Mary Baughman

Center for People With Disabilies

CPWD's goal is an integrated community that equally welcomes all members. The Center for People with Disabilities works so that people with disabilities in the Boulder area may live independently. We believe that there is nothing more disabling than pity. People with disabilities are a powerful and significant part of our community, yet; as a group our social roles have been marginalized by bigotry, discrimination, poverty, isolation, dependency and pity. Americans with disabilities have not had access to transportation, housing and employment that other citizens have enjoyed; CPWD will change that. The concept of Independent Living grew out of the Civil Rights Movement. Independent Living not only means equal rights, but also equal responsibility for citizens. Independence implies managing success as well as coping with failure. Many services, programs, charities, organizations and agencies in our community encourage dependency of people with disabilities and remove the risk of failure. The cycle of dependency, paternalism and control removes the common choices of individuals. Ultimately, only by taking similar risks can people with disabilities equally participate in the community. CPWD offers a new model for community integration. Since 1977 CPWD has been the center of a network of resources, information and services to assist people with disabilities to conquer the barriers, the isolation and the dependency. We encourage you to work with us to build this new accessible welcoming community, learn from neighbors or teach fellow citizens that are struggling for their independence. The Center for People with Disabilities 1675 Range Street, just off Arapahoe Avenue in Boulder and 615 North Main Street in Longmont Colorado. The Center for People with Disabilities Mission: To provide resources, information, and advocacy to assist people with disabilities in overcoming barriers to independent living. CPWD is a private, nonprofit 501(c)3 agency.