Our History
The National Easterseals began in 1919 with Ohio-Businessman Edgar Allen founded the National Society for Crippled Children, which would later become known as Easterseals.
In San Antonio, Easterseals got its start in the 1930’s with a volunteer agency known as the Community Committee for Crippled Children. The agency also formed a relationship with the San Antonio Independent School District and worked together to build a school for handicapped children in 1944. In 1965, after many charters and organizations, the San Antonio Rehabilitation Center, Incorporated was also formed to service stroke victims. With some input from several national organizations, it was decided to merge the Community Committee for Crippled Children and the San Antonio Rehabilitation Center into one name. In 1969, The Easter Seal Society for Crippled Children and Adults of Bexar County was incorporated.
In the 1980s, ESRC executed a new model of service delivery to address the needs of very young children. The new model allowed collaboration between providers and encouraged parental involvement in therapy sessions. These initiatives were established before Texas legislation provided funding for early childhood intervention (ECI). ESRC was an initial grant recipient and continues to provide ECI services.
Adult services at Easterseals Rehabilitation Center (ESRC) began in 1977 with the move to the building in the medical center. When adults first came to the center to try out adapted equipment that could support their independence. In partnership with the Texas Rehabilitation Commission (TRC), ESRC helped individuals access the equipment they needed. This hands-on support laid the foundation for expanded services, eventually growing into comprehensive personal social adjustment training, job readiness training, and employment placement. Programs like the Head Injury Program, Warrior Spirit, and New Beginnings continued that evolution—each one designed to meet the changing needs of adults with disabilities.
