History of LifeBridge Partnership

Please note: Words to describe disabilities such as crippled or handicapped are used as they would have been used during specific time periods. In addition to our history, we are proud to highlight some events that helped to shape the direction of LifeBridge Partnership and disability services in general.

A disability rights movement was founded - The Early Years

In 1925 the first application of a 1919 law providing for public education of “crippled children” resulted in Elias Michael School opening for white crippled children and Turner School opening for black crippled children. Two years later, Missouri Society for Crippled Children was organized and headquartered in Jefferson City. In April 1927, a group of caring, concerned St. Louis citizens banded together to improve the lives of handicapped children in the St. Louis area, forming St. Louis Society for Crippled Children. From inception until 1937, St. Louis Society for Crippled Children shared offices with the St. Louis City Health Commission in the Municipal Courts Building.

Gaining an affiliation with the National Easter Seal Society in 1934, the organization established its offices at 3534 Washington Boulevard in 1937 and became incorporated under Missouri nonprofit law in 1938. At this time, the Missouri Society moved its headquarters to St. Louis and shared quarters with the St. Louis Society.

During its first three decades, the organization focused on providing clinical care, advocating for accessibility, and educating children with disabilities. It worked to establish regional clinics for examination, diagnosis, treatment, and referral. We advocated for accessibility in public buildings and established the “Kids on Their Own” equipment program to supply orthopedic items to youth in need. The organization created a homeschooling program for disabled children in St. Louis City and County, providing paid staff to educate children in their homes.

The disability movement gains momentum - Services evolved

1940 With public support for disability services at both the state and local levels, the Missouri Society assumed responsibility for regional clinics throughout the state to provide diagnosis and evaluation of disabled children. This eventually included clinics run by St. Louis Society.

1949 With the dedication of a new building, completed as a memorial to Dr. O’Reilly, a cerebral palsy training program was established. The organization now resided at 4108 Lindell.

1950 St. Louis Society implemented preschool education for children with disabilities. This educational program operated into the 1970s.

1957 Camp Daniel Boone was established in 1957 for the orthopedically disabled. This was a residential camp along highway 94 in St. Charles County. In operation until 1979, the camp provided both day camp and overnight camp opportunities.

Memories from Mary Frances Stoeklin, a camper: In the 1960’s, I attended Camp Daniel Boone, a camp for the physically disabled. Camp was located on Highway 94 in St. Charles. The Camp’s Director was Jerry Byrd and he, his wife Barb, and sons David and Greg summered at Camp. I attended both day camp and overnight camp with campers Jackie, Matthew, Sandy, and camp staff John ’Woody’ Kurth, Murry Brown, R. G. Dunn, Frances Pomphrey and many others. Each cabin took turns raising the American flag in the morning, and taking it down before the evening program. There was an old farmhouse with a boarded-up well that I sat on in the evenings after dinner. There was a gorgeous lake and an opening and closing bonfire. In the latter years was built a large white community building house our dining halls and smaller multipurpose rooms. Camp was literally my ‘heaven on earth’. I learned a lot and treasure those memories like gold.

1958 With the passage of a tax levy in 1957 to support a Special School District in St. Louis County, the organization ceased its homeschooling efforts to focus on camp services, counseling, and expansion to adult services.

1965 In cooperation with both the Missouri and National Easter Seal Societies, adults with disabilities began to receive services. Alpha Chi Omega sorority donated the first swimming pool in the Midwest specially designed for orthopedically disabled.

1970 Formal counseling groups for mothers, teens, young adults, and entire families were established.

1972 Services were expanded to the greater St. Louis metropolitan area including Jefferson, Franklin, St. Charles, Lincoln, and Warren counties.

1974 The first census of disabled children was conducted in 1974 by the Missouri State Department of Education.

Changing our focus - Providing recreation and leisure activities

With critical health and educational services having gained support at the federal, state, and local levels, the organization pivoted in the 1980s to provide comprehensive recreational opportunities to adults and children, including door-to-door transportation services.

1981 The organization yielded affiliation with the National Easter Seal Society.

1982 Offices were moved to 7925 Clayton Road and the Kids on the Block awareness program was established. Kids on the Block utilized puppeteering to bring awareness of disabilities to children.

1983 The organization purchased 3 vans and hired qualified drivers to provide transportation services for 90% of the recreational program activities.

Began an affiliation with the St. Louis Variety Club to provide the Variety Club Sports Camp for Disabled Youth.

Formed a partnership with the National Foundation of Wheelchair Tennis to sponsor and provide transportation for their annual tournament in St. Louis.

1986 Offices moved to 8780 Manchester.

1992 The Productive Living Board accepted our funding application and the offices were moved to 1986 Innerbelt Business Center Drive.

1993 The organization changed its name to St. Louis Society for Children and Adults with Physical Disabilities.

1995 Opened an after school program in partnership with St. Louis Public Schools at Gateway Michael School.

1997 The St. Louis Office of Developmental Disability Resources and Developmental Disabilities Resource Board of St. Charles accepted our funding application.

1998 Recognizing the organization’s name was cumbersome, the “doing business name” St. Louis Society was filed with the state and the sports camp name evolved for a couple years to become Variety Club Sports Camp in 1999.

1999 Accepted as a proud partner of the United Way of Greater St. Louis.

Who we are today - Recreation bridges the gap

Our affiliation with the Variety Club ended in 2003 and over the next decade our camp program expanded to include a Winter Break Camp (2013), Spring Break Camp (2014) and St. Charles Camp (2014).

In 2011, the Board of Directors formed the PR/Advocacy Committee to study the need for rebranding the organization, which led to a refreshed mission statement, new name for our annual golf tournament, and the name, LifeBridge Partnership.

We continue to seek ways to evolve our services and serve our community in bigger, better ways. In 2020 we formed a partnership with Pathways to Independence and Options for Justice; our shared office and staff collaboration has allowed us to redirect administrative resources to the people we serve. In 2022, our afterschool program entered a partnership with Promise Christian Academy, expanding from Nottingham CAJT High School.

2022 As we look forward to our 100 year anniversary, we embrace our new mission:

Building bridges to a life of social independence for individuals with disabilities.