SPRINGFIELD – To ensure that all students are able to access online web services for school, State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D- Chicago) passed a measure that will require school boards to comply with the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines when contracting with third-party online learning vendors.

“Nearly 18% of Illinois students are reported to have a disability, developmental delay, or use an Individualized Education Plan,” said Pacione-Zayas, who served on the Senate Education committee. “The accessibility guidelines will help districts provide all students, especially ones with diverse needs, the accommodations they need with accessing educational materials online.”

The W3C guidelines are the global standard for determining website accessibility encompassing all disabilities, including auditory, cognitive, physical, and speech accommodations. Currently, most school districts and companies that provide online educational platforms already use these guidelines.

By requiring school districts to use these guidelines with third party providers, more schools can become ADA-compliant and equitably serve all students.

"No student should have to struggle to learn because the materials they are provided are inaccessible," said Rep. Theresa Mah, who introduced the legislation in the House. "Students should not be left behind because of a disability, and this legislation will ensure that all students are able to have the education they deserve."

House Bill 26 was signed into law on Friday. It goes into effect August 1, 2022. The signing of HB 26 coincides with the week of the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

July 29 is National Intern Day! Sen. Pacione-Zayas welcomed two interns into her district office this summer. Read more about Melinda and Jonathan below.  

Melinda Jara

Melinda is a Chicago-native living in the North Austin neighborhood. She recently graduated from Lane Tech College Prep, and is excited to be attending University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign this fall. There, she plans to major in speech and hearing science to help her achieve her goal of becoming a speech pathologist. As a first-generation college student, she is excited to grow in a new and challenging environment.

Melinda is passionate about serving her community. In her future career path, she hopes to use her biculturalism and bilingual skills to connect to communities. The internship with Sen. Pacione-Zayas’ district office has allowed her to learn about the behind-the-scenes of health care through attending weekly Chicagoland Vaccine Partnership meetings. It has further shown her the importance community-building through working together with different organizations and stakeholders.

In her free time, Melinda enjoys everything music-related. She has played violin for 13 years, including four years with her school’s orchestra. She also danced with her school’s Puerto Rican cultural dance club, Alliance of Boricuas. She has a Shih Tzu named Sammy and her favorite food is Puerto Rican cuisine.

Jonathan Barrera

Jonathon is from Chicago and lives in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood. He is currently a senior at Aspira Business and Finance High School. After high school, he hopes to attend college or go to trade school, and plans to pursue a career in real estate.

In the internship with Sen. Pacione-Zayas, Jonathon has enjoyed working with the senator and getting to know all the people around the office. The experience has given him a better understanding of the life of a senator, as well as a strong grasp on other occupations that deal with government on a day-to-day basis.

Jonathon is involved with his school’s entrepreneurship program, which has inspired his interest in eventually studying banking and finances. In his free time, he enjoys drawing, hiking, calligraphy, and track. He is passionate about history and the lessons it teaches.  

CHICAGO – A wide-ranging new plan to bolster the early childhood education workforce in Illinois by creating a new Early Childhood Education Consortium was signed into law Wednesday, the result of legislation championed by State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D-Chicago).

“To truly provide Illinois children with the best possible education, we know that we need to invest in early childhood education, and that means investing in the educators who work so hard to help them learn and grow,” Pacione-Zayas said. “This is a step toward properly valuing those who do this incredibly important work, and it’s the beginning of a new chapter in our approach to raising our kids.”

The Early Childhood Education Consortium will be a broad coalition between all public universities and community colleges, as well as any private institutions that choose to participate. The consortium will use regional hubs to improve access to degrees, certificates, and other licensure for early childhood educators, with special priority given to those already working in the early childhood workforce and often need flexibility in their career education when it comes to scheduling, location and format.

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CHICAGO – State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas (D- Chicago) commends Governor JB Pritzker for signing House Bill 3308 to expand telehealth in Illinois. The new law will ensure people who have been utilizing telehealth services during the pandemic continue to have access to the care they need.

“Expanding telehealth services will remove barriers that many face when accessing the medical care they need,” Pacione-Zayas said. “The new law includes an expansion of early intervention services, which is so important in ensuring infants and toddlers receive diagnoses that can help put them on track toward healthy development.”

The law signed Thursday will maintain and expand telehealth services, which were largely used during the COVID-19 pandemic to allow people to access their doctors when they could not leave their homes. Efficient and accessible health care is paramount to creating an equitable system that allows everyone to get the care they need.

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