Choosing what to wear in the morning. Visiting with neighbors. Deciding what to eat for dinner. Caring for a pet.
They’re all part of living an ordinary life – something most of us take for granted. But for people with
intellectual and developmental disabilities, it’s not always that simple.
Until recently, most people with developmental disabilities could expect to spend the majority of their lives in institutions or
group homes – places designed to serve groups of people, rather than individuals. Places where even the most ordinary things –
such as privacy, choice, and independence cannot be taken for granted.
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Even today, there is only one organization in Virginia that supports adults with developmental disabilities
exclusively in their own homes: Hope House Foundation.
Since 1964, Hope House Foundation has worked on the frontlines of the battle for independence, community inclusion, and true
citizenship for people with developmental disabilities in Hampton Roads. We believe that the people we support have the right
to participate in community life to the fullest extent possible, and to control their own destinies.
That means living in their own homes. Having friends in the community. Shopping for groceries. Going to work. Choosing how to
decorate their living rooms. Enjoying a favorite radio station. In short, living an ordinary life.
And what could be more extraordinary than that? |
