Disability Expo set for weekend

Getting through the day to day can be a challenge, especially for those with disabilities. But no one needs to go through it alone.

A daylong event entitled "Life Changes: Disabilities Expo" is open to all and will be hosted by the Hanover Township Mental Health Board from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at its Senior Center, 240 S. Route 59, Bartlett. Through workshops and speakers, the organizers hope to reach out to anyone who has been affected by a disability.

"When a child is born with a disability, it is life altering, not only for the child, but for the family as well," said Danise Habun, executive director of the Mental Health Board. "We are here to help foster the loving, nurturing environment that must occur for those families to succeed."

The expo was created after Habun and others began realizing how many parents of children with special needs were not aware of the resources available to them.

"We run several workshops throughout the year, and parents were always looking for more information," said Habun. "We thought it would be great to run an event that really targeted the needs of these families."

Rather than focusing on one disability in particular, the Life Changes expo focuses on topics that all special needs families must face. The issues are not limited to child care either; the Mental Health Board is reaching out to the elderly as well.

Throughout the day, a series of workshops and keynote speakers are scheduled. The workshops include parenting classes, information on legal issues and rights for the disabled and how to effectively advocate for the disabled in school or work environments.

Speakers include Maurice Nell, a recent college graduate, who at a young age was told he would never go far due to autism, and Dr. Timothy Hayes, a clinical psychologist who will discuss the challenges facing families today.

In addition to these workshops, many local groups will be setting up booths to provide parents with even more resources. Family Services Association of the Greater Elgin Area and LearningAbled, out of Oak Brook, are two of the groups that will be on hand.

"Putting this event together really has been a labor of love," Habun said. "We hope to reach a broad spectrum of those in need."