TACID, Tacoma Area Coalition of Individuals with Disabilities, provides programs and support services for adults experiencing an array of visible and invisible disabilities. Founded in 1980 by the Tacoma Council on Disabilities, Tacoma Association of the Deaf, The Pierce County Association of the Blind, and The MS Society, TACID was originally established to be a place where various groups could serve disabled adults living in Pierce County. Today, we provide programs and services that support the full spectrum of our participants with developmental, cognitive, sensory and behavioral health challenges, while also providing free facilities to 30 partner organizations that serve people with specific disabilities.
TACID has carried out its mission to promote the independence of individuals with disabilities through peer support, advocacy, and self-sufficiency programs for nearly four decades. Other organizations may share our goals but TACID distinguishes itself by providing programs and services that are peer-led and peer-directed by well-educated, licensed and certified staff. Participants have said TACID is the one place they can be themselves—a place where they can recover and heal with the support of peers and staff members who share similar histories and life experiences. The unique and diverse environment at TACID helps to generate feelings of acceptance, inclusion and community, all of which have been proven to support wellness and empowerment.
The peer-led Wellness and Recovery Program at TACID is responsive to feedback from participants and our resourceful staff-members are dedicated to creating new opportunities based on their requests. TACID’s recently updated facility offers a broad array of services and activities, including a computer lab, community gardens, peer support groups, one-to-one peer support for group participants, classes, workshops and a dayroom for socializing, enjoying games and a variety of media. In the last 18 months, participants’ requests have led to the addition of health and wellness activities such as gentle yoga, healing massage, intuitive art classes and several 12-week classes that address behavioral health challenges.