ORLEANS – Construction is expected to begin this week on the Cape Cod Village in Orleans.
The Village will be a residential community for 15 adults on the autism spectrum which will include a community resource center to provide a social and educational gathering place for individuals who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Cape Cod Village President Bob Jones says the facility is a solution to the lack of adult services support.
“The whole concept is for people to be integrated into the local community – not to be isolated which is generally the case,” Jones said.
When individuals with developmental disabilities turn 22 they age out of public school services that are funded.
Jones and his wife, Lauren, founded the Village in response to the uncertain future of their son Alexendar, who is now 30 years old and has severe autism.
“We got together with a few other parents who had young adult children with autism and thought about a community where people could live meaningful lives and have permanent homes,” Jones said.
With the help of many other since, Cape Cod Village was developed and has received nearly $7 million in backing.
The village will include four homes which will house the 15 individuals on four acres in Orleans Center on Main Street.
Jones said his son currently lives in a home in Sandwich with three other men and that they are very isolated.
“Nobody comes in. Nobody goes out of the home,” Jones said. “There is no real community participation and that is the kind of thing we’ve been looking to break.”
The organizers of the village believe that these individuals can have productive and meaningful lives.
“Whether or not that involves employment or various other kind of volunteer activities in the community is variable depending upon the person,” Jones said.
The project is expected to be completed by this Thanksgiving.
A groundbreaking ceremony will be held for the village early next month.
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