In the late 1960’s community leaders across Georgia took advantage of federal Model Cities funding to build facilities to serve people with disabilities in their home community. Back then, these same community leaders joined forces to influence the Georgia legislature to create a designated line item for operating funds in the state budget, separate from 110 case service dollars. These funds were intended to augment Vocational Rehabilitation funds, and to ensure the provision of services through CRPs in local communities across Georgia. GATES is proud to have played an essential role to ensure the state of Georgia continues to recognize and support community services through dedicated funding. Many providers began as sheltered workshops, as an alternative employment option for people with significant disabilities. Along with the disability movement in the United States, most providers have shifted to an integrated model, with community-based training and competitive employment as the goal for outcomes.
GATES is distinguished as a strong and diverse association that represents members across the rehabilitation spectrum as well as the interests of individual sectors. GATES prides itself on the principles of person-centered planning, self determination, consumer choice, empowerment, mainstreaming, and integration through which our member agencies operate, to provide options and opportunities for people with disabilities to live and successfully work in the community.
All Georgia contract CRPs are accredited by CARF International (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities), or in the case of Center for the Visually Impaired, accredited by NAC (National Accreditation Council for Blind and Low Vision Services). Founded in 1966, CARF is an international, independent, nonprofit accreditor of human service providers and networks in the areas of aging services, behavioral health, child and youth services, employment and community services, and medical rehabilitation.
NAC is the standard setting and accrediting body that works with agencies and schools providing services and programs to people who are blind. NAC is a voluntary, not-for-profit corporation created in 1966 by those it serves.
More information about CARF and NAC can be found at www.carf.org and www.nacblvs.org.