Easter Seals Disability Services

Easter Seals Iowa

Our Mission:

Our mission is to provide exceptional services to ensure that all people with disabilities or special needs and their families have equal opportunities to live, learn, work and play in their communities."

Our Vision:

...which allows every child and every adult with a disability to maximize their individual potential for living, learning, and working in their communities.

...in which families will have easy access to a continuum of services for people with disabilities of all ages, through out their lifetime.

...in which every child will have quality day care in an inclusive, nurturing environment where children of all abilities can play, learn, and grow together.

...in which every adult with a disability will have employment opportunities in natural work environments in their communities.

...in which every person with a disability will be able to access camping, recreational, and socialization opportunities and respite care for their families and caregivers.

 Our History:

Easter Seals Iowa is part of a nationwide network of separately incorporated affiliates, that cumulatively represents the world's oldest and largest not-for-profit organization providing direct services to people with disabilities.  Easter Seals' network includes more than 100 state and local affiliates in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

Although Easter Seals Iowa is affiliated with a national organization, it operates with a great degree of autonomy, with a board of directors comprised of individuals from throughout the state serving as its governing body. Since its inception in 1926 as the Iowa Society for Crippled Children, Easter Seals Iowa has earned a reputation as a leader in providing unique and responsive services to Iowans with disabilities of all ages.   Easter Seals Iowa is driven by its mission of  "creating solutions that change the lives of individuals with disabilities and other special needs and their families," and all of its programs and services have evolved out of this mission.

Easter Seals Locations:

Easter Seals Iowa operates from two locations: Easter Seals Camp Sunnyside, located several miles north of Des Moines, which houses camping, respite and recreation programs, Rural Solutions,  and durable medical equipment loan services and the Easter Seals Center, located in Des Moines, which is the homebase for all vocational, employment, and case management services.

Easter Seals Staff:

Staffing at Easter Seals includes nearly 100 full-time employees and approximately 75 seasonal (summer) employees employed for our camping and recreation programs.  Volunteers are extensively involved with Easter Seals last year more than 15,000  hours of service were donated by volunteers.

Easter Seals Accreditation:

Easter Seals Iowa has consistently earned the highest evaluation ratings by the Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and the American Camping Association (which accredits our Camp Sunnyside facility and programming).

Easter Seals work is driven by its values of integrity, respect, shared purpose, excellence, customer-focused, and independence.  Easter Seals values the uniqueness and dignity of each individual and does not discriminate in employment or service provision based on race, age, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, or ability.

Recent Publications

Please check here to read our most recent newsletter.
Fall 2009 Connections Newsletter
Summer 2009 Connections Newsletter
Spring 2009 Connections Newsletter
Easter Seals June 2008 Connections Newsletter
Easter Seals Fall 2008 Connections Newsletter

Please view our Annual Report 2007-2008 Annual Report