About Us
LAURA WALLERSTEIN,
FOUNDER AND
PRESIDENT EMERITUS
ERIE INDEPENDENCE HOUSE, INC.
"The origins and subsequent growth of Erie Independence House can be traced to one simple reality: The majority of people with disabilities have the desire and the ability, with support, to lead independent, productive lives.
"By the early 1970s, many people with spinal cord injuries were surviving thanks to improved surgical techniques. As a social worker, I became very aware of the dilemma these patients faced. They were people -mostly young - who had the same desires and aspirations as their peers. Yet, without help, they couldn't get out of bed, get dressed, feed themselves, even "walk out" on someone if they so chose. The ultimate destination of these individuals appeared to be life in a nursing home when their families could no longer care for them.
"Surprisingly, no one had ever developed a good plan for helping people with such disabilities make real lives for themselves. So a group of professionals, of whom I was part, began exploring ways to give them the independence and choices they deserved.
"Many people came together - providing leadership, professional expertise and much needed funding - to open Erie Independence House in 1979. Since that time, a variety of new programs and services have been introduced. Many of the people helped through EIH programs are today helping others, now that they have the necessary supports that make life - a real life, a full life - possible."
