What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 5pm Tuesday 9am - 5pm Wednesday 9am - 5pm Thursday 9am - 5pm Friday 9am - 5pm Saturday 9am - 5pm Sunday 9am - 5pm

Friedman Place - Supporting the Independence of Adults who are Blind

The roots of Friedman Place go back to April 2, 1935, when the nonprofit Association for Jewish Blind was created to combat discrimination suffered by the visually impaired. In 1944, the purpose was changed “To promote the social, educational and vocational opportunities of the blind and for the care of homeless, blind, Jewish men and women residing in Chicago” and “to establish a permanent home o

r homes…”. A small two-story house was acquired and where up to five people rented rooms, but without any additional services. In 1956, a large building on the west side of Chicago was obtained which became “Kagan Home” and provided housing and support to 36 adults. The agency also began providing a wide range of nursing and recreational services. The agency continued to grow and develop over the years and in 2005, Friedman Place, a modern Supportive Living Facility on the northwest side of Chicago with 74 studio apartments and 7 one-bedroom apartments was opened. Our mission is to provide housing and supportive services to people who are blind or visually impaired so that their lives can be healthy, dignified, and stimulating. Friedman Place is one of only two housing facilities for the blind and visually impaired in the US and strives to be a primary force among professional organizations serving adults with visual disabilities. Between 2005 and 2014 Friedman Place’s residents have received nearly 200,000 days and nights of care. Our building is constructed to enhance their ability to function independently and capitalize on any remaining sight they might have with special lighting, changes in flooring, handrails, "talking" elevators, and so on. Each apartment contains a large shower stall with a handrail, seating, and no threshold to trip over. There are two emergency call pendants in each room which immediately connect them to our 24-hour nursing staff. All residents also receive housekeeping and case management and other services to assist them in pursuing full and rewarding lives. Our approach is very different from that of a nursing home, which is where many people with vision loss spend their days. We not only help our residents adjust to vision loss but also empower them to reach their personal potential for independence. We provide activities that are responsive to residents' expressed interests and designed to engage visually impaired individuals, foster their independence, and prevent isolation. All of our services, from occupational therapy to computer classes, foster integrated health--physical, mental and social. Despite the wide range of services provided to residents, Friedman Place operates at a cost well below that of housing a person in a nursing home, saving the state and Illinois taxpayer’s crucial funds. However, there is a significant gap between this income that comes from the state’s Supportive Living Program and the costs of the supportive services and individualized care that are important to the population we serve. In recent years between 16% and 22% of Friedman Place’s revenue came from sources other than the state’s Supported Living Program. Friedman Place accepts people from all economic, ethnic, and religious backgrounds and our residents come from wide and diverse backgrounds. As of 2014:
• Approximately 40% of residents have severe visual impairment and 60% are totally blind.
• Forty percent of residents have severe visual impairment and 60% are totally blind.
• Thirty-ix percent of our residents are female and 64% are male
• Seventy-five percent of residents are above age 50, and 31% are over 65
• Eighty-percent of our residents have another major health issue besides vision loss, such as diabetes, heart disease, seizure disorders, depression, or an anxiety disorder, which is often the reason they need to live in a facility such as ours.
• Eighty-six percent of our residents meet government guidelines for low-income or very low income, and 36% have incomes at or below the Federal Poverty Level.
• Ninety-three percent of residents agree with the statement “I feel I make my own lifestyle decisions at Friedman Place”
Eighty-one percent of residents agree with the statement “I feel that living at Friedman Place has improved my overall quality of life”
Eighty-nine percent of residents would recommend Friedman Place to other adults with vision loss. Eighty-three percent of residents agree with the statement “I feel a sense of trust with Friedman Place staff”
Seventy-two percent of residents agree that the overall quality of meals is usually good. Friedman Place's employees remain with the agency, providing a skilled and stable workforce; 17% of Friedman Place employees have worked for the agency continuously for at least 10 years (and 6% at least 20 years!)
Friedman Place's employees remain with the agency, providing a skilled and stable workforce; the retention rate (percent of employees who remain working for Friedman Place) was 87% in the last fiscal year and is 96% for the current fiscal year (i.e., from July - December of 2013). Friedman Place's employees are ethnically diverse, with 18% Asian, 18% Black, 11% Hispanic, and 53% White. Friedman Place's employees span a wide age range, with 29% ages 55 or over, 37% ages 35 - 54, and 34% under age 35. Nearly all of the agency’s expenses go directly towards programs and services. Eighty-four and one-half percent (84.6%) of expenses went directly to programs and services, which is much higher than the minimum 65% recommended by the Better Business Bureau’s Standards for Charitable Accountability and 60% by the American Institute for Philanthropy. Since without Friedman Place, most residents would end up in a nursing home, the agency saves the State of Illinois and its taxpayers $14,200 per resident per year. Since without Friedman Place, most residents would end up in a nursing home, the agency saves the State of Illinois and its taxpayers over $1,000,000 per year.

