Disability Housing Celebrates Year

Unique community for adults with developmental disabilities opens through disability housing.

(Vancouver, WA) July 9, 2016 – As children with developmental disabilities age, their parents are faced with the challenge of how to care for them as they also grow older and encounter their own health issues. A unique newcommunity for adults with developmental disabilities offers a solution. Stephen’s Place is a not-for- profit community specifically designed to provide disabled living solutions for adults with complex language, learning and cognitive disabilities. Just opened, the new facility will be home to residents with developmental disabilities including: cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, Down’s syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, Williams Syndrome, and those with other similar conditions.Just across the river in Clark County, WA around 10 percent of individuals with developmental disabilities living with family members are over the age of 18. About 40 percent of adults with developmental disabilities in Multnomah County live in group-homes, foster care, or assisted living with the elderly.“Many people with disabilities are living with their parents or other family members,” said Heather Bartholomew, executive director of Stephen’s Place. “As their parents and family members age, they start to plan for who will care for their loved when they no longer can. Options prior to Stephen’s Place were limited to assisted living facilities and nursing homes where they would live with the elderly or group homes that aren’t designed to provide them with job training, job placement, activities, programs and opportunities to be social.”Stephen’s Place intends to be a resource for all individuals, and their parents, with developmental disabilities regardless if they live onsite. It has a Day Program twice a week that offers arts and crafts, games, field trips, horticultural therapy, fitness classes and yoga, social skills and other recreational activities. The goal is for residents and participants alike to socialize and create friendships, often difficult for those with developmental disabilities especially if they live with their parents.“Stephen’s Place is the type of environment where my daughter can flourish,” said Dave McLaughlin, father of a future resident. “My dream has always been to provide her with a home and a caretaker. I saw firsthand the impact of a community, of social interaction with peers.”Paid for with funds from the Kuni Foundation, Stephen’s Place is also working to build an endowment to provide financial support to future residents.For more information or to donate go to: www.stephensplace.org.About Stephen’s PlaceStephen’s Place is a unique, not-for- profit community, specifically designed to provide disabled living solutions for adults with complex language, learning and cognitive disabilities so they may live with meaning and dignity. Our unique approach is to create a safe, active and healthy environment that is rich in community interaction and family involvement. We are committed to providing a beautiful space for our residents to thrive, make friends, work, play, volunteer, and enjoy life.