Welcome!
The IAL is working to
"Raise the Standard" of, Education, Employment,
Independence, and Self Advoacacy for people
living with developmental challenges.
We hope you will join with us in that goal!
Discoverabilities.com website will inform you of
the 2 principle missions of the IAL (Institute of Abundant Living).
1. The IAL equips responsible,
educated, and caring people who lead active, fulfilled lives and contribute to society.
2. The IAL - North Bay Network
- equips congregations to be accessible and equipped to help all people grow in their faith, serve, and become leaders in
their congregation and community.
HOW DO WE MEET THESE GOALS?
1. Continuing Education Program for adults
living with developmental challenges 15 years and older.
2. Quarterly Dinner Seminars and HISability
Awareness programs for congregations, seminaries, and Bible schools.
The IAL serves the hearts, souls, and minds.
I encourage you to go to the National Organization On Disability
(N.O.D.) website - www.nod.org and read the "State of the Union for People With Disabilities " written in January
2007 by N.O.D . You will quickly see that the IAL has been involved on the cutting edge of working
to improve the overall quality of life of people living with challenges.
We have chosen to use the avenue of education - the "critical priority"
that allows people to develop their skills and abilities, along with their minds so they can be prepared for employment,
living out their God given purpose, and being active team members not an isolated group within society. I
have listed below some of the important statistics that were shared in this "State of the Union for People with Disabilities"
article. As you read through them remember two (2) things:
1. The IAL's program is helping
to change these statistics for the
better.
2. To continue to make vital improvements in these
areas it takes
people to take action through their time and/or their financial
resources.
-
Only 35 % of Americns
with disabilities of working age are employed full or part time
-
Between 1990 and 1999 the federal government's outlasy for disability benefits
grew from $3.21 billion to $5.85 billion each month.
-
People with disabilities are nearly twice as likelyto drop out of high schoo,
and far less likely to complete college
-
31% of people with disabilities cite insufficient access to transportation
as a problem - nearly 3 times the rate of the non disabled.
-
Less than half of Americans with disabiities expect their overall quality
of life to improve.
54 million citizens in America are people living with disabilities. That
equals virtually one-fifth of our nations poplulation. There are many people within this 54 million who have quit
dreaming. The IAL is committed to making sure that everyone - ALL people have the opportunity to dream and live
out those dreams!
One of the IAL students says
it best: "The IAL tells us the 'sky is the limit'. The teachers and staff believe it! We, the students believe
it! And we work hard and learn more than we ever dreamed and some of our dreams are coming true!"
James B. Lewis, President