09/24/2024

What's going on around Friedman Place? Stay updated by subscribing to our newsletter!

In this month's newsletter, we spotlighted Jane, a longtime Friedman Place donor who's also the mother of a resident.

"Since Friedman Place has provided so much for my son and others who are blind, we always take the opportunity to support their mission!"

Read more of her story: https://friedmanplace.org/2024/09/september-2024-newsletter-why-donate-to-friedman-place/

09/18/2024

September is National Service Dog Month!

This month we're celebrating and bringing awareness to the huge impact that service dogs have on the lives of adults with blindness every day.

To learn more, and see tips on how to interact with service dogs while they are working, read this great resource from Guide Dogs of America - Tender Loving Canines: https://www.guidedogsofamerica.org/national-service-dog-month/

Photos from Friedman Place - Supporting the Independence of Adults who are Blind's post

09/13/2024

We had a great "Donation Rotation Give-Away" today! All this past week, we have collected good used items in search of new owners, and residents got to collect them! Kind of like a free yard sale...

09/13/2024

09/11/2024

Another important message from our ComEd Energy Ambassador!

09/10/2024

What a great day for an on-site Farmers Market! Thank you T Castro Produce Company!

09/10/2024

We are so excited to be partnering with the Greenstar Movement to create an ENORMOUS mosaic on the front of our building. Today’s first planning meeting was great!

09/09/2024

Thank you Logan Square Improv for a wonderful visit and show! It was a blast!

09/05/2024

We had a wonderful visit today from the Chicago Board of Elections, who demonstrated accessibility features available to voters and offered a hands-on demonstration, allowing residents to engage directly with the accessible voting tools.

08/26/2024

How do Friedman Place residents navigate our building?

There are many ways! We have transitional floor strips throughout the building that signal when residents are near a key area, such as the bathroom or our mailroom. These are just some of the many accessible features of our building that help make life easier for our community every day.

Learn more about our accessible features in the video here:

Global Accessibility Day Video In honor of Global Accessibility Day, our residents created this video to share some of the many accessible features our building has that help them navigat...

08/23/2024

We celebrated the end of another project from our weaving studio! Our sewer will finish this project and make them into cane holders! If you come into our dining room or in activity room, you might see one of these cane holders on the back of chairs so that they are out of the way and not a tripping hazard while residents eat or participate in activities!

08/23/2024

We're hiring!

Friedman Place is looking for a Dietary Aide to join our amazing Dining Services team. Are you/someone you know interested? Learn more here: https://friedmanplace.org/employment/

08/22/2024

We're so thankful for our Dining Services Team! Our kitchen provides three meals per day prepared by four fantastic cooks that are served by all of our great dietary aides. Not only are these meals nutritious, but they also frequently include resident favorites.

Read more in our Staff Spotlight from this month's newsletter here, and subscribe to get our newsletter delivered directly to your inbox! https://friedmanplace.org/2024/08/august-2024-newsletter/

08/19/2024

Last week's trip to Great America was a BLAST!

08/19/2024

Here is another important message from our ComEd Ambassador!

08/15/2024

We recently took the opportunity to bring some of our residents to Lambs Farm, a wonderful working nonprofit farm just outside Chicago. We took the opportunity to go and pet the farm animals there! We got to feed and pet horses, cows, goat, and sheep and then enjoyed a beautiful picnic on the property!

08/12/2024

We have several enclosed outside areas on the property, and the 5th floor rooftop terrace is a particularly wonderful place to be on a warm August afternoon!

08/12/2024

How do you know when your mail is delivered?

For Friedman Place residents, a cricket sound from the mailroom alerts them when there's new mail! This is one of many accessible features of our building that help make life easier for our community every day.

Learn more about our accessible features in the video here:

Global Accessibility Day Video In honor of Global Accessibility Day, our residents created this video to share some of the many accessible features our building has that help them navigat...

08/08/2024

Our Friedman Place Maker Space held a Mount Trashmore exhibition! Inspired by nearby Mt Trashmore, a former landfill turned hiking destination, we will be fashioning our own Mt. Trashmores out of recyclable objects.

