Beacon Group

In 1952, an organization called Homecrafters was started as a modest program for adults with disabilities to receive job training, learn work skills and actually earn their own money. In 1955, eight local mothers with children having developmental disabilities opened a small school specifically for children with mental retardation. They named it Beacon Foundation. In 1993, Adaptive Aids (a program with the Division of Developmental Disabilities) merged with Tetra Corporation. The two organizations continued to operate and grow over the next 25 years, essentially serving the same population and pursuing the same sub-contract work from local businesses. In 2003 these two great Tucson programs decided to join forces to provide the best possible opportunities for local people with disabilities and their families. That merger has been a “match made in heaven” for thousands of people with big needs and little hope of getting help. The new organization, Beacon Group, was twice the size as either organization was before, and because of their partnership, well positioned to grow even bigger.