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Opinion: El Paso’s VOLAR makes ADA promise a reality [1]

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Date: 2024-07-26  

By Nathan Coleman

On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, ensuring that we, the disability community, gained freedom and equality of independent living.

With collaboration of the Texas Department of Disability Rights, the Centers for Independent Living for People with Disabilities were created to empower core values of advocacy, independent living programs, peer counseling, information and referral, support services, re-connect, independent living purchasing services and lending closet services.

In El Paso County, those services are provided by VOLAR Center for Independent Living for people with disabilities, which has been proudly serving our community for 43 years.

VOLAR Center for Independent Living, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, has built long-lasting relationships that keep consumers coming into the center for multiple services. VOLAR currently provides independent living skills and peer counseling services to 30 consumers.

Support Services offers coordination of housing and Social Security services. Re-Connect Program focuses on the needs of consumers who are in assisted living and are seeking a relocation back into the community as they are ready to regain their independence out in the community.

The Lending Closet gives the consumer seeking services the sense of security of being able to borrow vital medical equipment until they are able to get the equipment through other resources like the Independent Living Purchasing Department, which gets equipment that their insurance does not cover.

The largest in-house department, Independent Living Purchasing Services or ILPS, currently has a waiting list to serve consumers seeking their program services. Consumers on the waiting list will be contacted in September when funding for the new fiscal year becomes available.

VOLAR Center for Independent Living’s office is at 1220 Golden Key Circle. Their office staff can be reached at 915-591-0800 Monday through Friday.

VOLAR has trained qualified staff ready to serve their community in any capacity that is at their reach. They encourage our community to come see their facility to see for themselves.

Nathan Coleman is a native El Pasoan who writes about events and issues affecting people with disabilities. He aims to bring awareness of issues that matter to the Borderland.

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[1] Url: https://elpasomatters.org/2024/07/26/opinion-volar-center-for-independent-living-el-paso/

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