Weaving Lives Together:
The History of ABLE

The story of ABLE, Inc. is a story of weaving. A weaving is a pattern intricately constructed by bringing many varied threads or filaments together to create something new. ABLE, Inc. has also been one of many weavers bringing the lives of children, parents, families and friends together to make a beautiful, but never-ending tapestry. To share the story, we need to go back to the beginning to those who started this weaving.

Prior to the 1960’s, parents of children with disabilities found themselves with few options to provide support for their children. To send them away or to keep them at home were their choices. In 1966 a group of these parents formed the Dickinson Association for Retarded Children, now known as The Arc of Dickinson, Inc. Five years later, parents in Bowman formed their own ARC, now known as ARC, Little Missouri, Inc., sharing their concerns and visions with parents in Dickinson. The weaving had begun. These threads would find strength in each other and provide a strong foundation for this loom of life.

Recognizing that any efforts would require financial support, The ARC of Dickinson created the ARC Aid Thrift Store in 1968. The Bowman ARC followed suit and opened their own Cedar Chest store in 1976. Since these stores’ inceptions, they have provided hundreds of thousands of dollars for the development of new programs.

It Starts With Education

The first thread the ARC used was the “Thread of Education.” Education through the public schools was not available to those who were labeled trainable, retarded children. To fill the void, The ARC of Dickinson founded the Anchorage School, which was housed in the Episcopal Church. In Bowman, the School of Promise was started in 1971. However, The ARC recognized that the constitution stated that education “shall be open to all children of the State of North Dakota.” Since public education continued to exclude children, in 1972, The ARC of North Dakota filed their first lawsuit, “The Right to Education for ALL Children.” Four of the children named in this suit were from the Dickinson area.

The court findings stated that 73 percent of the children with special needs in the state were not enrolled in public education. Therefore, it was ordered that public schools were to maintain, administer, supervise and operate schools and classes for the education of children who were retarded and/or handicapped. The ARC of Dickinson supported the schools by providing grants for equipment for the special education classrooms.

Building Community Supports

The ARC of Dickinson was also concerned about providing social opportunities. In 1966, The ARC of Dickinson, in cooperation with the ARC of North Dakota, began a camping program. This program was later turned over to Camp Re-Creation in Richardton. The Youth ARC was founded in 1970 to provide a “big sister, big brother” program for other recreational activities. Along with this was the development of a transportation system for community access. Special Olympics began in 1972 and continues today. The ARC of Dickinson and the ARC of Bowman established the Queen City Social Club in cooperation with Badlands Human Service Center (BHSC).

In 1977 the ARC of Dickinson developed the Hostel/Residential Training Program again in cooperation with BHSC. This program began as a group home for men who had the potential to live on their own and earn salaries to contribute to their support. In 1979, the ARC built a complex called Southview. This complex became the first in the nation’s history to utilize FMHA federal dollars in developing housing for people with developmental disabilities. FMHA actually drew up new regulations in order to administer the project. In 1980, the ARC established the NOAS ARC program (New Opportunities and Activities), a day activity program for adults with developmental disabilities. In Bowman, the Opportunity Center day program was started in January of 1982. These programs provided choices to people who in the past had the choice to live with family or be sent to the state institution.

Coming Home

The weaving had come together well with hard work and dedication, but could the weaving be stronger, more colorful yet? The ARC of North Dakota decided it was time to bring the “Thread of Constitutional Rights” into the weaving. While many accomplishments were taking place locally, the majority of North Dakota’s people with developmental disabilities were still residing in state institutions isolated from their families, communities and the world. Their living conditions were shocking and inhumane.

In September of 1980, the Association of Retarded Citizens of North Dakota filed a class action suit against the State of North Dakota, declaring that the state’s method of providing care for people with mental retardation violated their constitutional rights. The trial began in 1982 with U.S. District Judge Bruce Van Sickle presiding. The lawsuit itself was long and complicated because of the numerous delays caused by opposition from the state, which included at least nine appeals.

In 1984, Judge Van Sickle’s order was upheld in favor of The ARC of North Dakota, which established constitutional rights that had never before been recognized! This enabled the development of community-based services. Finally, people were going home.

The ARC of Dickinson and the ARC, Little Missouri, Inc. responded to the court order by securing funding to build 8 group homes and a day activity building. These were built in Dickinson, Bowman and Hettinger. Program operations were then turned over to a regional board, which was named ABLE, Inc. (Acquiring the Basics of Living and Employment). ABLE, Inc. was created to provide accredited services to people with developmental disabilities in southwest North Dakota.

To date, the number of people institutionalized in North Dakota has dropped from 1,050 in 1980 to less than 150 in 2004. The state of North Dakota offers services to nearly 4,000 people with developmental disabilities. ABLE, Inc. supports about 100 people through day supports, vocational programming, group home and independent living options, health and wellness, and social interactions.

People who were once sent away are now jobholders, taxpayers, church members, and friends. People who were once secluded strands are now woven into the tapestry of life. Some of these “Threads” continue in the weaving and some have completed their work and are no longer with us.