National Easter Seal Society
A nonprofit organization that has been helping individuals with disabilities and special needs and their families live better lives for more than 80 years. Whether helping someone improve physically or simply gain greater independence for everyday living, Easter Seals offers a variety of services to help people with disabilities address life’s challenges and achieve personal goals.
The organization was founded in 1919 by Ohio businessman Edgar Allen, who lost his son in a streetcar accident 12 years before. The lack of adequate medical services available to save his son prompted Allen to sell his business and begin a fund-raising campaign to build a hospital in his hometown of Elyria, Ohio. Through this new hospital, Allen was surprised to learn that children with disabilities were often hidden from public view. Inspired by this discovery, Allen founded what became known as the National Society for Crippled Children, the first organization of its kind in the country.
In the spring of 1934 the organization launched its first Easter seals campaign to raise money for its services. To show their support, donors placed the seals on envelopes and letters. Cleveland Plain Dealer cartoonist J. H. Donahey designed the first seal based on a concept of simplicity—because those served by the charity asked simply for the right to live a normal life. The lily—a symbol of spring—was officially incorporated as the Easter Seals’ logo in 1952 for its association with resurrection and new life, and it has appeared on each seal since.
The overwhelming public support for the Easter seals campaign triggered a nationwide expansion of the organization and a swell of grassroots efforts on behalf of people with disabilities. By 1967 the Easter seal was so well recognized that the organization formally adopted the name “Easter Seals.”
Today the Easter Seals Society helps more than one million children with disabilities and their families annually through a nationwide network of more than 450 service sites providing family focused services tailored to meet the specific needs of the particular community it serves. Primary Easter Seals services include medical rehabilitation, early intervention, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and hearing therapy, job training and employment, child care, and adult day services.
The organization was founded in 1919 by Ohio businessman Edgar Allen, who lost his son in a streetcar accident 12 years before. The lack of adequate medical services available to save his son prompted Allen to sell his business and begin a fund-raising campaign to build a hospital in his hometown of Elyria, Ohio. Through this new hospital, Allen was surprised to learn that children with disabilities were often hidden from public view. Inspired by this discovery, Allen founded what became known as the National Society for Crippled Children, the first organization of its kind in the country.
In the spring of 1934 the organization launched its first Easter seals campaign to raise money for its services. To show their support, donors placed the seals on envelopes and letters. Cleveland Plain Dealer cartoonist J. H. Donahey designed the first seal based on a concept of simplicity—because those served by the charity asked simply for the right to live a normal life. The lily—a symbol of spring—was officially incorporated as the Easter Seals’ logo in 1952 for its association with resurrection and new life, and it has appeared on each seal since.
The overwhelming public support for the Easter seals campaign triggered a nationwide expansion of the organization and a swell of grassroots efforts on behalf of people with disabilities. By 1967 the Easter seal was so well recognized that the organization formally adopted the name “Easter Seals.”
Today the Easter Seals Society helps more than one million children with disabilities and their families annually through a nationwide network of more than 450 service sites providing family focused services tailored to meet the specific needs of the particular community it serves. Primary Easter Seals services include medical rehabilitation, early intervention, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and hearing therapy, job training and employment, child care, and adult day services.
Tags: Edgar Allen, individuals with disabilities, National Easter Seal Society, nonprofit organization, special needs
Posted in Health and Wellness
