HR0282 102ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0282 LRB102 18328 LAW 26080 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to recognize Streator Unlimited, Inc. for the company's work with Illinois State University's School of Information Technology to develop a video game/phone app to assist people with epilepsy; and

WHEREAS, Streator Unlimited, Inc. began in 1965, and the nonprofit organization has a budget of $3 million and 61 employees, making it one of the larger employers in Streator; and

WHEREAS, Streator Unlimited, Inc.'s mission is a commitment to enriching the lives of adults with disabilities by teaching skills that will enable them to reach their fullest potential, live as independently as possible, and become integrated into the community; and

WHEREAS, Streator Unlimited, Inc. practices its mission in a number of ways, including possessing five group homes to provide 32 adults with developmental disabilities with 24-hour support, providing paid work opportunities to adults with disabilities at its sheltered workshop, running an 8-unit apartment building for low-income adults with disabilities, assisting people with a great variety of disabilities find jobs in the community, and providing 70 adults with disabilities with day and vocational training with classes such as nutrition, digital photography, men's and women's clubs, sports, job skills, arts and crafts, basic academics, utilization of computers, and community outings; and

WHEREAS, From late 2019 through 2020, Streator Unlimited, Inc. collaborated with students from Illinois State University's School of Information Technology to develop a video game for people with epilepsy, as typical video games possess stimulation and rapid motion that can trigger seizures; the concept of this new video game was to create an video game experience for people who couldn't use typical video games and to offer a video game designed to reinforce positive self-care habits, including taking medication and making smart eating choices; and

WHEREAS, Streator Unlimited, Inc.'s game, which can be found at www.streatorunlimited.org/epilepsy, can offer services to a projected 28,000 children and adults with epilepsy in Central and Northwest Illinois through grants from the Illinois Department of Human Services; and

WHEREAS, Streator Unlimited, Inc.'s collaboration with the ISU School of Information Technology is an outstanding example of the organization's commitment of service to the people of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize Streator Unlimited, Inc. for its collaborative work with Illinois State University's School of Information Technology, and we thank the organization for its continued commitment to serving people with disabilities; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to Game Development Special Interest Group Student President Chance Cook, Game Programmer Michael Reyes, Artist Anthony Wilczynski, Artist and U.I. Designer Lizzy Parvin, Music and Foley Artist Jacob Tolonen, Music Artist Nate Phillips, ISU School of Information Technology Academic Services Coordinator Tal Parmenter, ISU School of Information Technology Chairperson Dr. Traci Carte, Streator Unlimited, Inc. Illinois Epilepsy Support and Resources Coordinator Stephanie Harcharik, and Streator Unlimited, Inc. Executive Director John Mallaney as an expression of our esteem and respect.