This document provides a timeline of key events in the history of the intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) movement and the development of Foothold Technology's AWARDS software. Some key events include a 1972 lawsuit filed over poor conditions at Willowbrook State School, the passage of laws like the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 promoting disability rights, and the 1999 Olmstead ruling requiring services be offered in integrated community settings. The timeline also notes milestones for AWARDS like its initial development in 1990 and its adoption by providers nationally to support documentation, data collection, and care coordination for individuals with I/DD and other needs.

1. TIMELINE
The I/DD Movement &
Foothold Technology

2. In NY ARC vs. Rockefeller,
parents of Willowbrook State
School residents file suit over
inhumane living conditions at
the institution.
1972
TIMELINE
“By using the same methods
across our programs for data
collection, we can easily see
if ISPs are done, notes are
complete, and if caseloads are
manageable.”Sonji Phillips
Director of DD Services
Unique People Services
STATISTIC: Between 1% and 3% of
Americans have an intellectual disability.
Source: http://www.thearc.org/

3. TIMELINE
“All the documents our funder
requires were put in [AWARDS],
so we could very quickly track our
daily usage and what we’re doing
with the consumers.”Michael Janosch
Supervisor of Pathway
Goodwill Industries of Greater NY
& Northern NJ
STATISTIC: An estimated five million
Americans have an intellectual or
developmental disability.
Source: https://acl.gov/
1973
Public Entities Can’t Discriminate
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973 makes it illegal
for federal agencies, public
universities, and other public
institutions receiving any federal
funds to discriminate on the basis
of disability.
The Education for All Handicapped
Children Act (PL 94-142) is passed,
establishing the rights of children
with disabilities to a public school
education in the least restrictive
environment.
1973
1975

4. 1990
1990
TIMELINE
“Our new tools for communication help
staff feel connected and supported, help our
management team hear directly from staff to
inform our decision-making, and in essence,
help us keep the focus where it should
be – on those we serve.”Liz Smith
Executive Director
Unity House of Cayuga County
STATISTIC: Since 1992, the number of people with
disabilities in the US who are served in settings of 6 or
fewer individuals has increased by an average rate of
approximately 16,000 people every year.
Source: NPQ, July 16, 2014
1990
1990
1990
Americans with Disabilities
Act becomes law, providing
comprehensive civil rights
protection for people with
disabilities.
AWARDS Electronic Record
is developed inside an agency
in New York City by human
service provider staff.

5. TIMELINE
“In a support delivery environment rapidly
shifting from a fee for service to value based
outcome structure that will match payments
with outcomes for individual service
recipients, it is imperative that organizations
develop and fine tune their ability to use
data as a management tool.”Michael Seereiter
President & CEO
New York State Rehabilitation Association (NYSRA)
STATISTIC: The current unemployment rate for people
with a developmental disability who have looked for a job
at least once in the last 12 months: 33.5%.
Source: http://healthresearchfunding.org/
Olmstead vs. L.C. rules
individuals with mental disabilities
must be offered services in the
most integrated setting possible.
Foothold Technology is founded
in New York City to expand
AWARDS functionality and make
it available to providers across
the country.
1999
2000
20001999

6. Unity House of Cayuga County
becomes the first I/DD provider
to use AWARDS, configuring
the database to meet state
regulations.
TIMELINE
“The ability for us, no matter where we are in the
state, to have access to the information about any
client at any given time, whether it’s after hours
or on a holiday, has been the most important
change for us.”Angela Gerding
Program Enrichment Director
Advocacy & Protective Services, Inc.
STATISTIC: For every dollar paid to workers
without disabilities, those with disabilities
receive only 63 cents on average.
Source: http://www.air.org/
2003 2011
2003
Advocacy & Protective
Services, Inc. in Ohio becomes
the first I/DD provider to
adopt AWARDS and use on a
statewide basis.
2011

7. TIMELINE
STATISTIC: Nationwide, there are approximately 1.4
million individuals who require professional support to
live and work in their own communities. Unfortunately,
there are only about 875,000 direct support workers.
Source: http://ancor.org/
“We live in a very rural area
-- our case management and
service coordination staff drive
hundreds of miles a week to
see consumers. They can do
their notes on the spot.”Barry Berghaus
Director of Clinical Services
United Helpers Mosaic
Foothold Technology supports
over 1,000 providers across the
nation with their documentation
needs.

8. FOOTHOLD TECHNOLOGY | 36 E 12TH ST, NEW YORK, NY 10003 | 212.780.1450
FOOTHOLDTECHNOLOGY.COM
At Foothold Technology, we believe that all human beings deserve to live with dignity and equal opportunity despite any challenges
they face. More than 1,000 agencies nationwide count on Foothold’s AWARDS software to manage their services, including
Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities, Mental Health, Alcohol & Substance Abuse, Homeless & Housing, Employment & Training,
Seniors, Veterans, Youth & Family, and more. Having originated from three agencies in 2000, AWARDS is a complete electronic
record, EHR and human services software that also supports administrative activities, including facilities maintenance, human
resources, scheduling and alerts, audit reports, and automated billing. AWARDS offers full interoperability with any other federally
certified system for participation in Health Information Exchanges (HIE) and Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIOs).
With roots and origins in human services, no software vendor is better prepared to support providers than Foothold Technology.