Rooster Ranch, Inc.

Imagine entering adulthood with little hope of a job, having friends, finding your own place, and feeling valued by your community. This is where tens of thousands of Colorado citizens with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) find themselves after high school.
The state of Colorado has a devastating shortage of support services and housing options for adults with I/DD. Out-of-home placements and support are available for only 11% of Colorado’s current I/DD population, and barely expanding. Even now, due to lack of available options, 274 individuals with I/DD are isolated in nursing homes- what will happen in the future?

Communities across the country are responding to this crisis by creating local solutions based on the needs and desires of their citizens with I/DD. Rooster Ranch is joining this national movement and desires to create a rural community, intentionally planned to empower and support those with I/DD to reach their full potential.

At Rooster Ranch, people of all abilities will live, work, and enjoy lots of recreational activities side-by-side in a pedestrian oriented community. The latest techniques in technology and design will offer the tools needed for greater independence and self-directed choices. Instead of being stuck at home, residents can choose to visit their friends house or join community gathering without being constantly dependant on others for transportation. Those who desire to live a rural lifestyle will find opportunities in varied agriculture, horticulture, eco-tourism, and varied social enterprises. Individuals and families in the surrounding area will finally have the much needed space to receive therapies otherwise unreliable because of commuting therapists.

Most of all, people who are most often given limited options, low expectations, are undervalued, and socially excluded will no longer be judged by what they cannot do… Rooster Ranch is a place where people of all abilities will find their foundation, explore budding interests, and grow into an interdependant community in which all are needed, supported and valued.