Walton Options for Independent Living and the Walton Foundation for Independence have officially opened their new Center for Disability Rights and Resources in downtown Augusta, thanks to support from several local businesses and individual donors.
The non-profit organizations celebrated the grand opening of the $2 million, 6,500-square-foot Center located at 948 Walton Way with a ribbon-cutting hosted by the Augusta Metro Chamber of Commerce and an open house on Tuesday, July 26, the 32nd anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
To help fund the project, Walton Options worked with Kruhu, a local marketing agency, to develop the Boldly BE Campaign. Local businesses that have supported the campaign include Barney’s Pharmacy, IntelliSystems, and the Augusta GreenJackets.
The campaign has raised more than $666,000 of its $1.6 million goal.
The Center was designed by Dickinson Architects and built by Allen+Batchelor Construction. It includes offices, meeting spaces, and an accessible technology lab.
“For quite a few years, our old building had exhausted its ability to provide a functional setting for our work,” said Walton Options Executive Director, Tiffany Clifford. “People with disabilities are active throughout the community and contribute individually to the heartbeat of the area as it grows; we are excited to have this new space as part of that growth.”
Walton Options is one of more than 400 Centers for Independent Living in the United States. The CSRA Center serves children and adults in 26 counties throughout Georgia and South Carolina. It provides a variety of services, including employment assistance, life skills training, and adaptive sports.
“Over the years, Augusta has continued to grow with new businesses choosing our area as their base of operations,” said James Heffner, building committee chair and vice chair of the Walton Options Board of Directors. “As local community members continue to revitalize our spaces downtown, and we see more opportunities emerge, we need to ensure that everyone in the community is able to be a part of them.”
For more information or to donate to the campaign, boldlybe.waltonoptions.org/.
