Like many Calgary success stories, ours has an inspiring beginning, unprecedented growth and expansion and a future that will see greater societal and individual impact.
Even before the Vocational and Rehabilitation Research Institute (VRRI) became a reality, what started as an idea due to a “lack of vocational training facilities and sheltered workshops to serve young adults [with developmental disabilities] in Calgary,” grew into an innovative “concept [to] offer hope for dignity to young adults [with developmental disabilities] in the Province of Alberta and all of Canada.” (The Vocational and Rehabilitation Research Institute – Bringing the Future to Today, 1966)
The intent was “to create a balanced program of training and service to clients and communities all of which is backed by research to guide and answer the complex questions attendant upon such an ambitious goal,” according to the VRRI publication in 1966. The program would “parallel activities of training and research both interdependent and directed at maximizing the occupational and social behaviour of young adults with [developmental disabilities].”
The VRRI, now the Vecova Centre for Disability Services and Research (Vecova) opened its doors on July 15, 1969 and has grown from a vocational and rehabilitation institute into:
- A well respected community organization that believes everyone should have an active and engaged quality of life that enables meaningful connections and contribution to the world.
- An internationally recognized social research and innovation centre that supports its consumers with progressive practices that integrate disability services, research, social innovation and enterprise that drive social change.
- An acknowledged model of success for its social enterprises, which demonstrate organizational sustainability through an inclusive community.
In 2019, Vecova marked its 50th Anniversary as a leading edge, registered and accredited charitable organization that is meeting the lifelong and changing needs of persons with disabilities and the community-at-large through its services, research and enterprises.