SADI expands services, improves lives for people with disabilities

Did you know?

SADI employs more than 120 people in the Southeast Missouri region.

SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence started out as a small business designed to educate the community and assist people in achieving independent living. After much hard work and vision, SADI is now recognized as one of the leading agencies in Missouri for providing independent living assistance to those with disabilities.

"It has been a wonderful experience as a SADI board member to watch SADI continue to develop programs and services for Southeast Missouri," said Rick Hetzel, board president.

The staff and attendants of SADI believe in the difference they can make for the people with disabilities they serve.

Miki Gudermuth, SADI's executive director, says everyone, regardless of disability, is entitled to be as active and productive as he or she chooses to be, in both home and community.

SADI uses Gudermuth's example in its everyday operations, since 51 percent of the staff and board members have a disability themselves. The agency celebrates 20 years of providing true independent living services to people with disabilities. These services include, but are not limited to, information and referral, advocacy, peer support, independent living skills training, consumer directed in-home services, traditional in-home services, client assistance services, transportation shuttle service, Social Security Benefits Planning, an assistive technology program as well as deaf and hard of hearing services.

SADI serves the counties of Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Perry, Scott and Mississippi, and filters into several other southern counties.

Since 1987, SADI went from Gudermuth's dining room to a 1250-square- foot office complex at 1020 N. Kings highway. Having outgrown that location, in 1995 they moved into a 5,000-square-foot space at 121 South Broadview. In 2008, SADI moved into its present location at 1913 Rusmar St. The SADI Foundation built and owns the 10,000 square-foot office building and is looking to add on to that facility within the next few years on the additional 2 acres purchased in 2009. In 2009, SADI opened its satellite office in Charleston to better serve its southern most counties.

Recently, the agency expanded its transportation program for people with disabilities from Cape Girardeau to include Scott City. SADI's transportation program is looking to expand into Jackson sometime in the near future. The agency employs more than 120 people in Southeast Missouri (many of whom are social work graduates from Southeast Missouri State University and Murray State) and processes payroll for more than 600 attendants.

SADI receives funding through independent living grants from the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, MODOT, Missouri Foundation for Health, Missouri Assistive Technology Project, contracts with Department of Health and Senior Services to provide consumer directed services and traditional in-home care services, as well as the host site for Social Security benefits planning to enable people with disabilities to go to work.

The Cape Girardeau location offers a brailling service and has installed a video relay telephone system for the deaf. In fiscal year 2010, SADI continues to make a difference in the community, working with the Cape Girardeau County Health Department and the American Red Cross to further develop emergency services for people with disabilities, offering sign language classes and expanding into Employment Mentoring Services.  A Dress for Success Employment Workshop will be held in March.   The agency will also offer more assistive technology workshops in 2010, as well as work to develop more children's programs.  Recently, the agency began a program for parents of autistic children called GAPS. A smoke-free bingo night will be offered at SADI as another fundraising venture.  SADI is proud to provide services and well-trained employees to assist those with disabilities. The work of the agency has been recognized with awards such as the Heart of Social Work Award in 2009, as well as a Community Partnership Shining Star Award through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).