Atlantis Community Foundation

History of Atlantis Community Foundation:

Created in 1998, ACF has a solid history of representing people with disabilities, and creating new affordable housing opportunities for them. The organization started as an advocacy group, playing a significant role in civil rights for People with Disabilities (PWD). Wade Blank, a Presbyterian minister,  disability rights activist and member of the “Gang of 19”, sought to empower institutionalized people with disabilities to achieve autonomy in many ways. In 1975 he founded Atlantis Community Inc. (ACI), a groundbreaking independent living center that enabled people with severe disabilities to leave nursing homes and live in the community with support services. ACF separated from ACI (which is located in one of ACF’s housing communities), to focus on developing housing for people with all kinds of disabilities, including mental health, physical, and low support needs of people with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities (IDD). The new Liberty House project will play an important role in the next step of providing much needed housing to those with IDD who have high support needs.