PARC at 50:  From Pioneers to Self Advocates
By Dr. Louis Lindenbaum, PARC’s Deputy Executive Director
&
Nancy Miringoff, PARC’s Associate Executive Director

In 2004, PARC celebrates its 50^th anniversary.   Fifty years ago, there were no organized services for people with developmental disabilities in Putnam County.    The choice that families were presented with back then was to either care for their child at home or to place their child in a state school or institutional setting.  Both were heart-wrenching and burdensome decisions for families.  Our local public schools were not equipped to accommodate children with disabilities, and there were no day programs or vocational services for adults.  Collaborative services for high school students, respite programs for caregivers, community-based residential facilities, therapeutic preschool programs, none of this existed. Fifty years ago, professionals tended to label people with disabilities with names that were acceptable then but are considered insensitive, unkind, discriminatory, and non-therapeutic today.  Instead of being inclusive and empowering, we put people into categories that separated “them” and reinforced and sustained their helplessness. 

In 1954, a group of ten families, with a shared personal interest and common goals, organized themselves and formed the nucleus of what was to become incorporated as the Putnam County Chapter of the New York State Association for Retarded Children, Inc.( now known as NYSARC). As we commemorate PARC’s 50^th year, we need to pay special tribute to those original founders, and to the legacy of the many parents and individuals who have “gone before us” by fulfilling their dreams and their mission of full acceptance and inclusion.   It is that pioneering spirit and their personal stories that not only live within us today but inspire us each and every day. 

In 2004, PARC is the premier agency in Putnam County providing an array of services to over 640 people with developmental disabilities and their families through the efforts of over 450 dedicated staff. Through the leadership of our administrative team and Board of Directors, the on-going support of the staff, the Putnam community, and local and state government, our individuals have grown in independence, self-reliance, and ability as they are participating more fully, than ever before, as citizens of this community. They are valuable neighbors, supportive friends, and contribute as productive workers and volunteers. 

Our individuals and this organization have been at the forefront of the changes that have taken place:  the self-advocacy movement, services to children with autism and people with traumatic brain injury, the creation of transitional educational support services to high school students, community-based recreational programs, the development and expansion of independent service coordination. 

The future challenge for our organization, and the children and adults it serves, is to continue to assist them to integrate more fully and effectively into the mainstream of community life. We look forward to meeting the challenges that lie ahead, we take great pride in the achievements of our individuals throughout 50 years of service, and we thank and acknowledge the foundation of significant support that our staff, administrators, and Board members have provided to make all of this a reality.