Vision • Mission • History
Our Vision
Our Place started with a simple vision: adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities can be fully contributing members of their home community.
Our Mission
Our mission is to support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live meaningful, productive, socially connected lives in their communities.
Our History
In 2008 this vision and mission were radical ideas. However, a group of parents and community members joined together to realize their vision. They created Our Place with a start-up grant from New Trier Township and donations from families and members of the community.
The primary goal is to ensure that participants develop a variety of relationships, build the skills, and gain the experiences they need to be fully contributing members of their community. And have fun while doing it.
Being in the center of town was and is a priority. Programs are run from a historic building in the heart of Wilmette, but the real program site is the community. More than half of the activities offered are in the community, alongside neighbors.
What makes Our Place different?
Making the community stronger:
Through engagement in a wide range of community activities, Our Place increases awareness and acceptance of residents who have disabilities. Participants, staff, and volunteers working in teams, add over 4000 hours of community service, including operating the Township food pantry. They invest over $500,000 in their local community every year.
This changes the perception of the role individuals with disabilities can play in their community.
Building Meaningful Relationships:
Study after study shows that good social relationships are the strongest predictor of a happy, healthy life. A typical person has at least 150 social relationships. A person with an intellectual and developmental disability has around 10. Most of these are family members.
Our Place participants have 50 – 100 social relationships. These social networks enable them to fully engage and build natural supports in their community.
Our Place has earned Quality Assurances Accreditation from CQL, the Council on Quality and Leadership.
Achieving this accreditation demonstrates Our Place’s alignment with internationally recognized standards in the human services field. These standards reflect the implementation of strong organizational systems and person-centered practices that support meaningful outcomes and enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities.
Our Place is proud to be recognized by The Institute on Public Policy for People with Disabilities.
This acknowledgment reflects Organization Name’s commitment to advancing policy and practice that supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to access services and resources that promote valued, meaningful lives. The Institute’s recognition underscores our alignment with expert-informed standards in disability policy and service systems — strengthening our ability to improve outcomes, expand opportunities, and advocate for best-in-class practices that enrich the lives of people with disabilities and the communities that support them.