Organization
Atlantis Community
Atlantis Community is one of the oldest consumer-controlled Centers for Independent Living in the United States, founded in Denver in 1975 as a direct alternative to institutionalization. For nearly five decades it has provided housing support, personal care, peer mentorship, nursing home transition services, and independent living skills training to Coloradans with disabilities.
About
Founded in 1975 by a group of people with disabilities, Atlantis Community was the second Center for Independent Living established in the United States and the organization from which the national disability-rights activist movement ADAPT grew. In 1978, Atlantis members blockaded inaccessible Denver city buses in a landmark act of disability civil disobedience that helped shape the ADA.
What They Do
Atlantis provides nursing home transition services, personal care attendant management, affordable and accessible housing support, disability rights advocacy, peer mentorship, and independent living skills training. Their Mobile Independent Living Unit extends services directly into rural Colorado communities facing transportation barriers.
Who They Serve
Coloradans with physical, developmental, and other disabilities — particularly those at risk of institutionalization or currently living in nursing facilities who wish to transition to community-based living. Services focus primarily on adults in the Denver metro area, with rural outreach expanding statewide.
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