1 WHITEHALL ST FL 9 NEW YORK, NY 10004 Get Directions
1 WHITEHALL ST FL 9 NEW YORK, NY 10004 Get Directions
Lifespire began in 1951, when a group of parents got together to advocate for services for their children with developmental disabilities. In those years, a developmentally disabled child could be excluded from Public School without cause. The founder, Ida Rappaport, went door to door to find others with similar unmet needs to assist in the fight to create services for students with developmental disabilities. This group of parents became the Association for Children with Retarded Mental Development (A.C.R.M.D.), now known as Lifespire.
Under the leadership of Ida Rappaport, A.C.R.M.D was one of the first organizations to advocate for developmentally disabled children within the City of New York. The Association fought for and prevailed upon the New York State Legislature to lower the entrance age for school to five and to raise the upper level to 21. Thousands of children were thus enabled to obtain additional education and training. In 1957, the Association successfully advocated and the Legislature passed a law that required School Boards to establish programs suitable to the abilities of disabled children in the Public Schools. It was a four year battle in the Courts which finally resulted in what became known as the Occupational Training Centers.
The Association's history parallels the history of the service delivery system in New York since it often led the way in the establishment of new service models. After some 50 years, the Board of Directors voted to change the corporate name of the Association to Lifespire, Inc. The name Lifespire is truly reflective of the organization's aim of "Helping Individuals Reach Life's Aspirations." Today, Lifespire is recognized as a leader in providing services to developmentally disabled adults of New York state.
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