Historically, people who were disabled were often thought of as having no intrinsic value to society. They have been marginalized and abused in many societies through many different time periods. Many experienced being institutionalized, abandoned, stigmatized, restrained, excluded and even killed for being born with a physical or intellectual disability. In the United States, nearly 61 million adults live with a disability. Texas has the second largest number of individuals with disabilities of all states. The percentage of individuals with disabilities in Texas is 11.7% and has remained stable over the past four years. Currently, 51% of individuals under guardianship in Texas have some type of intellectual or developmental disability. According to the American Community Survey conducted by the local authorities, 13.7% or 183,209 individuals living in Bexar County, report that they are living with one or more types of disabilities. Efforts must continue to establish partnerships with agencies to promote community awareness and change public perception of what it means to have a disability.














