Center Park Apartments in Seattle’s Rainier Valley was the first apartment complex in the nation built solely for people with physical and mental disabilities and their caregivers. Largely through the tireless efforts of local activist Ida May Daly and others in the community, the Seattle Housing Authority received state and federal funds for the project. The 150 rental units in the complex featured adjustable shelving and grab bars, as well as stoves and kitchen sinks with room for wheelchairs to slide close.

The dedication of Center Park on August 30, 1970, included a speech from Kathe Young, representing the residents. Injured in an automobile accident several years earlier, she was thrilled to be able to live independently.

Caption information source: “Handicapped Get a Home”, by Forrest Williams, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, August 31, 1970, page 10.