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The LDI Story
The condition of learning disabilities (LD) was not fully understood until the early 1980's. It was thought that this condition occurred only in childhood, and few people recognized that this could be a life-long debilitating condition that affected millions of people. By 1982, research had clearly established LD as a neurological condition that persists throughout the lifespan of an individual. It took many years to reach the level of public awareness that it and other related conditions such as ADHD, Asperger's syndrome, and other related conditions receive today.
In the late 1970s, the co-founders of LDI, Dorothy and Rob Crawford, were
determined to develop a national employment agency for adults with learning
disabilities. With the assistance of Rehabilitation Services Administration
(RSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Education, seed money was made
available to state agencies for local entities to field test pilot programs.
In 1982, an establishment grant (seed money funds) was awarded to LDI
by the RSA/AZ Department of Economic Security Department to develop a
model employment program for adults with LD.
Operating from the home of Rob Crawford, the small grant for a "survival
skills" program became a reality -- special strategies developed
by Rob Crawford for job development and independent living skills made
this possible. The premise of the programmatic approach sought to treat
those in the program as "whole" human beings, not human beings
with "holes" in them. The philosophy of the model developed
was to acknowledge that personal victories were as big a reward as winning
any award from competitions. Redefining the concept of winning to include
that winning is making your first true friend, earning a paycheck, or
speaking up for yourself. Winning is whatever makes you feel like you've
done something to be a winner.
Within one year, the program was firmly established and began to expand
to include residential services, vocational training and job opportunities
for young men and women in the Phoenix area which previously did not exist
for them. As a result of the rapid growth of the program, a daring and
risky undertaking began to take shape -- the purchase of an apartment
complex that would allow LDI to fully develop a comprehensive campus and
program. This would not have been possible without the sacrifice and personal
financial commitment made by Dorothy Crawford. Ultimately, with the help
of several other committed people, she convinced a group of outside investors
to form a general partnership. A small local bank agreed to finance the
balance of the apartment complex project.
That same program expanded over the years from day programs limited to
Arizona Vocational Rehabilitation clients to a variety of multi-faceted
programs with both public and private funding. A great deal of the LDI
early successes relied upon developing collaborative linkages with other
public agencies and the post-secondary education system. This allowed
the organization to draw upon the best practices in the field and put
them immediately into operation to help where it could make the greatest
impact. With the expansion of programs and services, LDI was able to reach
out to students around the U.S. and the world, and has served thousands
of students to date.
Since its inception in 1982, LDI program efforts first centered on working
with a multitude of state and local agencies to provide short-term, rapid
turnover services for clients with LD and related emotional/behavioral
disorders. At one point, there were over 300 individuals served per year
representing nine different program linkages served by a full time staff
of 55 persons. The partnership between Dorothy and Rob Crawford was successful
in competing and winning two major federally funded grants to develop
school-to-work model demonstration programs. Creative community linkage
relationships enhanced effective collaborative partnerships with a variety
of state agencies, adult literacy programs, vocational/technical programs,
and local colleges. The program and founders were the recipients of numerous
local and national awards recognizing contributions to individuals with
LD and promoting literacy in the community. These included a Presidential
Points of Light award in 1992 from President Bush (41st President) and
a special citation from Fife Symington, the Governor of Arizona.
Now in its 28th year, and under the leadership of Rob and Veronica Crawford,
LDI has solidified the current program model and in 2009, became a privately-held
corporation.
On a personal level, Rob and Veronica Crawford have three adult children
with the same conditions as many of the individuals LDI serves. They are
able to see themselves sitting across the desk with other parents who
are desperate for a place where their child can thrive and succeed. Parents
look to LDI for hope and support, because they have found so few resources
for their adult-children in other places. Rob and Veronica know first-hand
their frustrations and can empathize with them, trying hard to ease the
difficult transition from being their adult-child's advocate to being
a parent who can allow their offspring to become more independent.
LDI is an organization of high moral purpose. Its services and focus on
the future are driven by students and their needs, recognition of global
market changes and its impact on the LDI students, and ultimately making
a positive difference in the lives of each student and their families.
