QUADRIPLEGICS UNITED AGAINST DEPENDENCY INC
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Mission Statement
Quadriplegics United Against Dependency, Inc. (QUAD) is dedicated to the advancement of independence in adults with physical disabilities and advocates for the right to self-reliance and self-sufficiency in all aspects of daily life. It is our mission to fulfill our vision that one day, every person with a disability will have access to affordable housing, be enabled to achieve personal independence, and enjoy a life without barriers.
About This Cause
Quad Inc.’s mission is to fulfill our vision that one day, every person with a physical disability will have access to affordable housing, be supported in achieving personal independence, and enjoy a life without barriers. Quad was founded in 1975 by E.W. 'Bud' Myers who experienced a spinal cord injury from a diving accident in the Sandy River. Bud realized that the Portland area had no accessible housing or supportive services that would allow newly injured Quadriplegics to adjust to their injury and life with a major disability. With the help of donors, local contractors and advocates, Bud opened Oregon’s first independent living center, Myers Court Apartments in 1980, ten years before the Americans with Disabilities Act. Myers Court received national attention for being America’s first independent living center unaffiliated with a hospital or rehabilitation center. Its pioneering, barrier-free design predated the wheelchair accessibility standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act by a decade. Since Myers Court’s opening as a 19-unit building, Quad has developed four additional buildings throughout the Portland-Metro area, offering over 130 wheelchair-accessible apartments to individuals living with physical disabilities. Our barrier-free, affordable housing and Shared Attendant Care services provide a wide range of assistance to residents and promote independence by allowing residents to choose and direct the services they receive while retaining their independence. Studio, one and two-bedroom floorplans are all specially designed as wheelchair-accessible apartments. Accessible design features include wheelchair ready, roll-under counters, appliances, sinks, roll-in showers, open floor plans and a variety of features specifically designed for individuals with disabilities. Quad's affordable, wheelchair-accessible apartments offer an independent lifestyle and opportunities that individuals with physical disabilities may not have considered possible. According to the CDC, over 25% of adults in the U.S. live with a disability. People with disabilities experience poverty at twice the rate as nondisabled people and 25% experience housing insecurity or homelessness (National Disability Institute). Individuals with physical disabilities face challenges with dependable care, excessive costs of in-home and nursing home care while often accepting less-than-desirable living situations that limit their independence in daily life. Most often, individuals living with physical disabilities are low to extremely low income and receive government assistance for financial and health care needs. It is common for people living with physical disabilities to forfeit their independence to ensure their care needs are met and have an accessible living space for their everyday needs. Nursing centers and adult foster care can meet an individual’s physical care needs, but most do not offer a flexible schedule and opportunities of choice that promote independence. Facing issues of housing insecurity, poverty, and restrictive care in adults living with disabilities, Quad Inc. offers Section 8 and Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) housing that is affordable and ADA wheelchair accessible. We offer optional, shared attendant care the emphasizes the power of individual choice and independence in the residents enrolled. While other organizations in our community provide low-income housing and supportive services for people living with physical disabilities, Quad is unique in its shared, non-medical attendant care and its affordable, accessible housing designed specifically to foster independence and allow for personal choice in every aspect of daily living. Since 1975, Quad Inc. has promoted independence for hundreds of individuals living with physical disabilities in the Portland-metro area. Our barrier-free, affordable housing and supportive services programs serve over 130 residents living with physical disabilities including paraplegia, Quadriplegia, spinal cord injuries, Multiple Sclerosis and Cerebral Palsy. Out of the 130 residents living within Quad buildings, 41 are considered elderly individuals (age of 65 and up) and over 116 are currently living with a disability. All residents are considered very low to extremely low-income