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Building Communities of Care 7 In spite of some small gains, access to education still proved challenging for children with disabilities. While many children and adults were still in state-run institutions, in Massachusetts the relentless advocacy of families paid off with the enactment of Chapter 766, passed in 1972. Chapter 766 helped bring thousands of young people into more inclusive educational settings. It also required that local school systems educate every student in their community and fund appropriate educational costs. Chapter 766 was the catalyst for President Gerald Ford to sign into law the All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) [now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)]. e passage of this act helped WAARC further serve children with disabilities and integrate them more fully into the community. roughout her two+ decades with WAARC, Andersen developed relationships with countless professional organizations. Her appointment as community representative for the Greater Worcester Council of e Office of Children created a direct pipeline to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Human Services, which advocates for children across the state. After 27 years at the helm of WAARC, Andersen, considered a "force of nature," retired, leaving a legacy on which the Seven Hills Foundation was built. For Andersen the work at WAARC was always "about the families." She believed that the families were "the base sealing the floor of the whole building of the program." n I n 1969, Robin and Marian Mahar welcomed a son they named Rob, who was diagnosed with seizure disorder when he was four months old. By the time he was four years old, he required full-time care in a place that would nurture, protect, and educate him. Initially, they placed Rob at the Perkins School in Lancaster where he remained before transitioning to Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown when he turned 18. As he was about to "age out," the couple needed to find another option that could provide medical services as well as mental stimulation, socialization opportunities, and compassionate care. WAARC had just opened Overland House, which proved to be a perfect fit for Rob for the next 12 years. When David Jordan became president, he opened Seven Hills first custom-built residential home in Sterling on November 5, 2005. Robin and Marion lived nearby and visited their son every week. They were delighted with the care Rob received. The Mahars are grateful that they had the unwavering support of Seven Hills Foundation. Marion said, "Seven Hills seems to find people who are very caring, very professional and have an empathy for the people they serve. It's a first-class operation." "When you're on a different journey from the one that normal parents have, it's important that the people on that journey are helping you," said Robin. "We've been so fortunate to have the people at Seven Hills Foundation to take care of our guy Rob." President Gerald Ford signing the federal EHA law Barbara and Roy Anderson at her retirement in 1995