Working Together Chicago is a program of Center for Independence through Conductive Education Inc., an Illinois nonprofit under Section 501 C 3 of the Internal Revenue Code. The mission of the Center is to help people with disabilities achieve their highest level of potential. Center for Independence and the Working Together Chicago program is an approved community employment provider with the Illinois Department of Rehab Services. (DRS) Learn more about the Center.
Featured on
Featured on NBC 5 Chicago's Making A Difference segment Your home for positive, inspiring stories in the Chicago area.NBC 5's Sabrina Santucci reports.
Published August, 2024
WTC Earns the PBATS Ability Transcends Challenges Award!
Thank you to PBATS, the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society, for awarding Working Together Chicago the Ability Transcends Challenges Award! Thank you, for recognizing Working Together Chicago's hard work in championing meaningful employment for people with disabilities!
Learn more about PBATS and the ATC Award.
Published February, 2024
Hillgrove Avenue Magazine
In the HAM article, Nora Dudley writes:
In 1987, Justin Herbst was born ten weeks premature, and suffered a severe stroke. This led to a diagnosis of cerebral palsy–spastic quadriplegia, a permanent neuromuscular disorder and the most severe form of CP, limiting the ability to move the limbs, torso and face. Despite his diagnosis, Herbst’s mom Patti believed her son could become independent. A decade later and frustrated by a lack of improvement in the traditional medical therapy model, Herbst’s parents enrolled him in a Canadian program focused on conductive education. Read full article
December 22, 2023
American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine2023 Community Forum - Disability Employment
Patti Herbst, CPA is the founder and Executive Director of Center for Independence through Conductive Education, an Illinois nonprofit. The mission of the Center for Independence is to help children and young adults with disabilities achieve their highest level of independence in the home, school, community and workplace. Patti is the mother of an adult with cerebral palsy and brings her unique understanding of the barriers people with disabilities face in transition to adulthood, especially in accessing the workforce.
Published May 5, 2020
The International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners Honors Autism Month: The Hidden Talent Pool
In the IAMCP article, Aileen Provan writes:
If you’ve ever been out of work, or have had a reduction in your client base that made it difficult to make ends meet, you know how stressful and demoralizing it can be. If you’ve had that experience personally, you can probably relate to the plight of the many out-of-work people with a disability who face an additional barrier to finding work. Perception. Read full article
Published February 19, 2019
Closing the Employment Gap for Young Adults with Disabilities
Chicago Community Trust article begins:
In the Chicago region, people with disabilities are twice as likely to live below the poverty line as people without disabilities. Without a good quality job, it’s almost impossible to rise above the poverty line But people with disabilities face such severe systemic barriers to employment that in 2017, just 18.7% of people with a disability were employed...
Read full article
Published Nov 2, 2017
Adults with disabilities gain work experience through Teaching Together Chicago.
Suburban Life article by Aimee Barrows begins:
Samantha Cox, 22, is extremely excited to start her new internship as a library assistant at St. Cletus Catholic School in La Grange on Oct. 30. Cox, a Berwyn resident, is one of about 20 adults with disabilities who have been placed in a paid internship...
Read full article
Friday, October 20, 2017
Featured on the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Community of Faith Relevant Radio, hosts Fr. Greg Sakowicz and Graziano Marcheschi discuss Teaching Together Chicago with guests Joanne Callahan, Beth Hooton & Katie Carden. — Discussion begins in Segment II; 00:32
Published Oct 6, 2017
Teaching Together Chicago launches Paid Internship Program for Adults with Disabilities in Chicago Catholic Schools
Kristin Tassi of the Daily Herald writes:
Teaching Together Chicago, a partnership among the Archdiocese of Chicago and several social service agencies, today launched a paid internship program for adults with disabilities within Chicago Catholic schools...
Read full article
Published August, 2024
PBATS Ability Transcends Challenges Award
Thank you to PBATS, the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society, for awarding Working Together Chicago the Ability Transcends Challenges Award! Thank you for recognizing our hard work in championing meaningful employment for people with disabilities!
Learn more about PBATS and the ATC Award.
Published February, 2024
Hillgrove Avenue Magazine
In the HAM article, Nora Dudley writes:
In 1987, Justin Herbst was born ten weeks premature, and suffered a severe stroke. This led to a diagnosis of cerebral palsy–spastic quadriplegia, a permanent neuromuscular disorder and the most severe form of CP, limiting the ability to move the limbs, torso and face. Despite his diagnosis, Herbst’s mom Patti believed her son could become independent. A decade later and frustrated by a lack of improvement in the traditional medical therapy model, Herbst’s parents enrolled him in a Canadian program focused on conductive education. Read full article
December 22, 2023
American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine2023 Community Forum - Disability Employment
Patti Herbst, CPA is the founder and Executive Director of Center for Independence through Conductive Education, an Illinois nonprofit. The mission of the Center for Independence is to help children and young adults with disabilities achieve their highest level of independence in the home, school, community and workplace. Patti is the mother of an adult with cerebral palsy and brings her unique understanding of the barriers people with disabilities face in transition to adulthood, especially in accessing the workforce.
Published May 5, 2020
The International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners Honors Autism Month: The Hidden Talent Pool
In the IAMCP article, Aileen Provan writes:
If you’ve ever been out of work, or have had a reduction in your client base that made it difficult to make ends meet, you know how stressful and demoralizing it can be. If you’ve had that experience personally, you can probably relate to the plight of the many out-of-work people with a disability who face an additional barrier to finding work. Perception. Read full article
Published February 19, 2019
Closing the Employment Gap for Young Adults with Disabilities
Chicago Community Trust article begins:
In the Chicago region, people with disabilities are twice as likely to live below the poverty line as people without disabilities. Without a good quality job, it’s almost impossible to rise above the poverty line But people with disabilities face such severe systemic barriers to employment that in 2017, just 18.7% of people with a disability were employed...
Read full article
Published Nov 2, 2017
Adults with disabilities gain work experience through Teaching Together Chicago.
Suburban Life article by Aimee Barrows begins:
Samantha Cox, 22, is extremely excited to start her new internship as a library assistant at St. Cletus Catholic School in La Grange on Oct. 30. Cox, a Berwyn resident, is one of about 20 adults with disabilities who have been placed in a paid internship...
Read full article
Friday, October 20, 2017
Featured on the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Community of Faith Relevant Radio, hosts Fr. Greg Sakowicz and Graziano Marcheschi discuss Teaching Together Chicago with guests Joanne Callahan, Beth Hooton & Katie Carden. — Discussion begins in Segment II; 00:32
Published Oct 6, 2017
Teaching Together Chicago launches Paid Internship Program for Adults with Disabilities in Chicago Catholic Schools
Kristin Tassi of the Daily Herald writes:
Teaching Together Chicago, a partnership among the Archdiocese of Chicago and several social service agencies, today launched a paid internship program for adults with disabilities within Chicago Catholic schools...
Read full article
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Let's Work Together
The Center for Independence believes that people with disabilities can have great success in the labor market when they have the right supports and are given a chance. Join us today in making this possible.
Contact
Joanne Callahan
312-995-3302 or Email
Center for Independence through Conductive Education Inc., an Illinois nonprofit under Section 501 C 3 of the Internal Revenue Code. The mission of the Center is to help people with disabilities achieve their highest level of potential.
Working Together Chicago promotes workforce diversity and inclusion through superior employment services for people with disabilities.