Living on their own, making the majority of their decisions, these clients give us the pride of seeing them make it as far as they can go – a great accomplishment! When a student reaches this stage, we feel the success that drives our hard work as an organization. More importantly, it highlights the client’s incredible progress in overcoming their disability to grow and develop fully. Everyone’s work is paid off and our core mission is fulfilled.
We believe that most people strive to live independently, and encourage this aspiration for many of our clients. Although there are some who may never overcome severely challenging disabilities to reach this point, our determination to keep the opportunity open to anyone willing to work toward it has been rewarded time and again. When it comes to our clients, we entertain all possibilities.
In our mission to develop independent clients, we strongly focus on relationship building as a pillar of their growth. In support of that mission, we also encourage some clients to pursue romantic interests. Some of our clients have even found love, committing to one another and forming a family of their own through marriage. We provide the services and resources for individuals to fully participate in the lives of their spouse, partner, or children through this, supporting the entire family.
In the past, dating or marriage for individuals living with disabilities was completely prohibited. There were times when even family members, some of our clients’ biggest advocates, had a difficult time going through this process. Over time, and with Tobosa by their side, their notions and attitudes adapted.