New Directions for people with disabilities, inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing high quality local, national, and international travel vacations and holiday programs for people with mild to moderate developmental disabilities.

These profoundly enriching educational travel opportunities expand experiential learning and dramatically enhance the self-esteem of every traveler.

Our programs open whole new worlds of understanding for both the participants and the general population.

Through these programs, people with disabilities are increasingly understood, appreciated and accepted as important and contributing members of our world.

FOUNDED
1985, by Dee Duncan

OFFICE
Santa Barbara:
New Directions, Inc.
5276 Hollister Ave, Suite #207
Santa Barbara, CA 93111
tel: (805) 967-2841
toll free: (888) 967-2841
fax (805) 964-7344
email
web site: http://www.newdirectionstravel.org

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Dee Duncan

WHO WE SERVE
Each year we serve over 550 teenagers, adults and seniors who have brain impairments such as mild to moderate developmental disabilities, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, Down Syndrome and autism. Since 1985, we have taken over 12,000 people with special needs on tours all over the world.

DESTINATIONS
New Directions annually sponsors trips in the United States and abroad. Previous excursions have included:
Australia ~ Hawaii ~ New Zealand ~ Washington D.C. ~ Bahamas ~ New York City ~ Ireland ~ Las Vegas ~ Israel ~ Disneyland ~ Japan ~ Grand Canyon

ACTIVITIES
New Directions' programs promote a sense of accomplishment, belonging and self-worth for the participants by providing a wide range of challenging activities such as:
Skiing ~ Biking Tours ~ River Rafting ~ Hot Air Ballooning ~ Kayaking ~ Snorkeling ~ Sailing ~ Surf Camps

TOUR GUIDES
The Tour Guides are special educational instructors, recreation therapists, residential counselors, vocational and independent living skills counselors, and other professional staff who have been trained to work with people with developmental disabilities.

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ABOUT OUR FEES
All tours are subsidized through donations.

New Directions tours are exceptionally high quality. Preparations include extensive research, fully custom arrangements, hundreds of safety-related details, medical/behavior reviews and individual attention. Staff to traveler ratio ranges from 1:1 through 1:4. We feel these labor intensive preparations and ratios are essential to ensure a safe and normalized experience.

To help keep fees down, we use volunteers and solicit donated goods and services whenever possible.

All tours are subsidized through donations. Full and partial travel scholarships are provided for those with financial need.

SCHOLARSHIPS
To apply for financial assistance, please call or email our office and request a scholarship application or you can click here to open a PDF version of the Scholarship Application packet. You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open the forms. If you don't have Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download it for free at: http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2_allversions.html

Your application will be reviewed by the Scholarship Committee composed of community volunteers and New Directions personnel. Applications are due by August 31 of each year for the holiday tours and by February 28 of each year for the Spring and Summer tours.

Unfortunately, we are unable to give scholarships to everyone who applies. We are constantly fundraising to provide financial assistance for as many people as possible. The majority of scholarships given are in the $500 -$1000 range.

Most of the money raised goes toward our holiday programs to provide a family-style vacation for those without anywhere to go.

Donations for Scholarships Needed!
All donations are tax deductible.

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MISSION
New Directions believes that people who have disabilities deserve the same opportunities in life that others expect and enjoy. These profoundly enriching travel programs expand the self-esteem of every traveler. Whole new worlds of understanding are opened for both participants and the general population. Through these unique programs, people with disabilities are increasingly understood, appreciated and accepted as important and contributing members of our world.

New Directions believes that people with disabilities deserve the same opportunities in life that most of us take for granted. We provide an atmosphere in which people with disabilities are accepted and treated as individuals, exploring new worlds in an environment of love and respect. All our travel programs are specifically designed to give our participants the opportunity to enjoy both the simple pleasures of everyday life and the special joys of new experiences. Learning, forming new friendships, discovering hidden talents and achieving personal breakthroughs are just part of what a New Directions tour is all about.

We strive to offer each person the maximum opportunity for choice, independence, socialization and the application of practical living skills. Of course, we don't forget to add a solid dose of just plain old fun.

New Directions has an Integrated Work Program, helping people with disabilities acquire paid employment and the necessary skills to be competent in the work force. Currently, there are four part-time employees adding hours of valuable skills to this vital organization. This program exists to encourage people with disabilities to reach their full potential and to be contributing members of an integrated work environment.

As a non profit organization, we depend on the community and like minded individuals to help us achieve these goals. New Directions would be delighted to count you as a supporter. If you would like further information, please don't hesitate to call or write. We look forward to hearing from you.

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HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
Dee Duncan started New Directions in 1985 after having worked for eight years in a large residential facility for adults with developmental disabilities. As part of her duties at this facility, she frequently arranged travel vacations for its two hundred residents. Of all the therapeutic programs that this care facility provided, the travel vacations stood out as the most beneficial. The tours proved to be the perfect environment for "hands-on" education (so much better than classroom or textbook education!), for practicing independent living skills in the "real" world, and for fostering flexibility in new or different situations (a critical need for all persons with brain impairment). In addition, the tours were the ideal avenue for promoting acceptance and inclusion among the general population.

The benefits were so enormous that Dee felt compelled to offer these programs to others with brain impairments. She researched and found no other organization that provided this type of specialized travel service.

Dee started from the dining room table of her small studio apartment, with a cardboard box for files, and her 75-year old mother as her assistant! Starting capital was $8,000-- the total of Dee's personal savings. Most important, she had an unwavering commitment to making these important travel programs available to people with disabilities.

In 2010 New Directions will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary! We have successfully taken over 12,000 people on life-enriching vacations all over the world--promoting inclusion all along the way. Currently with an annual budget of over $1,000,000 we offer more than 40 travel vacation programs annually, a variety of day tours, and an international exchange program, all of which serve approximately 600 participants annually. Most participants live in the Southern California area, but some live in other states and even in other countries. To date, our youngest has been 7 and oldest 92.

The fastest growing and most successful program has been the Holiday Happiness Program. Dee Duncan started with one Holiday Happiness program in 1985. She noticed that many of the residents were being left behind at the care facility during the holidays, while their peers as well as staff were packing their bags for home. Dee decided to take those who had been “left behind” to Disneyland that year for Christmas. Holiday Happiness is a 4-day program offered annually in December to people living in care facilities in California. These persons are generally wards of the state or have been abandoned by their families.

The program offers a home-style Christmas complete with deluxe hotel accommodations, gourmet meals, Disneyland and California Adventure, hand-made stockings, gifts galore, and dedicated staff and volunteers offering huge amounts of love and joy. This year New Directions will offer five large programs (25 to 30 participants each) at Christmas time, with additional programs offered at every major holiday.

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