Organization
Atlantis Community
Atlantis Community is one of the oldest consumer-controlled Centers for Independent Living in the United States, founded in Denver in 1975 as a direct alternative to institutionalization. For nearly five decades it has provided housing support, personal care, peer mentorship, nursing home transition services, and independent living skills training to Coloradans with disabilities.
About
Founded in 1975 by a group of people with disabilities, Atlantis Community was the second Center for Independent Living established in the United States and the organization from which the national disability-rights activist movement ADAPT grew. In 1978, Atlantis members blockaded inaccessible Denver city buses in a landmark act of disability civil disobedience that helped shape the ADA.
What They Do
Atlantis provides nursing home transition services, personal care attendant management, affordable and accessible housing support, disability rights advocacy, peer mentorship, and independent living skills training. Their Mobile Independent Living Unit extends services directly into rural Colorado communities facing transportation barriers.
Who They Serve
Coloradans with physical, developmental, and other disabilities — particularly those at risk of institutionalization or currently living in nursing facilities who wish to transition to community-based living. Services focus primarily on adults in the Denver metro area, with rural outreach expanding statewide.
Related Organizations
National Disability Rights Network(NDRN)
FeaturedWashington, DCNationalNDRN is the membership association for the federally mandated Protection & Advocacy (P&A) and Client Assistance Program (CAP) organisations in every US state and territory. P&A organisations provide free legal advocacy and representation to people with disabilities — with a combined budget of over $150 million, they are the largest provider of legal services to people with disabilities in the US.
Mixed LeadershipCross-DisabilityLegal AdvocacyAmerican Association of People with Disabilities(AAPD)
Washington, DCNationalAAPD is a national disability membership organisation focused on increasing the political and economic power of people with disabilities, with a particular emphasis on civic engagement, voting rights, and economic advancement.
Disabled-LedCross-DisabilityAdvocacyFédération Sénégalaise des Associations des Personnes Handicapées(FSAPH)
Dakar, SNNationalThe Fédération Sénégalaise des Associations des Personnes Handicapées is Senegal's national umbrella federation of 28 disability associations, founded in Dakar in 1997. It advocates for the rights and social inclusion of people with all disability types across all regions of the country.
Disabled-LedCross-DisabilityAdvocacy