The organization began in 1976 with 4 members who received $50.00 SEED money from the Ontario Ministry of Community & Social Services. Their efforts combined with the Ontario March of Dimes, (Regional Manager, Bob Peebles), Barrie Parks & Recreation and the Ontario Ministry of Community & Social Services established the beginning of the organization.

In 1977, the Barrie and District Association for the Physically Disabled was incorporated as a non - profit charity. The focus of the Association was independent living, accessible transportation and advocacy. In 1977, many physically disabled people were in institutions, housing was not accessible, office buildings were not accessible, and few stores and restaurants were accessible. There were no support services offering institutionalized physically disabled people the opportunity to live in their own homes throughout Simcoe County. There were also no accessible transportation services.

One of the first projects of the Barrie and District Association for the Physically Disabled was to host a provincial convention through the United Handicap Groups of Ontario. The 350 delegates from across Ontario came together to discuss and advocate the needs of the disabled. The emphasis of the convention was housing, transportation and employment.

In 1978, a young lady, Elaine Knox, with Fredreichs Ataxia had a dream of living independently in the community. She contacted members of the Barrie and District Association for the Physically Disabled. Working together they first rented (with an option to purchase) a home on Cook Street.

In 1979, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation provided the funds to purchase the house and make the first major renovations, which included a new roof, wheelchair accessible kitchen and washroom. The house became known as Elaine House and was officially opened in October 1980.

Elaine House opened with five residents, and volunteers assisted them in activities of daily living. Each resident had their own room for which they paid rent, and all of them contributed to the general running of the house, i.e. utilities, grocery shopping, meal preparation and housework. Over the years, it has been modernized to keep up with the needs of the residents who live there. Elaine House is now staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The focus has changed over time to a congregate living situation for 5 individuals, and a respite room.

In 1980-81, the Barrie Kiwanis Club and Easter Seals donated the first BACTS (Barrie Accessible Transit Service) bus to the Association. The staffing and scheduling was done from the organizations' office at 70 Collier Street in Barrie. The BACTS service continued to grow and in the year of 1989, there were over 400 registered riders totaling 22,000 trips using 4 buses. The City of Barrie took over the service with its five buses in 1991.

Advocacy was important throughout the late 70's and 80's. Bob Kerr and Bob Peebles (The Two Bobs as they became known), would travel to public schools and speak to the students about being in a wheelchair. They also traveled to other communities in Simcoe County to address concerns around accessibility and public buildings.

The early 80's saw the first outreach program and the Association received funding from the Ontario Ministry of Community & Social Services to accommodate 6 individuals and their families in Barrie and Bradford. The Support Care Outreach program provided daily living assistance to consumers in their own home between the hours of 7:00 am to 11:00 pm. In the mid to late 80's, the Outreach program expanded to provide services in Midland, Wasaga Beach, Collingwood, and Orillia.

Additional supportive housing units in Barrie opened on Kozlov St. and Edgehill Dr. in 1988 and 1989 respectively. The 5 units on Edgehill were made accessible by the housing authority because the Barrie and District Association for the Physically Disabled was involved in the blue print stage and at that time barrier-free units were required in each new development.

On April 23, 1990, the Barrie and District Association for the Physically Disabled officially changed its name to The Simcoe County Association for the Physically Disabled. This name change reflected the Association's growth and expansion out of Barrie to cover Simcoe County. Shortly after that, funding for these programs was transferred from the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services to the Ontario Ministry of Health & Long Term Care.

With the continued support of expansion dollars from the Ontario Ministry of Health & Long Term Care, the S.C.A.P.D. opened additional supportive housing units. In 1993, five units opened in Orillia, and in 1997 five units on Coulter St. and four units on Duckworth St. in Barrie.

Supportive Housing services were established in Collingwood in 1999, using a modified model for this program due to the difficulty in accessing sufficient apartments in a suitable location. A similar program was developed in Midland shortly afterwards, and further expansion to the Orillia program occurred in 2000.

In 2001, the "Ontarians with Disabilities Act" received Royal Assent in Ontario. The members of the Board of Directors became very passionate about learning about the new act and become active participants with municipalities, in particular, on their Accessibility Advisory Committees to enhance the accessibility of municipalities across Simcoe County as outlined in the legislation. Shortly afterward, the Association created the Simcoe County Accessibility Network to support the efforts of Accessibility Advisory Committees across Simcoe County. This has recently been expanded to assist these groups in neighbouring communities also.

In 2004, through the support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, we began to develop expertise in accessibility consulting and sensitivity training to businesses.

In 2007, the Association employs 130 staff members, primarily as Attendant Care Workers. We currently support 44 individuals in Supportive Housing and 86 in Outreach services across the County. We have a very active public education/accessibility program, and share office space with the MS Society - Simcoe County Chapter.

The Association's growth over the last 30 years has been exponential. Advocacy and independence of people with physical disabilities continues to increase and the organization's mandate with it. Many community partners and individuals have assisted the Association over the years to develop accessible housing, recreational facilities, employment supports and public awareness of the needs of the individuals with physical disabilities in our community. The Association's annual operating budget now exceeds $3.5 million dollars, which consists of grants through the Ontario Ministry of Health & Long Term Care, United Way of Greater Simcoe County, memberships, donations, fundraising and fee for service revenue.

As the Simcoe County Association for the Physically Disabled continues to evolve, it will continue to assist individuals with physical disabilities to live independently in our community by offering a variety of personal support services, and working at "Opening Doors and Minds" within the community, through sensitivity and disability awareness programs, to make Simcoe County a welcoming place for all individuals.