History
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1918

The Flu epidemic begins.

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1919

Anixter founded as Douglas Park Jewish Day and Night Nursey

  • an orphanage for children who lost their parents to the pandemic.
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1957

Anixter pivots

  • from focusing on orphans to focusing on people with disabilities.
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1960

Disability Rights Movement begins

  • This Movement emphasized that people with disabilities and mental illness shouldn’t be segregated from their communities. Instead, the movement believed that people with disabilities should be embraced and included within their communities
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1973

Federal Rehab Act is passed

  • Advances civil rights for people with disabilities. It states that employees with disabilities cannot be discriminated against at the federal level.
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1960

Disability Rights Movement begins.

  • This Movement emphasized that people with disabilities and mental illness shouldn’t be segregated from their communities. Instead, the movement believed that people with disabilities should be embraced and included within their communities.
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1990

The Americans with Disabilities and IDEA Act are passed.

  • These landmark pieces of legislation focus on the idea that people with disabilities BELONG in their communities.
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1997

CHS and Anixter Center merge

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1999

The Olmstead Act is passed.

  • This Act reinforced the Americans with Disabilities Act and emphasizes that people with disabilities must be included in their communities whenever possible – not segregated.
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2008

The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendment is enacted

  • It made important changes to the definition of the word disability
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2018

Anixter Center reimagines for the future

  •  Anixter Center currently has 30+ programs throughout Chicagoland.
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