Our History

In 1969 a state statute was enacted that allowed the citizens of Missouri counties to vote on a tax levy to support various local services for individuals with developmental disabilities. The tax levy passed and the state boards created became commonly known as “SB 40 Boards” after the Senate Bill that created them. The voters of Jackson County approved adopting a “SB 40 Board” in 1976, and eitas’ first Board of Directors was appointed in 1977. First known as the Jackson County Board of Services for the Developmentally Disabled, the Board voted in 2007 to change the name to Developmental Disability Services of Jackson County – eitas. In 2018, the Board approved a new logo and the organization name was shortened to just eitas.

Our initial charter was to provide supports for sheltered workshops and residential group homes for the persons who were employed by workshops, but since 1976, the needs and supports for individuals have tremendously changed. Over the years, the SB 40 statutes (Missouri Revised Statutes 205.968 to 205.972) have been modified several times to allow for these changes. Today we support a variety of services and programs, in addition to employment and residential services, that benefit thousands of people each year.