Their vision changed lives
and still does.

After touring state-funded nursing homes and other assisted living facilities, these parents came home heartbroken.

They could not imagine their children locked up inside one of these state institutions alongside individuals with severe mental disabilities. They couldn't imagine them being isolated in assisted living facilities with the elderly and informed.

They couldn't imagine their children unable to leave their apartment for a cup of coffee or to run an errand, unable to choose their own caregiver, unable to work or pursue additional education.

Every OTR community began with one powerful idea: that everyone deserves the right to live independently. Help us carry that mission forward.

How Over The Rainbow Began: A Legacy of Independence and Inclusion

Over The Rainbow was founded in 1974 by a group of parents of mobility-impaired children who realized there was no place where their children could live with dignity and independence once they were too old to care for themselves. They faced a harsh reality: no housing options existed for low-income, mobility-impaired adults who needed customized housing solutions. Furthermore, there were no housing options that allowed adults with physical disabilities who required personal care assistance to independently contract for their own care.

After touring state-funded nursing homes and other assisted living facilities, these parents came home heartbroken. They could not imagine their children locked up inside one of these state institutions alongside individuals with severe mental disabilities. They couldn't imagine them being isolated in assisted living facilities with the elderly and infirm. They couldn't imagine their children unable to leave their apartment for a cup of coffee or to run an errand, unable to choose their own caregiver, unable to work or pursue additional education.

These parents were committed to creating a better future for their own children and others like them. This is their story.

In 1983, Don Gustafson retired after a 34-year career at Sears and, together with his wife Sue, embarked on a mission to change this landscape. Inspired by their son Bob’s deep desire to live independently despite his severe physical disability, Don and Sue partnered with the Over The Rainbow Association to transform a closed hospital in Evanston into something extraordinary.

The result was the Hill Arboretum Apartments—a 33-unit, fully accessible community that became a groundbreaking model for accessible living.

Their tireless dedication—building community support, raising funds, and showing up day after day—laid the foundation for a movement. Since the opening of Hill Arboretum, OTR has developed 14 fully accessible apartment communities across Northern Illinois. Each one is rooted in the belief that everyone deserves the chance to live independently with dignity.

Providing a range of housing solutions for this diverse, low-income, physically disabled but mentally alert population is what Over The Rainbow Association is all about.