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. However, 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 more than 3,500 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.

By 1998, two major factors caused the administration to explore alternatives to how LDI conducted business. The first factor concerned funding and referral sources changing eligibility for service priorities moving away from adults with LD and the impact on who was being accepted/referred for services. Individuals with diagnosed LD were no longer being identified or provided funded services by the agencies that had traditionally worked with LDI.

The second major factor driving the relocation of the facility was related to adverse effects of the urban sprawl in the Phoenix area. The optimal environment that once surrounded LDI, had changed. It no longer allowed the vocational opportunities and personal independence required by the LDI for its students.

This ultimately led to a decision to sell the existing apartment complex and relocate to the Northwest Valley, where all of the services and amenities that are central to the program could be provided. A few of the reasons to support the relocation in 1999 were those to an area that had increased college and vocational programs, plentiful job opportunities, safe and easy access to public transportation systems, and beautiful new apartments located within a large public apartment complex.

Once the transition to the new location was completed, co-founder Dorothy Crawford "retired" in 2000. Her presence at LDI and in the LD community is still an active one as she provides tutorial services to the students at the LDI and is the Executive Director for the Learning Disabilities Association of Arizona.

Now in its 25th year, and under the leadership of Rob and Veronica Crawford, LDI has solidified the current program model and is in the initial planning phase to determine how to expand opportunities for independent living services through affordable housing alternatives. The goal is to finance, build, and manage a large apartment complex as well as a campus. An additional component under consideration is to make a long-term commitment for some individuals by building casitas or condominiums, which would allow our residents home ownership opportunities and the ability to develop an equity position.

It is expected for all the LDI students to become fully employed upon completion of their program of instruction. However, initially, the wages they earn are roughly in the $7.00-$13.00 an hour range and place them at constant risk of being priced out of quality affordable housing.

Recent data from the 2005 National Low Income Housing Coalition "Out of Reach" report documented the fair market cost of a two-bedroom apartment throughout the country. Arizona ranked as the 17th most expensive market in the country, with a Housing Wage of $14.44/hour needed to afford a fair market-priced two-bedroom apartment. This nominal wage is close to about two and one-half times the state's current minimum wage. For the Phoenix/Mesa area the Housing Wage was slightly higher with renters needing to make $14.81/hour in order to afford a fair market-priced two-bedroom apartment.

This is a critical issue for the public and deserves greater press coverage. However, the untold story is that for high functioning adults with disabilities, whose career and income capacities are restricted, there are few alternatives. Specifically, there is no local organization offering an open, non-therapeutic community with educational, career development, employment services, and a social network specifically for their lifelong needs. LDI intends to develop a national model of social entrepreneurship that can be replicated by other organizations seeking to match their core competencies with marketplace opportunities, in order to simultaneously generate more earned income and expand its social impact--without losing sight of the organization's underlying mission

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. It is a reminder of the sacred trust LDI staff have in working with other people's children, and in Rob's words, reminds him that his personal prayer of "let my life count for something" has been abundantly answered.

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, one at a time.