Defending Your Rights

Disability Rights - Crime Victims Compensation Act (740 ILCS 45/1 et swq.)

An amendment to the Crime Victims Compensation Act (P.A. 90-136) was researched, drafted and supported by the Office of the Attorney General. The need to revise the Act came to the attention of the Office when the request of a college student who was shot and permanently disabled during a robbery was denied by the Illinois Court of Claims. The student requested financial compensation to build a ramp at his home. Although extremely sympathetic to the need of the victim, the Court of Claims found that compensation for improvements to real property was not claimed in the Act. As amended, the Act now allows for compensation to make real property accessible. For example, a person could be compensated for the expense of having a ramp to their house installed or a van modified.

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