Community life should start with what the person actually wants.
OLMVO helps young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities pursue more of the community participation they choose — with practical access information and individualized support that follows their lead.
The idea in one sentence
Support participation. Do not take over.
OLMVO helps young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities experience more of the community life they actually want. Members choose ordinary activities in their community, and OLMVO helps connect them with paid Community Partners who provide support without taking over. We are preparing an Atlanta pilot to test whether this model can reduce the gap between the participation people want and what they actually experience.
OLMVO is building a different way for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to participate in community life. Instead of a program deciding what someone should do, the member chooses an ordinary activity they actually want to experience. OLMVO then helps the member connect with a paid Community Partner who provides nonclinical support while the member remains in control. The first Atlanta pilot is being designed for about twenty members, with four community Experiences over roughly twelve weeks and a follow-up. We are also building the research around the pilot so we can measure whether the model actually reduces the gap between the participation people want and what they experience. OLMVO is currently preparing funding, research, Community Partner recruitment, accessibility review, product testing, transportation, and launch operations. We are looking for thoughtful people who can help us strengthen the model, challenge our assumptions, and help build something that respects choice, belonging, access, and real community participation.
How it works
One member. One choice. Support built around that choice.
Choose
The member identifies a community activity or goal that actually matters to them.
Connect
OLMVO helps the member review potential Community Partner matches and support options.
Experience
The member participates in an ordinary community setting with support that follows their lead.
Reflect
A short check-in captures whether the Experience matched what the member wanted and what support helped.
Atlanta pilot
Small enough to learn. Structured enough to measure.
~20
members
18–30
pilot age range
4
paid Experiences
~12 weeks
pilot window
Research built in
The pilot is being structured to examine the gap between participation people want and participation they actually experience — without assuming that a program automatically creates inclusion.
Accessibility + belonging review
Technical QA is separate from disability-led review of usability, language, autonomy, dignity, access, and belonging.
Support, not control
Reduced support is only considered positive when the member actually wants less support. Member-defined progress matters more than program-defined independence.
Where do you fit?
Choose the lens that sounds most like you.
The OLMVO story is the same. What is most useful to you changes depending on why we are connecting.
Professor / Researcher
Help strengthen the evidence behind the model.
OLMVO is developing a structured pilot around the participation gap, member-defined goals, brief pre/post check-ins, Community Partner logs, and follow-up. We are looking for research collaborators who can challenge the design, strengthen measurement, and support an ethical path to publication.
Where you could help: Useful help: research design, measurement, IRB guidance, theory, methods, analysis, or publication collaboration.
Where OLMVO is now
Building toward the first Atlanta pilot.
You do not have to know exactly how you fit before reaching out.
If something here connects with your work, research, experience, network, or curiosity, that is enough reason to start a conversation.
OLMVO is in pilot development. Descriptions on this page explain the planned model and should not be read as claims of completed outcomes.