NICIL

11/10/2025

11/05/2025

If you or your family are in need of extra food support during the pause in SNAP benefits, please contact your local food pantry.
Below is a list of pantries available in our surrounding counties.
Please contact NICIL (815-625-7860 or frontdesk@nicil.org) if you would like a list sent to you via mail or email, or in an alternate accessible format.

11/05/2025

Below is our FREE Personal Assistant training schedule for the month of November.
Thursday November 6th from 9am – 12pm at NICIL in Sterling
Wednesday November 12th from 1pm – 4pm via ZOOM (virtual training)
Tuesday November 18th from 1pm - 4pm at NICIL in Sterling
Currently Personal Assistant's earn $18.75 per hour through DRS.
Call us at 815-625-7860 or email us at frontdesk@nicil.org to sign up or for more information!
***Individual classes offered by appointment. Call to schedule!

11/05/2025

We are so grateful to receive this donation to help our consumers! Thank you CHS Rochelle.

Our Stewardship Committee recently provided a $4,000 donation to NICIL to help fund the installation of a ramp for an elderly resident in our community. Making spaces safer and more accessible for those who need it most is a meaningful way for us to give back and stand beside our neighbors. (Pictured: Mark Zaccaria- CHS Rochelle, Josh Brandau- CHS Rochelle, Ashley Cox- NICIL, Tyler Angell- CHS Rochelle, and Samantha Zaccaria- CHS Rochelle)

10/16/2025

Disabled people have a long history of being unemployed or underemployed. Creating accessible environments where we can thrive in a workplace goes a long way. Access does not start and end at a wheelchair ramp or an automatic door. It also looks like:

— ASL Interpreters for virtual meetings
— Flexible work schedule or working hours
— A livable wage
— Remote work options

According to the Center for Research on Disability, 46.3% of those surveyed who identified as individuals with disabilities ages 18-63 were employed, in contrast with 79.5% of those interviewed of the same age range who identified as individuals without disabilities.

Research indicates that youth benefit from mentoring, which is associated with enhanced self-esteem and self-confidence, first-hand exposure to the workplace, and increased career awareness! AAPD's Disability Mentoring Day program is a large-scale national effort to promote career development for students and job seekers with disabilities through career exploration and ongoing mentoring relationships. The goals of DMD are to empower mentees to pursue their career and professional aspirations, build mentoring relationships, and drive systemic change in workplace inclusivity for people with disabilities.

Learn more about NDEAM and DMD at: https://ow.ly/G5ei50XcagR

ID: A white megaphone and bold text sit on a dark blue background. The text says "hire disabled people!" in bold white letters.

10/10/2025

NICIL will be closed on Monday, October 13th 2025 in observance of Indigenous People's Day.
We will reopen and resume normal business hours on Tuesday, October 14th, 2025.

10/07/2025

In October 2025, we celebrate the 80th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), an annual recognition of the positive impact of people with disabilities in the American workforce. This yearly event began in 1945 as a weeklong national observance of the contributions of people with physical disabilities. In 1988, Congress designated the commemoration as NDEAM, which then evolved to acknowledge the importance of increasing opportunities for people with disabilities, including those with mental health conditions and other nonobvious disabilities, in the workforce. In 2001, ODEP was created and entrusted to administer NDEAM, including the selection and promotion of its annual theme.

10/06/2025

Medicare Open Enrollment Is Here!
October 15- December 7

Are you on Medicare? Remember, Medicare plans change every year, and between October 15th -December 7th, you can view your current plan, compare 2025-2026 Medicare Advantage and Part D Drug plans, and if necessary, switch plans to find the best coverage at the cheapest cost for you for the next year!

NICIL is here to help! We have a group of certified SHIP counselors ready to provide assistance in explaining Medicare benefits, comparing, and enrolling in plans.
Appointments are filling up fast! Please call 815-625-7860 or email frontdesk@nicil.org to schedule an appointment with one of our SHIP counselors.

10/02/2025

Big changes in Sterling!
Our office just got a fresh new look, and we couldn’t be happier with the results. Huge thanks to JJM Printing Inc. for the sleek upgrade to our window and door signage — it looks absolutely fantastic!

10/01/2025

The Social Security Administration wants the public to know that during the federal government shutdown, payments to all people who currently receive Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will continue with no change in payment dates. Recipients will still receive their payments on time.

Below is additional information about how Social Security services will be affected at this time:

During the federal government shutdown, payments to current Social Security beneficiaries and SSI recipients will continue. Our local offices will remain open to the public for some in-person services. Learn more about what you can do here: www.ssa.gov/agency/shutdown. To conveniently manage your benefits online, create a personal my Social Security account at www.ssa.gov/myaccount/.

09/30/2025

Are you looking for a new rewarding career? NICIL offers FREE orientation classes a month for those who are looking for a career helping people live independently in their own homes.

Below is our training schedule for October!

Personal Assistants play an important role in the lives of people with disabilities. NICIL trains Personal Assistants and supports them through the process of setting their hours and finding clients that suit them.
Currently, Personal Assistants are paid $18.75 per hour through DRS.
Call us at 815-625-7860 or email us at frontdesk@nicil.org for more information!

***Individual classes offered by appointment. Call to schedule!

09/29/2025

NICIL is a community resource for individuals with disabilities. Our services help people stay living as independently as they can within the community. We serve the counties of Lee, Carroll, Ogle, Jo Daviess, and Whiteside.
All of our core services are free for people with disabilities. We can help with paperwork for public benefits such as SSDI and Medicare. We teach you to advocate for you or your loved ones’ needs. We can work with schools, employers, healthcare providers, and rental properties to create accessible solutions. We provide skills training, whether it’s how to create a resume, how to cook and clean, or how to use accessible technology. We can even help people with disabilities learn new hobbies!

Our team is dedicated and creative! Give us a call today at 815-625-7860 to find out how we can help people with disabilities in our communities.