About US
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
– Margaret Mead
As parents of children with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD), we have experienced the joys and challenges of shepherding our babies through their many milestones. The journey has been filled with ups—many more than we could have expected—and downs—when services and opportunities were very few. But we have all survived and thrived, and we were buoyed along the way by the professionals who dedicated their careers to helping us do so.
Today, those babies are happy young adults that face the same challenge as all other young adults: how do they move from dependent to independent living? What steps need to be taken, particularly when traditional options (post-secondary training and education, full-time careers) are not a good fit? And the scariest question of all: What will happen to my child when I cannot care for them any longer?
created with our kids in mind
These are tough questions for families with adults with I/DD. We—parents and professionals—came together as The Independence Project to search for answers. Options are beginning to pop up around the country and around our state—Florida—though nowhere near as many as needed. Affordable, attainable housing is a nationwide crisis and even more so for people who need some supports to live independently and reach their full potential.
VISION + MISSION
As a registered 501(c)(3), The Independence Project is working to build a supported residential community in Gainesville to provide not just a roof, but a community for our region’s adults with I/DD. We are a small, thoughtful, committed group, determined to change our corner of the world.
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