About Accessible Chicago
Accessible Chicago is more than a website — it’s a celebration of possibility. It is a joyful invitation to experience our Chicago: a vibrant, resilient city rooted in accessibility, culture, and care.
Created by Strategy for Access Foundation NFP, a Chicago-based Black-led nonprofit, this project is grounded in a deep belief that access, health equity, and cultural belonging are not just ideals — they are rights. Founded in 2019, our mission is to open doors, change systems, and tell the stories too often left out.
The Project
In 2023, we set out to create 10 short films that would spotlight accessible venues in Chicago. We ended up with 17, proving again that when you lead with purpose and community, you can always go further.
From parks and museums to theaters and science centers, each video shows that accessibility can be beautiful, inclusive, and joyful — without compromise.
Premiered at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, our films traveled far — featured at major expos, aired on Chicago Access Network, and shared with over 4 million people through partners like the Illinois Office of Tourism.
Going Global: 10 Languages, One Mission
With support from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation and the Illinois Arts Council, we translated each video into 10 languages, exceeding our original goal of six. Each video also includes English audio description for Blind and low vision viewers.
Because no matter where you’re from or what language you speak, you deserve to belong here.
This multilingual approach isn’t just about inclusion — it’s a statement:
We believe in solidarity across borders and across differences.
Chicago is a sanctuary city, and this site is a sanctuary space.
Arabic – العربية
Bengali – বাংলা
Chinese (Traditional) – 繁體中文
English – English
French – Français
Hebrew – עברית
Hindi – हिन्दी
Portuguese (Brazil) – Português (Brasil)
Spanish – Español
Swahili – Kiswahili
What You'll Find Here
Accessible Chicago is your guide to some of the most welcoming, fun, and accessible places in the city. On this site, you’ll find:
- 17 venue videos filmed across Chicago’s neighborhoods
- Transcripts in 10 languages
- Categories to explore: Parks, Entertainment, Museums, Science, Arts
- Details to plan your visit
- A space made with love, culture, and intention
Our Values
At our core, we believe in:
Protection
Chicago is a sanctuary city, and we uphold that promise — protecting and celebrating people from all backgrounds, bodies, and identities.
Universal Access
We design for all bodies, all languages, all experiences — because everyone deserves access without exception.
Joy as Resistance
We celebrate culture and community as acts of power.
To be joyful, to belong, to move freely — this is liberation.
Welcome.
You’re not just visiting a website — you’re entering a living archive of belonging. We invite you to explore, feel inspired, and experience a Chicago where access is not an afterthought — it’s the whole point.