Edward “Ted” Weil, 49, is able to enjoy the comforts of his own apartment, go out to dinner with his parents and catch a baseball game using public transportation near his Evanston home, among other recreational activities.

For Weil, who is confined to a wheelchair and has difficulty hearing and speaking due to an unknown degenerative disease, such independence would not be possible without the Over the Rainbow Association. The nonprofit based in northern Illinois builds and manages affordable, accessible and independent living opportunities for low-income adults with physical disabilities.

Weil’s parents, Mike and Nancy Weil of Lake Forest, said without the types of housing units provided by Over the Rainbow it’s difficult to imagine what type of life their son might have, adding that he would have to either live with them or in a nursing home.