Lois Lloyd was a pioneering advocate for children and adults with developmental disabilities. Lloyd was driven to change contemporary notions about caring for disabled people when she gave birth to her first child, Patricia Lloyd in 1944. Doctors told Lloyd and her husband, Tom, that they should send Patty to a state institution, but they adamantly refused. Instead, the couple raised Patty in their home and tried to find social activities and educational opportunities for their daughter. There were none. So, they started their own organization which is now known as Shore Services.
The work began in Leahy Park where Lloyd organized a summer program for twelve local children with developmental disabilities. The summer group activities were a resounding success, but half of the children had no school or day program to attend in the Fall, which troubled Lloyd. To fill the void, she decided to open a small school in her basement where she taught ten children of varying ages and degrees of disability. Knowing that she was not properly equipped to meet the children’s needs, Lloyd appealed to the Illinois Department of Education for funding for a school dedicated to meeting the unique needs of children with developmental disabilities. Her request was granted as the state began six special education pilot programs across the street, including Evanston’s new Park School. However, the new public school could not accommodate students with severe disabilities, like Patty, so Lloyd’s fight continued.
As she searched for a permanent home for a school for children with severe disabilities, the group shuffled between different church basements in the city. In 1959 the Shore secured a 99-year lease at 2525 Church St. Renovations were necessary to transform the old Sanitary Canal District building into a functioning school, which housed three classrooms, job training workshops, and administrative offices. The Shore School opened in 1962, serving forty young people. The same year Shore opened an adult training center which provided job training and placement for adults with mild to moderate disabilities.
In the following decades, Lloyd expanded Shore’s work to include living accommodations and day centers for individuals with varying levels of disability. This included the Shore day school, Shore Adult Center, Shore Training Center, North Shore Homes in Evanston and Skokie, and the Patricia Lloyd Townhomes in Evanston. The townhomes were named in memory of Patty after her death at age 29. The new living accommodations provided disabled folks with a sense of autonomy and independence with supervision from house-parents. While Patty was the inspiration behind Lloyd’s work, it continued to grow after her passing. In fact, Lloyd’s other children, Ann, Dan, and David, all found careers serving people with disabilities.
Lloyd eventually stepped down as director of Shore and passed away in 2002. However, Shore’s work continues to impact the North Shore community. In April 2026, the organization celebrated its seventy-fifth anniversary, and it continues to serve over 200 people each year. It remains a vital organization for people with developmental disabilities seeking employment, education, and independence.