08/01/2024

Researchers from the Kalow Lab of Northwestern University, in partnership with Ashley Neybert, a chemist and educator from Oregon State University who is blind, conducted a "Polymer Power!" workshop about plastics with residents at Friedman Place. The workshop introduced residents to the molecular underpinnings of plastic materials and the future of plastic recycling. The researchers hope to improve on the lesson and publish it to improve access to STEM education for students who are blind/low vision.

07/31/2024

In recent years we have been slowly remodeling the apartments as they become available and have completed about 75% so far. Here is a gorgeous studio!

07/30/2024

On Friday we went on an outing to Cuddle Bunnies and got to pet their bunnies! Once we got seated in the bunnie's crates, we waited for them to come to us so we could pet them and feed them their favorite treat -- cilantro! We got to meet 6 different bunnies and the staff let us know all about their different breeds, their favorite things to do, and other facts about their life at Cuddle Bunnies.

07/30/2024

The weavers in our Therapeutic Weaving Program have a tradition of "Walking the Warp" when a project has been completed! Here we go!

07/26/2024

LAST CHANCE! Support our Mid-Year Appeal Campaign before it ends on July 31!

Your support funds crucial operational priorities that help make life great for our residents and clients, such as:
-Building repairs, like our newly-renovated resident apartments
-Accessibility features, like our new accessible ramp outside our building and screen reader technology
-Social and medical staffing, because our staff are key to what makes life great for our clients
-Activities and materials, like our Therapeutic Weaving Room, that grow our community’s creativity and curiosity

We’re proud to support the independence of adults with blindness in Chicago. Make a tax-deductible donation today! https://friedmanplace.org/donate/

07/23/2024

Jumbo Jam Session!!!

Claim ownership or report listing

Want your business to be the top-listed Health & Beauty Business in Chicago?
Click here to claim your Sponsored Listing.

Videos (show all)

Another important message from our ComEd Energy Ambassador!

Here is another important message from our ComEd Ambassador!

Here is another important message form our ComEd Energy Ambassador!

Here is another important message from our ComEd Energy Ambassador!

Address

5527 N Maplewood Avenue
Chicago, IL
60625

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 5pm
Tuesday	9am - 5pm
Wednesday	9am - 5pm
Thursday	9am - 5pm
Friday	9am - 5pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm
Sunday	9am - 5pm

Other Disability services in Chicago (show all)

The Chicago Lighthouse Deaf-Blind Program
1850 W Roosevelt Road
Chicago, 60608

The Deaf-Blind Program serves people throughout the state of Illinois with varying degrees of visual and hearing losses, providing access to other Lighthouse programs, services wit...

Easterseals Serving Chicagoland and Rockford
1939 West 13th Street
Chicago, 60608

We are committed to two pillars of work: Early Learning and Disability.

Beyond the Waters Beach Party
Chicago, 60660

13th Beyond the Waters Beach Party August 25, 2024 12pm to 5pm @ Osterman Beach FREE BEACH DAY!!

Ivannova lawyer for desable people
Chicago

UIC Disability Resource Center
1200 W. Harrison Street , 1070 SSB
Chicago, 60607

The mission of the Disability Resource Center (DRC) is to empower the UIC community with the knowledge, resources, and skills necessary to ensure full access and engagement for stu...

Rise Disability Services
8547 S Cicero
Chicago, 60651

What does my young adult do after high school is over with and there’s no more disability services

MDA Minnesota/Dakotas
1016 W Jackson Boulevard #1073
Chicago, 60607

The Muscular Dystrophy Association is a voluntary national health agency — a dedicated partnership between scientists and concerned citizens aimed at conquering neuromuscular disea...

Disability at DePaul
Chicago, 60604

Promoting DePaul and their dedication to students with disabilities. Learn more here: https://linktr.ee/disabilityatdepaul

Midwest Brain Injury Clubhouse
1021 W Adams 2nd Fl
Chicago, 60607

Providing life long community based rehabilitative support to persons affected by brain injury and st

Rald Institute
7517 S Merrill Avenue
Chicago, 60649

For 35 years Rald Institute has been one of America's leading volunteer charities. www.raldinstitute.com

Jennifer Beals Fanpage
South Side
Chicago

This is my direct page. Feel free to express yourself. U can become a Star without taking extra miles

Wheelchairs Available Near Me
Chicago

Our goal is to provide client with the best of the best electric bike in Europe and United States

Friedman Place - Supporting the Independence of Adults who are Blind

You may also like

Videos (show all)

Category

Contact the business

Telephone

Website

Address

Opening Hours