History & Mission

In 1991, a handful of women with disabilities met to discuss concerns that basic OB/GYN care and reproductive information, quality peer support, healthcare education and advocacy, adequate prenatal and parenting support, as well as a multitude of other resources, were not readily accessible to them on an all-too-frequent basis.

These women were not alone. Knowledgeable, accessible and user-friendly resources for disabled women were sorely lacking throughout the medical community on a global scale.

In an effort to begin addressing this disparity, the Health Resource Center for Women with Disabilities, later renamed the RIC Women with Disabilities Center (WWDC), was born. It was the first community-based health resource center for disabled women in the country. With contributions from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, seed funds from the Chicago Foundation for Women, and donated space in the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), the Center evolved from a concept and a dream to an active model.

“WWDC is a community service program of The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, run by women with disabilities in collaboration with health care providers. Our mission is to promote the safety and dignity of women and girls with disabilities by advocating for full access to quality healthcare and support services. The Center’s services and programs empower women and girls with disabilities to practice self-determination in achieving lifelong physical and emotional wellness.”