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.

Speeches kicked off the dedication of the Center Park Apartments on August 30, 1970. Here, Washington Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson stands at the microphone, while Seattle Housing Authority chief Donald Phelps (center) and Seattle Mayor Wes Uhlman (right) sit nearby. Jackson told the attendees that the next step would be to get funds to build a rehabilitation center nearby.

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