Independent Living Program Celebrates 25 Years

(Boulder, May 6, 2004) The Independent Living Program of the Center for People With Disabilities (CPWD) is looking for program graduates to help celebrate “25 Years of Independent Living.” The program was founded May 1, 1979 by Homer Page and Judy Dixon as a means of teaching independent living skills to people with disabilities who wanted to move from custodial care to life in the community. 

”We don’t have an historical record reaching back that far, and no staff who have worked here longer than 20 years,” said David Bolin, Executive Director. The transitional program, which typically has nine participants at any given time, has graduated up to eight people per year for the last 25 years. “ There’s always some follow-up with graduates,” said Bolin, “but if we’ve done our job right they don’t need us for very long.”

“If it wasn’t for CPWD, I’d still be living in a nursing home,” said Mike McCarty, a recent graduate. Mike spent seven years at Terrace Heights Care Center. When he found out about CPWD’s Independent Living Program he called right away. From his decision to leave the institution, through his time in the program, to an apartment of his own, took a little more than a year. “I want other people to know they can do this,” said Mike who is currently getting advanced computer training and hopes to eventually design computer systems for people with disabilities. 

Current program participants and graduates will gather at CPWD, 1675 Range St., at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, May 6, to take a look backward at a program that changes lives. Guests from Boulder Housing Partners, Special Transit, the Colorado Mobility Coalition, and other local organizations will attend the festivities. “Successful community living takes all of us working together,” says Tina Jiron the current Independent Living Program director, of the many agencies that collaborate with CPWD.

If you are a graduate of the program or know someone who is, please call CPWD at (303) 442-8662.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Judy Neal (303) 442-8662, ext. 225 or judy@cpwd-ilc.org 

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