This section includes stories of individuals with disabilities and/or their families who are living or striving to live self-determined lives within their communities.  Each individual is unique and is experiencing different issues, challenges, barriers, and successes.  All have dreams and goals for the future and a desire to participate in their communities.

We hope that the stories touch you and encourage you.  As you read them take time to reflect on your own life.  Perhaps you too would like to share your story here.  Individuals are encouraged to mail or to The Arc.  Please indicate that it is a self-determination story.

Yoko Zeigler has been lucky to have friends and neighbors who have stepped in to provide opportunities for her son, Alex, to participate in community activities.  However, Yoko, just like any other parent with a disabled child, is afraid to grow old or die leaving Alex in an unsupported situation.  “Alex needs to have his own friends,” she said emphatically.  “And,” she added, “None of these people are connected with each other.  Safety and security will only happen if Alex’s friends are part of a formal network.”

Sandy Skaar, one of Designing Dreams founding members, recently participated in the weeklong training at PLAN in Canada.  “Being Alex’s first facilitator is a way for me to contribute to Designing Dreams,” Sandy said.  She will be documenting her steps to facilitate the process for future networks. 

Alex takes computer classes at TVI and works at Adelante’s shrink-wrap facility. He has a passion for video games and movies.  Sandy will be recruiting others who share Alex’s interests.  We look forward to sharing the progress of his network as it develops.

The mission of Designing Dreams is to create and maintain personal networks for people with disabilities, with a focus on a good life now and in the future.

The organization is a result of one mother’s nightmares about what would happen to her son if she should die.  She began to gather resources so that her nightmare that would not become a reality.  As a result of this, there is a program today that will help develop a network of committed people to provide companionship and support and assure that this is a lifetime commitment for the family member

For additional information on Designing Dreams simply call 881-1264 or 877-881-1264 or email

Ralph has always dreamed of owning his own home with a fence around the front yard and a vegetable patch in the back.

Ralph applied for the Helping Hands program in 2000 and began saving money for a down payment on a home.  He would periodically look at homes for sale to see what he liked and how much homes were costing. 

During this time he was diagnosed with colon cancer and spent the summer of 2003 traveling back and forth to Lubbock to get treatment.  He became very depressed about his condition and also not hearing from Helping hands about where he was on the waiting list.

Then, in September of 2003 when he was given the good news that he was cancer free.  He had a big party.  And a week later he head back from HUD that his voucher had been approved and he should start looking for a house.
In the summer of 2004, he purchased his own two-bedroom home with assistance from HUD’s Helping Hands Program. 

He’s getting ready for next summer’s vegetable patch.