Seven members of Women' Voices visited the headquarters of Paraquad Inc, on April 16, to learn about the work of that organization and how it helps individuals with various disabilities throughout the St. Louis region.
When Paraquad was started in 1970, it had a staff of four and its major purpose was to enable disabled individuals to live in the community, rather than in nursing homes. Today Paraquad has 136 full-time staffers and several dozen part-time employees. It provides 32 different services and continues to be a leader in advancing the independent living philosophy.
Disabled adults face a variety of challenges in housing, education, employment, and other areas, staffers explained. Lack of accessible housing is a major problem in St. Louis, where it is estimated that only .03 percent of apartments are considered accessible. Seventy percent of the disabled population is unemployed.
Paraquad is collaborating with the Washington University School of Medicine Program in Occupational Therapy in an Assistive Technology and Enabling Mobility Center, which combines clinical evaluations, skills training, education, outreach and community-based research to ensure that people with disabilities can fully participate in the community.
For more information about Paraquad, go to
www.paraquad.org.
