The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990. It’s the civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life.
Thirty-six years before the ADA in 1954 — during a time when public schools were not required to educate kids with intellectual and developmental disabilities, so many of these kids were institutionalized — a group of parents in Fort Myers came together to create what they called LARC which would work to empower and support young people with disabilities to achieve their full potential.
LARC has continued that mission and has expanded and grown over the decades. Today they serve about 300 individuals and their families through programs and services that include Adult Day Training through the LAB Program (Learn, Achieve, Become) and a culinary training program, and more. They also operate two residential group homes that teach life skills, including meal prep, home making skills, and personal hygiene.
On Sept. 1 they’re hosting an event called ‘Exceptional Employers of Southwest Florida’ at Collaboratory in downtown Fort Myers. It will highlight LARC’s Workforce Development efforts through the LAB Program and how they can help solve some workforce development problems we face here in Southwest Florida. We preview it, and learn about everything they do and how they've grown over the decades. Click here to learn more about the event. Click here to listen to our conversation with past-Executive Director, Kevin Lewis, where we go into greater detail about LARC's history.
Guest:
Angela Katz, Executive Director of LARC (Lee Association for Remarkable Citizens)
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