It is an oasis of resources and helpful information. A place where those of us with disabilities can turn to and easily access: online, by phone, or in person, when we need answers on issues related to housing or employment. Best of all, the LIFE Center at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), is a place where people of all ages and backgrounds can turn to for information on disabilities and how to augment the quality of life for themselves and their loved ones.

For many years, the RIC has ranked number one among U.S. News & World Report's top rehabilitation hospitals in the U.S. Its outstanding reputation is due in part to its holistic approach to patient treatment and care. With the LIFE Center in place, this comprehensive approach is more effective now.

Challenges: Prepare Newly-Disabled Persons for New Life
Five years earlier a trend began to emerge. When asked to fill out surveys, those who became newly disabled and spent time as inpatients at RIC rated the facility highly in terms of the treatment and care they received. But when it came to determining how well the center prepared them for the outside world, the Center didn't score as well.

In an effort to improve the hospital's services, a group of researchers got together to create a virtual one-stop resource center. They began collecting and reviewing information and resources; picking out the most useful and up-to-date ones. In 2002, an 800-item resource page was added to the RIC website. The "Online Resource" section of the website now contains more than 3,000 listings. And, most importantly, the tool eventually led to the grand opening of a brick and mortar resource center, the LIFE Center.

The RIC's LIFE Center is geared to assist everyone at every age level. According to the Center's Director, Kristine Cichowski, the Center gets calls from around the world from administrators who are launching new rehabilitation hospitals and everyday people inquiring about their particular situations.

The Center has some materials in Spanish but for the most part the resources are in English. There are lots of shelves containing books, magazines, journals, brochures and pamphlets that are full of information regarding various aspects of daily living…even information on physically-accessible campgrounds and other vacation spots.

In addition to the literature there is a giant, wide-screen television at one end of the room and four additional separate viewing stations that play informative videos outlining RIC's services. At the opposite end of the room there are computer stations for those who want to conduct research, type a paper or post resumes online. 

Work with Children
There is a comfortable lounge area complete with magazine tables; a private conference room (where doctors can meet privately with individuals and families); two information desks, where there's always someone giving guided tours; and a children's resource area, where media and toys provide information in a format kids can understand. There also is information for clinicians who are interested in pediatrics; resources for parents; resources for children with disabilities; and their siblings and peers. Of all the things the Center has to offer, their work with children and the rest of the community is most intriguing.

The LIFE Center provides disability education to children in grades 1-12, at the Center and in the schools. When going out to schools, speakers with disabilities share experiences and talk about how they meet their daily needs. Assistive devices are also brought in for students to explore and learn about. Because small groups are preferred, classes are rotated and the speakers often spend a whole day at the site, talking with different groups of students.

When classes come, the staff closes the Center in order to work exclusively with visiting students. During that time, the students are split into groups and taken to workstations that provide hands-on activities about living with disabilities. Students have the opportunity to work at each station for 20 minutes before heading to the next one.

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