The Association for Community Living, now known as Pathlight, was founded in 1952 by a group of five young mothers. Their ultimate goal was to support families with children who had intellectual disabilities. While the language to describe the children they seek to support has changed in the last 64 years, the dedication of the organization remains undiminished. If anything, it has spread its sphere of influence to assist thousands of families in western Massachusetts.
Below, we’ll explore five of their key functions of Pathlight that align with their guiding ethos and mission.
1. Service Accessibility
Raising a differently abled child is a challenge, even under the optimal circumstances. They require additional support in every aspect of life, and those needs are as unique as the children themselves. Services designed to assist families and caregivers, and services directly related to the children themselves, are often inaccessible, due to limitations in the provider network or geographic constraints. The Association for Community Living has dedicated decades to bridging these gaps between providers and families in need. Today, they are as determined as ever that no developmentally different individual, irrespective of age, should be denied access to resources that facilitate their development and learning.
2. Community Building and Inclusion
While their area of influence has grown considerably over the decades, Pathlight is infused with a concept of community. The dedicated volunteers and professionals work tirelessly to form sustainable, long-term bonds with disabled community members and their families. They seek to provide support, ensuring that young and old individuals with physical disabilities can all feel that they belong to something larger. One of their guiding principals is that these individuals can be and are valuable members of a vibrant community, they simply need a bit of help to realize their full potential.
3. Education for All
In the past, developmentally different children were often considered unteachable. While some found their way to special schools or institutions, the concept of community embodied by the Pathlight foundation meant that these individuals should not be shut away in special areas or institutions. They should receive education in a similar, integrated way as their peers. What started as nursery schools staffed with individuals who could meet the needs of these special children has grown into an entire family of special training, education, and inclusive living programs for individuals of all ages—both those with physical disability and their families.
4. Every Stage of Life Has Needs
One of the major features of Pathlight is that it introduced and began to create the community living model that is widely used today. Many individuals with physical needs that their families were unable to personal meet were institutionalized. However, while these schools or nursing homes were capable of fulfilling the physical or medical needs of their charges, the social needs went unaddressed. For decades, individuals in these situations languished, until Pathlight members worked with their communities to create a special program. Private families would open their homes to individuals leaving institutions, which provided social exposure for them and still ensured that they would be cared for physically. Today, this model is thriving and successful, with many group living arrangements that support the physical, emotional, and social well-being of the residents.
5. Community Emotional Support
The Association for Community Living grew from a spirit of community involvement, in which everyone helped in the ways they could. Today, Pathlight still seeks to draw on the diverse gifts of community members to help support those with physical disabilities. This means social interactions and pastimes that engage and enrich disabled individuals in a way that is just as important as caring for medical needs. Community centers for recreation and performing arts offer classes, performances or just space and time to be outside and active. Community members bring their varied skill sets to the act of service and support of these individuals, which also serves to knit the physical community tightly together.
