant, and activist with nearly 50 years of experience working with people with disabilities. She is a founding member of the National Coalition to End Violence Against People with Disabilities and served on the Board of Directors for End Violence Against Women International. Paceley has also served as director of Blue Tower Training, where she developed the WE CAN Stop Abuse curriculum for people with developmental disabilities.
From 2006 until 2018, Paceley participated in the Illinois Imagines Project, a statewide initiative to improve services to women with disabilities who are survivors of sexual violence. The project was directed by the Illinois Department of Human Services, Illinois rape crisis centers, disability service agencies and self-advocates. Project collaborators developed a variety of educational materials for use by rape crisis centers, disability service agencies and self-advocates in Illinois and nationwide.
Paceley has also served on the Illinois Family Violence Coordinating Council Responding to Survivors with Disabilities Committee, which developed model statewide protocols for law enforcement and prosecutors to interact with crime victims with disabilities. She has conducted trainings in at least 30 states related to prevention, intervention and the criminal justice system response to people with disabilities who experience sexual and domestic violence.
See the video from the November 28, 2023 award ceremony here.
March 31, 2022
What’s Right about Sex Ed Training Series
Blue Tower Solutions Co-Director Linda Sandman successfully led a project to produce the “What’s Right about Sex Ed” train-the-trainer series, with the generous support of the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities. This innovative project is unique in the country for several reasons:
Self-advocate expertise is highlighted in each module.
Designed as a self-directed learning experience for disability service providers, eight modules can be viewed at the learner’s own pace and as often as needed.
A diverse range of speakers with state and national expertise participated in the series.
The What’s Right about Sex Ed series covers a wide range of topics, including an exploration of the sexual rights of people with IDD and how to create inclusive, accessible and trauma-informed sex education programs.
Follow this link to check out the What’s Right about Sex Ed training series.
Background:
Access to sex education remains elusive for many people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Illinois has demonstrated national leadership in passing Public Act 101-0506, which grants access to sex education for adults with IDD who receive services at state funded DD programs and facilities. With the passage of the law in 2019, the Illinois Department of Human Services - Division of Developmental Disabilities (IDHS-DDD) recognized the need for provider training on how to implement a sex education program.
Partner Agency:
“In partnership with the Illinois Council on Developmental Disabilities. This communication is supported in part by grant number CFDA 93.630 from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.”
