THE ROLAND CENTER
EMPOWERING ADULTS WITH IDD | EST. 1960
ABOUT - OUR STORY
It started with a family's refusal to accept the status quo.
"Gunner still calls it home today. A living testament to what a family's love and determination can build."
In 1961, Shirley and Ganzer Roland, parents of a son born with cerebral palsy, believed something radical for their time: that adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities deserved the chance to work, contribute, and belong. Their son Gunner was the heart of that conviction.
Together with other determined families, they fundraised through paper drives and rummage sales, built a 4,000-square-foot facility from the ground up, and founded what would become The Roland Center. Gunner still calls it home today. A living testament to what a family's love and determination can build.
1960
The Roland Center is Founded
Shirley and Ganzer Roland, alongside determined families, fundraise through paper drives and rummage sales to build a 4,000-square-foot facility and establish the organisation.
Decades of growth
Adapting Through Change
Through every legislative shift and evolution in best practice, The Roland Center adapted — always holding itself to the highest standards and never losing sight of the people it was built to serve.
Today
A Globally Recognised Leader
Under the stewardship of Executive Director Dr. Thomas Buckley, The Roland Center holds a three-year CARF International accreditation and stands alone as the only organisation in the world accredited to provide dementia care services specifically designed for adults with IDD as well as specialized services to adults with Autism.
From a handful of families with a shared dream to a globally recognised leader in disability services, our story is still being written. One person, one milestone, one life at a time.
OUR COMMITMENT
For more than six decades, one unwavering conviction.
For more than six decades, The Roland Center has held a single, unwavering conviction: that adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities deserve the chance to live, work, contribute, and belong — at every stage of life, and on their own terms. That conviction is the foundation of everything we do.
With Every Person, For Every Stage
Through our Residential Program, Adult Day Program, Community Based Opportunities and Tailored Day Services, and Supported Employment programs, we meet each individual exactly where they are — supporting not just their needs, but their ambitions.
A World-First Standard of Care
In a field where the bar is often set too low, The Roland Center has spent decades raising it. We hold a three-year CARF International accreditation and stand as the only organisation in the world accredited to provide specialized dementia care for adults with IDD as well as specialized autism spectrum disorder services for adults.
World's First CARF-Accredited Dementia Specialist and the only dual-accredited Dementia/ASD specialist service providers. This world-first model was built on a simple but radical premise: that adults with IDD deserve specialised, dignified support that evolves with them, including into their later years. No one else does what we do, and we don't take that lightly.
A Standard Worth Investing In
The Roland Center is not just a service provider. We are a globally recognised leader, an accredited innovator, and a proven partner for individuals, families, funders, and the institutions shaping the future of disability services. When you align with The Roland Center — as a donor, sponsor, government body, or community partner — you align with the organisation defining what excellence in this field looks like.
We invite you to be part of it.