Northern Suburban Special
Recreation Association
NSSRA Mission:
To enrich the lives of people with disabilities in our partner communities
through quality recreation services.
NSSRA Vision:
To be leaders in recreation by providing innovative and exceptional services
for people with disabilities.
Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association (NSSRA) formed in 1970 as the first
special recreation association in Illinois and among the first of its kind in the country. NSSRA
provides and facilitates recreation programs for over 1,500 children, teens and adults with
physical, developmental, emotional or other disabilities. NSSRA has nearly 600 recreation, sport,
cultural, social, and leisure offerings available throughout the year, creating new experiences,
opportunities for skill development, leisure time, and perhaps most importantly, friendship.
NSSRA is an extension of ten park districts, two cities and one village in the northern suburbs of
Chicago including the Park Districts of Deerfield, Glencoe, Glenview, Highland Park, Kenilworth,
Lake Bluff, Northbrook, Northfield, Wilmette and Winnetka, the cities of Highwood and Lake
Forest and the Village of Riverwoods.
Funding for NSSRA comes from three sources, including partner agency contributions, program
fees and outside support from Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association Foundation
(NSSRA Foundation). Contributions from the partner agencies are made proportionately based
on community size and collected through a property tax levy issued by each partner.
In calendar years 2009 – 2016, NSSRA’s fiscal responsibility has enabled the agency to grow its
fund balance while keeping the partner agency contributions in line with the Consumer Price
Index (CPI).