Founded in 1974 and incorporated in 1976 by Joseph L. Rich, the Disabled Persons Action Organization (DPAO) is a non-profit serving developmentally disabled children and adults in Jefferson and Lewis Counties. DPAO provides individualized services and is the region’s primary provider of overnight and hourly respite care, serving over 500 people and their families.

Early fundraising concerts funded services before state support began and grew into a Summer Concert Series that still supplements programs and benefits the local economy. Today DPAO employs 150+ staff and relies on volunteers to deliver services that help families cope and promote independence.