Company Profile:
empower: abilities offers choices and empowerment for people with disabilities to live independently in the community in the least restrictive environment. By providing home and community based supports, programs, and services that allow people with disabilities to choose how and where they live; we believe the community will become more diverse and inclusive while improving the quality of life of our consumers.
According to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. A disability can be physical, mental, emotional, cognitive, or sensory; as well as permanent or temporary.
Our office in Springfield, Missouri serves a population base of 510,082 people who live in 4,694 square miles. In the SCIL service area, approximately 14.7% or nearly 81,000 people are estimated to have at least one disability. (US Census & American Community Survey 2009-2011 Estimates) The third largest city in the state, Springfield serves both urban and rural southwest Missouri and these differences make our efforts unique and challenging due to the wide range of needs for access to adequate housing, transportation, technology, health & wellness, and employment.
The number of people with disabilities, as well as, the barriers to living an independent and healthy lifestyle continues to grow due to the increasing baby boomer population, medical advances, and lack of funding for entitlement programs.
empower: abilities opened February 2, 1986 and was founded in 1985 by a grassroots group of citizens working to protect the civil rights of people with disabilities. As a Center for Independent Living we follow the philosophy of consumer control with a majority of the staff and governing board being people with disabilities. There are over 400 centers across the country that report to the Rehabilitation Services Administration.
