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Imagine! Snapshot
The mission of Imagine! is to create a world of opportunity for all abilities
Imagine! was founded in 1963 by a group of parents who believed their children deserved better. Traditionally, people with disabilities were sent to institutions and hospitals far away from the local community. These parents believed that their children should have the opportunity to live the lives they want and experience all that the world has to offer. These earlier families sought to create a more inclusive and supportive environment where their children could thrive and their efforts laid the foundation for an organization that would work to provide a world of opportunities for those individuals with disabilities.
Within the same year that Imagine! formed, Colorado House Bill #121 was passed, launching a pilot program for community centers for individuals with disabilities. Boulder was chosen to administer this program, leading to the formation of the Boulder County Interagency and Citizens Council (one of the earlier names of Imagine!), with Ruth Wood as its Executive Director, serving 100 individuals.
Throughout the late 1960s and 1970s, efforts continued to address the needs of individuals with disabilities. The early iteration of Imagine! evolved, expanding our services and renaming the organization the Boulder County Board for Developmental Disabilities in 1974. In 1975, the landmark Education for All Handicapped Children Act was passed, requiring public schools to provide equal access to education for children with disabilities, later revised as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
As advocacy grew, the organization’s scope widened. By the 1980s, the Boulder County Board for Developmental Disabilities, now serving over 400 individuals, continued to innovate, establishing programs like the Adult Day Services and CORE/Labor Source, and later, the Red Balloon Daycare Center in 1989, integrating children with and without developmental disabilities.
The 1990s brought significant milestones, including the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), prohibiting discrimination based on disability. In 1999, the organization relocated from Boulder to Lafayette, reflecting its growth and evolving mission.
In 2002, following a successful mill levy campaign, the organization was renamed Imagine!, symbolizing its vision for a more inclusive future. Imagine! continued to expand, launching innovative programs and establishing the Imagine! Foundation to secure long-term support.
Since then, Imagine! has continued to evolve. In 2024, due to a mandate from the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing, Imagine! no longer provides Case Management Services. But the future is bright, and as we look back on our journey from a grassroots movement to a leading advocate for disability rights stands as a testament to the power of community and the enduring impact of love for each other.
Within the same year that Imagine! formed, Colorado House Bill #121 was passed, launching a pilot program for community centers for individuals with disabilities. Boulder was chosen to administer this program, leading to the formation of the Boulder County Interagency and Citizens Council (one of the earlier names of Imagine!), with Ruth Wood as its Executive Director, serving 100 individuals.
Throughout the late 1960s and 1970s, efforts continued to address the needs of individuals with disabilities. The early iteration of Imagine! evolved, expanding our services and renaming the organization the Boulder County Board for Developmental Disabilities in 1974. In 1975, the landmark Education for All Handicapped Children Act was passed, requiring public schools to provide equal access to education for children with disabilities, later revised as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
As advocacy grew, the organization’s scope widened. By the 1980s, the Boulder County Board for Developmental Disabilities, now serving over 400 individuals, continued to innovate, establishing programs like the Adult Day Services and CORE/Labor Source, and later, the Red Balloon Daycare Center in 1989, integrating children with and without developmental disabilities.
The 1990s brought significant milestones, including the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), prohibiting discrimination based on disability. In 1999, the organization relocated from Boulder to Lafayette, reflecting its growth and evolving mission.
In 2002, following a successful mill levy campaign, the organization was renamed Imagine!, symbolizing its vision for a more inclusive future. Imagine! continued to expand, launching innovative programs and establishing the Imagine! Foundation to secure long-term support.
Since then, Imagine! has continued to evolve. In 2024, due to a mandate from the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing, Imagine! no longer provides Case Management Services. But the future is bright, and as we look back on our journey from a grassroots movement to a leading advocate for disability rights stands as a testament to the power of community and the enduring impact of love for each other.
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