Easter Seals Disability Services

The Story of Easter Seals Rio Grande Valley

Easter Seals Rio Grande Valley has been helping individuals with disabilities and special needs, and their families, live better lives for more over 50 years. Whether helping someone improve physical mobility, return to work or simply gain greater independence for everyday living, Easter Seals offers a variety of services to help people with disabilities address life's challenges and achieve personal goals.

In the late 1940's a group of concerned citizens formed the Hidalgo County Crippled Children's Society to assist children with polio in the Rio Grande Valley.  The organization provided transportation to children and their families to larger cities, as their were no treatment opportunities in the Valley.  In 1952, the organization moved into an abandoned Army barrack in Pharr, Texas and began providing direct medical rehabilitation services. 

Easter Seals Rio Grande Valley Today
Easter Seals assists more than two thousand children and adults with disabilities and their families annually. Easter Seals provides top-quality, family-focused and innovative services tailored to meet the specific needs of the particular community it serves.

Primary Easter Seals services include:

 Medical Rehabilitation
     Early Intervention
     Physical Therapy
     Occupational Therapy
     Speech and Hearing Therapy
 Child Care
 

Easter Seals also advocates for the passage of legislation to help people with disabilities achieve independence, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Passed in 1990, the ADA prohibits discrimination against anyone who has a mental or physical disability, guaranteeing the civil rights of people with disabilities.

At the core of the Easter Seals organization is a common passion for caring, shared by its staff members and thousands of volunteers, and by those who support its mission. This heart-felt commitment to helping people with disabilities and their families is what Easter Seals is all about.