Our History

Who We Are

Easterseals Louisiana, established in 1951, is a state affiliate of Easter Seals, Inc., America’s largest nonprofit health care organization established in 1919. 

Some of Easterseals Louisiana’s earliest programs were Scoliosis Screenings and Post-Polio Support Groups. These programs were very important in meeting the needs of the disability community from the 1950s through the 1980s. With the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, the opportunities and needs for people with disabilities changed. ESL rose to the challenge and began providing case management for individuals who were now able to receive services and supports in their homes and communities rather than in institutions. Also, during the late 1990s, ESL collaborated with other Easter Seals, Inc. affiliates to provide critical, innovative early intervention services for children, birth to age 3, in the Delta regions of Louisiana.

This early work laid the foundation for enhancements in Statewide early intervention services. By the 2000s, ESL had grown to become the largest provider of Support Coordination, serving individuals in six of the nine LDH Regions by offering high-quality, person-centered services to thousands of children and adults with special needs and their families. In 2013, ESL received the highest level of accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF); ESL has maintained this accreditation to date.

Easterseals Louisiana Today

Today, ESL provides an array of services including early intervention for infants and toddlers, home and community support coordination for children and adults with disabilities as well as seniors who wish to age in place, case management services for individuals with diagnosed behavioral health challenges, housing for persons in need of a temporary or transitional home, an an alternative education center for children and young adults with autism. 

The Next 100 Years: In 2019, Easterseals celebrated 100 years of impact in the lives of individuals with disabilities or other special needs, their families, and communities throughout America as a powerful advocate and leading provider of innovative services. In marking this milestone, Easterseals reflected on its legacy of delivering equality, dignity, and independence to people with disabilities while embracing a future where every one of us is 100% included and 100% empowered. 

Since its founding in 1919, Easterseals has remained committed to ensuring that the needs of children and adults with disabilities, veterans, and older adults are met with services and supports to help them live, learn, work, and play in their communities.  By combining on-the-ground presence, deep expertise, and diverse programs, 69 Easterseals affiliates nationwide are advancing change to ensure that people with disabilities and other special needs can thrive in their communities.