History

Our Timeline

Edgar Allen founded the National Society for Crippled Children in Ohio in 1919, and that marked the beginning of what would have become the national Easterseals organization. 

1926 

• The Los Angeles affiliate opens, setting the stage for what will become Easterseals Southern California.

1934 

• The national organization launched its first Easter "seal" campaign to raise money for its services. Cleveland Plain Dealer cartoonist J.H. Donahey designed the first seal for supporters to purchase and place on envelopes and letters.

1967 

• The Easter "seal" was so well recognized that the organization formally adopted the name "Easter Seals."

1969 

• The Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act establishes a legal right to services and supports that help individuals live independently and participate fully in their communities.
• Many of the service approaches Easterseals helped advance are now reflected in and supported through the Lanterman Act.

1987 

• Easter Seals' Los Angeles County affiliate became Easter Seals Los Angeles & Orange County.

• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed on July 26. Easterseals actively lobbied in Washington and across the country for its adoption. Since then, Easterseals has worked tirelessly to ensure individuals have access to the rights and protections of the ADA.
• ESSC launches innovative Adult Day and Supported Employment services in Los Angeles and Orange County, expanding opportunities for individuals to build skills, contribute to their communities, and pursue meaningful work.

1992

• ESSC’s Employment Services received its first CARF Certification, an independent accreditation that recognizes health and human service organizations for meeting internationally recognized standards of quality, accountability, and continuous improvement. In 2019, Autism Services received its first CARF certification. ESSC consistently achieves full CARF accreditation with exemplary findings.
• ESSC launched Supported Living Services in 1992 to help people transition from institutions to a home of their own. In 1994, Independent Living Skills services were added and together became the foundation of our Living Options Services. Today, ESSC continues to expand these services, supporting individuals with complex needs in community-based homes that promote greater independence.

1997

• Senior Day Services is launched to help families keep aging loved ones with memory impairments and other disabilities at home rather than in care facilities. 

1998 

• Easter Seals Los Angeles & Orange County changed its name to Easter Seals Southern California (ESSC) after expanding to include San Diego and the Inland Empire.

• The first “Walk with Me” fundraising event is held in Los Angeles’ Griffith Park. The walk became Easterseals Strides to Celebrate Disability Pride in 2016, our largest fundraising activity of the year.

2002 

• ESSC’s Child Development Services opens its doors in San Bernardino, supporting children from birth to five years old, as well as expectant parents. For the first time, ESSC offered home- and center-based services for children with and without disabilities. Services expanded to San Diego in 2010 and Ventura in 2013.

2009 

• ESSC rebrands its Employment Services as WorkFirst, adopting a Customized Employment approach focused on each individual’s unique strengths. The team becomes a nationally recognized leader, supporting hundreds of people with disabilities to find meaningful employment each year.

2012 

• California's Senate Bill 946 requires insurance providers to offer autism therapy coverage, and ESSC begins providing Autism Services to support Kaiser Permanente families. Services include behavior, physical, speech, and occupational therapies proven to be effective in increasing skills of individuals with autism. Autism Services becomes ESSC’s largest service line, expanding to include Social Skills, Center-Based Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Severe Behavior Services, and Research.

2013 

• ESSC expanded to include Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties.

2014 

• Adult Day Services pilots Person-Centered Culture and Practices, empowering individuals to guide their own supports, schedules, and personal goals—shifting away from traditional provider-led models.

2015 

• Easterseals Southern California services support 8,335 individuals.

2016 

• The brand was relaunched with the name "Easterseals," new colors, and a new logo.
• ESSC’s Autism Services’ Research team was established to conduct state-of-the-art behavioral and scientific research. In its first 10 years, the team published 26 peer-reviewed research articles that have since been cited in 378 publications and presented 180 times at conferences around the world.

• ESSC joins with Nic Novicki for the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, launching our first effort to promote disability inclusion in the entertainment industry, which then expanded to collaborative partnerships and initiatives with partners like Sundance Film Festival and the creation of the impactful report Reimagining Hollywood: A New Lense on Disability Inclusion. To date, the Film Challenge has a highly engaged community of disabled filmmakers with over 1,000 total films submitted over 13 years, and countless stories of success.

2018

• ESSC’s Celebrate Don’t Separate Public Service Awareness (PSA) campaign launches, promoting the inclusion of people with a disability in every day life.

• Easterseals celebrated its 100th anniversary with a float in the 2019 Rose Parade® ridden by service recipients and staff from around the country. At ESSC, we launched our 'We Celebrate' PSA campaign.
• ESSC entered its first sport partnership with the Los Angeles Angels to create a power alliance for disability inclusion. Since then, we’ve become close partners with the Los Angeles Chargers, Anaheim Ducks, San Diego Padres, and Angel City Football Club. This has resulted in annual Disability Pride month events at games, consultation on Sensory Rooms, and hosting various events.

2020 

• Adult Day Services’ Virtual Community begins providing remote services during the pandemic, evolving into ongoing resource for people to stay connected when unable to visit a center in person.

• The launch of ESSC’s Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) supports individuals with complex communication needs by providing tools and strategies to communicate beyond speech. By 2026, the program impacted close to 400 people through high-tech AAC devices and intensive multidisciplinary and caregiver training.
• Mattel introduces Bruno, the first Thomas & Friends character with autism, created in collaboration with ESSC.

2023 

• Child Development Services continues to expand, opening a second location in Ontario and new location in Encinitas the following year.

• ESSC’s Disability Is Not a Dirty Word PSA Campaign appeared on television, radio, billboards, in print, at airports and on streaming services with more than 700 million impressions, 69K click-throughs and over 26M video views. Through storytelling and education, it empowered people to speak openly about disability and create more inclusive environments where everyone feels seen and valued.
• ESSC wins the Unconventional Award from T-Mobile for using virtual reality technology to address transportation challenges faced by people with autism. Through a partnership with Floreo Virtual Reality, ESSC helps children and adults safely practice navigating cars, streets, and public transportation before experiencing them in real life.

• ESSC piloted the C-Pen Reader 2 to help participants scan and hear text.

• Every1 With Autism Belongs PSA Campaign launches to encourage individuals and organizations to move beyond autism awareness and focus on inclusion by taking meaningful action to create spaces where everyone truly belongs.
• We broaden our entertainment-related initiatives with the Media Access Awards, now rebranded as The Easterseals Disability Arts & Culture Awards (The DARCYS). Co-produced by Film Independent, the DARCYS were shaped by a Disability Advisory Committee, a talented group of disabled individuals who work in the industry that were integral to the show’s evolution.

• As we celebrate our centennial, we support 30,000 people annually, with more than 3,300 associates and over 70 service locations. We continue to look for new an innovative ways to expand our services and make a lasting impact in the communities we support.