Welcome to the Disability Resource Center! I’m Missy Martin and as Executive Director, it is a pleasure and a privilege to work alongside so many talented and dedicated people. My duties are many and varied and no two days are the same! Whether it’s supervising our direct support staff, researching grants, implementing and administrating programs and new initiatives, completing reports, representing the Center at various policy meetings and more, I am so pleased to be associated with an organization that works to empower people with disabilities to live self-sufficient lives. Please be sure to visit us at our offices on Infantry Drive – our staff will be happy to meet with you and give you a tour and explain our services.

Missy Martin

My name is Debbie Tarrant.  As one of the Center’s Independent Living Advocates, I assist consumers with disabilities in meeting their independent living goals in a variety of ways. I help with programs such as the Assistive Technology Program for children (ages 0-23) who need help with communication, fine or gross motor control as indicated by a medical professional. Your child may qualify – give me a call at the DRC! We hold weekly classes on legislative internship, advocacy, and independent living skills. These are open to anyone in the community with a disability or any of their family members. We host information fairs from time to time, to help spread the word about our services and those that other agencies provide. We also attend fairs and expos throughout the year, meeting people and talking about our services. Another great service we offer is the ITAC (Illinois Telecommunications Access Corporation) Program that provides amplified telephones free of charge to qualified Illinois residents who have a difficult time hearing on the phone. Finally, all of our services are free. Be sure to call for a tour of our new building. I look forward to meeting with you!

Deborah Tarrant

Hello, my name is Sam Knight and I am an Independent Living Advocate. I can assist you on your road to independence through our five core services: Advocacy, Information and Referral, Peer Support, Independent Living Training, and Transition. We also provide Disability Awareness training to the community. Please contact me for more information.

Sam Knight

Hello, my name is Katy Hoyer! I am an Independent Living Advocate at Disability Resource Center. My educational background consists of a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Masters of Social Work from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I am a Licensed Social Worker in the state of Illinois. I am thrilled to be working at an organization that helps individuals with disabilities lead independent, self-directed, empowered lives.

Here at the DRC, I assist individuals with disabilities in meeting their own, self-determined independent living goals. I support the Center and our local community through individual and systemic advocacy efforts. Similarly, I provide information and referral services to individuals in need. I also work to educate our community about disability awareness and etiquette. I facilitate the Young Women’s Group here at the Center, and I work with our Assistive Technology for Children program.

Feel free to contact me to learn more about our programs and services and/or to discuss your independent living needs.  I look forward to working with you!

Katy Hoyer

Hello! My name is Tabitha Boshears. I am the Personal Assistant Coordinator and an Independent Living Advocate at Disability Resource Center. I’ve grown up in a large family, which included many Deaf members. I learned sign language at an early age and continue to use sign language at DRC. I attended both Joliet Junior College and Cornell College. I spent my first years out of school working in a nursing home and in home health care. These experiences drove me to want to make changes in the way people with disabilities are treated.

At DRC I provide management training to people with disabilities on how to interview, hire, train, and pay their personal assistant. I also provide orientation to people who want to become a personal assistant. In addition I provide support to people with disabilities through our five core services: Advocacy, Information and Referral, Peer Support, Independent Living Training, and Transition.

Away from work, I spend time with my wife and our two beautiful sons. We enjoy hiking, going to the movies, trying new recipes, and spending time with our large extended family.

Tabitha Boshears

Hello! My name is LaToya Johnson. I am the Community Reintegration Transition Coordinator at Disability Resource Center. I attended both Joliet Junior College and Western Illinois University. I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. For over 10 years, I worked as a Qualified Intellectual Disabilities Professional Case Manager in a social service setting assisting DD/MI clients with disabilities to live self-sufficient lives. I also worked PT as a Personal Assistant for my godfather in the home health care field. Both experiences drove me to want to continue in this field and to be a advocate to make sure those with any type of disability are being treated fairly.

Here at the DRC, I assist clients to identify the services and support systems needed in order to move into his or her own residence and to live independently again.

For additional information, please feel free to contact me. I look forward to working with you!

LaToya Johnson

Hi, my name is Marie Malfatti. I have been with Disability Resource Center for 16 years. I am what you call a “seasonal worker,” working from May to the end of December. My duties consist of greeting guests, answering phones, and the dearest to my heart: distributing amplified phones to people with a hearing disability through the ITAC (Illinois Telecommunications Access Corporation) program. And, last but not least, I perform any other tasks that are asked of me.

Marie Malfatti

Hi – I’m Cathie Stewart and I perform a wide variety of administrative duties for Missy Martin and the rest of the staff including research, correspondence, data management, writing and editing publications, coordinating projects, assisting with the amplified telephone distribution through the ITAC (Illinois Telecommunications Access Corporation) and more. As Development Associate, I plan our development activities, design our print and digital newsletters, provide support for our direct service staff, and assist with fundraising events and material.

Cathie Stewart