Our History

Both Easterseals Serving Greater Cincinnati and Redwood School and Rehabilitation Center were founded by families, for families, with a vision of creating a better future for adults and children with disabilities.

Easterseals, now a national organization, was formed in Ohio in 1919 when Rotarian Edgar Allen dedicated his life to creating community-based services for children with disabilities following the death of his son. Allen recruited Rotarians to create a network of programs that would become Easterseals. Support from Rotary clubs has been ongoing since our founding.

Easterseals Serving Greater Cincinnati, formerly Work Resource Center, was founded locally by families committed to community-based services and employment for their adult family members with disabilities, and has built on those principles of workforce diversity and inclusion ever since. In 2012, they proudly combined with Jewish Vocational Services and continue to serve people throughout the region.

Redwood School and Rehabilitation’s story began in 1951 when frustrated parents of children with cerebral palsy discovered that Northern Kentucky had no services for their children. Together, these parents founded Redwood in 1953 to provide services, solutions, and hope for all children with disabilities. In the 1980s and 1990s, Redwood added an adult activity program, business computer skills, employment services, a technological services program, early childhood and school age childcare services, occupational-physical therapy, and an Assistive Technology Resource Center.

In August 2022 Easterseals Serving Greater Cincinnati and Redwood merged. Our new entity, Easterseals Redwood (ESRW), meets the needs of the growing number of individuals with disabilities, veterans, and individuals facing economic challenges in the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky region.

Today, the combined agency has a vision of creating a future where everyone in our community is included and lives a full life.