About Us

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I love Easterseals.

[Brenda] We go out for coffee.

[Louis] We kind of encourage each other. 

[Christy] Five days a week. 

[Steve] I love the things to do there.

[Narrator] Whether born with a disability or acquired later in life, helping one to learn how to navigate the challenges and maximize potential is the goal of Easter Seals Colorado. 

[Roman K.] Our national office says disabilities will touch 80% of the population here in America. 

[Narrator] And with years of experience in the field Easter Seals Colorado is there to help. From Benefits Services and early intervention programs all the way to Adult Day programs,

[Staff Member] Today we're going to do a scavenger hunt. 

[Narrator] Neurological Rehabilitation therapies and employment services.

[Roman] Easterseals is here to provide advocacy and programming to help those individuals with the disability and their loved ones and caregivers to navigate those difficulties of having a disability and coming out the other side.

[Angelia] Take your time. My brother being able to go to Easterseals Colorado at least 4 days a week, building a family there, having a circle of people that he trusts allows me just to go on and do what I need to do. 

[Roman] The average client that participates in our neurological Rehabilitation Center is 42 years old, which is very young. 

[NRADP Staff] When you're ready...

[Roman] Now, you're talking about really limiting somebody's experience in life when when they're that young, that is life-changing. To get them back as close as we can, is also life-changing.

[Christy] I had a stroke um four years ago. 

[Keely] Her abilities have come way like so much further than the doctors ever said that they would. 

[Christy] Thank you. 

[Keely] They kind of wrote her off pretty quickly so I'm super impressed with everything that she is able to do. 

[Christy] Because of Easter Seals I am doing the work.

{Christy and Therapist] Memorandum. Memorandum.

[Narrator] Until her mother had her stroke, Keely, like many people thought Easter Seals was an organization for kids. 

[Keely] Or like young adults who were born with kind of Developmental Disabilities. I didn't know that they had such a built out like holistic offerings.

[Narrator] But in reality, their mission is to enable and empower individuals with disabilities to access all life has to offer.

[Roman] Camp is the crown jewel of Easterseals. Watching kids do a zipline for the first time and the smile on their face and there's nothing like it. However, employment, when somebody receives a purpose and a paycheck and they get that first paycheck and they open it up that is life changing.

[Gabriel] My name is Gabriel. I'm I'm a male and I'm a I'm 24. I'm a very, I'm a very proud employee for Home Depot. So very proud. 

[Nathan] His attention to detail within the aisles is just really unmatched with most my associates. 

[Narrator] And for Gabriel having the support of an Easter Seals Employment Specialist has enabled him to excel at his job.

[Gabriel] They kind of prove me to know that I could be a lot more capable individual. 

[Narrator] And for the employer... 

[Nathan] Having that support is uh is crucial because they help out with his training in a way that Gabe can understand. 

[Roman] All of us have some kind of barrier when it comes to finding a career and moving forward. The folks we work with tend to have higher barriers or thicker barriers and we're there to help limit those barriers so they can fulfill and and become as much as they can. 

[Gabriel] I am living my best life. 

[Narrator] Another important aspect of their mission is advocacy. 

[Roman] Easter Seals, over the course of its history has been great advocates for including individuals with disabilities into the community.

[Narrator] For Mike and Gaylynn, custodial grandparents of a child with developmental challenges, the impact of that advocacy is very apparent.

[Mike] When I grew up uh people with special needs were segregated from our society at a very young age. Steve has benefited from the time he started school in first grade. He was a member of the general population at school, and all going through school he's been accepted. 

[Steve] That felt so great. 

[Mike] It's just beautiful to see how he's so well accepted our our community.

[Narrator] Recognizing the importance of community involvement in breaking down barriers plays a large part in the structure of Easter Seals Colorado's camps and day programs supporting youth and adults. 

[Brenda] I've been coming here for a long time and I love it. 

[Gina] With the Explorers, we go into different places and walk around and we do things in the community. 

[Chris] I love coming to Easterseals. Good to see you. 

[Gina] I learn something new every day from them. they see the world through judgment free vision. 

[Chris] They make me feel a part of the community. 

[Peggy] We do want to build community in the summer we have counselors who are high school age and college age so helps them be a little more aware of people around them other than just themselves.

[Grace] My name is Grace Bachman and I am an intern for Easter Seals, just for the summer. The main takeaway is that they're more capable than people think and they deserve equal opportunity and equal rights and to be included in everything.

[Narrator] You don't know if a disability will happen to you or to someone you love. 

[Angelia] It's been about 10 years. 

[Narrator] But you do know regardless of age race gender or religion Easter Seals Colorado is there to help.

[Keely] I take comfort and know knowing that my mom has a safe space where she can continue on her road to recovery where she can make friend - the possibilities are endless

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