Work Unlimited

Work Unlimited is a non-profit corporation whose mission is to provide vocational training and residential services to individuals with developmental disabilities. It primarily operates within Benton, Linn, Polk, and Marion counties. Work Unlimited grew as a result of a number of diverse efforts, all emerging from projects and programs developed by... Teaching Research, a separate division at Western Oregon State College whose mission is educational and rehabilitative research. The first project to be named Work Unlimited was the adult vocational entity in Corvallis whose mission was to provide supported employment services to adults with developmental disabilities in Benton County. A similar vocational entity was established in Marion County. Gradually, the Corvallis entity provided vocational services to Linn County. During this period, Teaching Research was conducting a number of residential programs for individuals with special needs over and above their developmental disabilities. Although Teaching Research staff managed the homes, the state's personnel policies prevented the remainder of the residential staff from being employed by Teaching Research. Therefore, a non-profit organization was sought to provide the personnel for the residential facilities. The ARC of Oregon was the first such entity. Later Work Unlimited in Corvallis took on the function. The decision was made in 1994 that Work Unlimited would also assume accounting functions for Teaching Research's programs. At the same time it was planned that all the Teaching Research programs would transfer to Work Unlimited in July 1995. In May 1997 Oregon Community Support (OCS), an organization that was established jointly by the University of Oregon and Teaching Research, decided to stop providing services. The population for whom they provided services was characterized as being developmentally disabled and having severe behavioral problems. OCS had homes in three communities, Eugene, Salem, and Corvallis. Since Work Unlimited was already providing ...Read More