ABC Disability Support Group

04/13/2026

Mark and Liz Lyles would like to express their heartfelt gratitude for the honor of being nominated for the Chenoweth Award. Although we did not win, it was a meaningful experience to be recognized alongside such impactful individuals and initiatives.

Their journey into advocacy was inspired by personal challenges as they sought support for their daughter, who has a rare genetic disorder. Faced with barriers in the school system and limited resources, Mark and Liz took it upon themselves to create the community support they needed, leading to the establishment of ABC Disability Support Group in 2018. This non-profit organization is dedicated to advocating for individuals with disabilities and has tirelessly collaborated with local schools and the City of Trinidad to improve special education resources, enhance accommodations, and raise awareness of the daily challenges faced by this community.

Through years of hard work and collaboration, Mark and Liz have successfully spearheaded numerous initiatives, including the installation of a wheelchair swing at Trinidad’s community center, acquiring all-terrain wheelchairs for state parks, and authoring a proposal that resulted in the renovation of Central Park's ballpark to improve accessibility. Additionally, ABC Disability Support Group organizes inclusive activities and social events, such as the Champions Accessibility Road Race, parent support groups, educational workshops, personalized transportation services, and referral systems to connect families to essential resources.

Mark and Liz are passionate about ensuring that other families do not face the same struggles they encountered. Their tireless efforts have fostered a supportive community dedicated to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all abilities. ABC Disability Support Group is proud to be the only non-profit special education advocate south of Pueblo, Colorado, and they continue to expand their impact through partnerships with various local and state-level organizations, including Peak Parent Center, EI Colorado, The Arc of Colorado, Disability Law Colorado, and more. Since the formation of ABC Disability Support Group, Mark and Liz have positively impacted over a hundred families with children and adults with disabilities in the Trinidad area.

Thank you to everyone for their support as we continue to advocate for a better future for people with disabilities in our community. Together, we can create lasting change.

04/09/2026

Introducing Nash Gutierrez our Public Relations Officer and Ivorye Gutierrez board member and chair person of our Accessibility Committe. We are proud to share that they have also been nominated for the prestigious Chenoweth award this year in Trinidad Colorado

2026 Chenoweth Nominees - Ignacio and Ivorye Gutierrez

Ignacio (Nash) Gutierrez and his daughter, Ivorye (I) Gutierrez, are well-known figures in our community. Nash graduated from Trinidad High School in 1974 and subsequently joined the Army, serving as a combat engineer for a year and a half in Germany. During his service, he embarked on an impressive bicycle journey, cycling 1,055 miles on a 10-speed bike. His travels began in Oslo, Norway, where he visited the Viking Museum. He then journeyed through Denmark and northern Germany, exploring Sweden, and crossing the Holland D**e to visit the Van Gogh Museum and Anne Frank's annex in Amsterdam. His adventure continued to London, where he toured Buckingham Palace and the Imperial War Museum, before heading to Paris to spend two days at the Louvre, where he had the opportunity to see the Mona Lisa.

After completing his active duty, Nash returned home and joined the National Guard, serving for an additional six years as an army medic. He began his career with the C&S Railroad as a brakeman and retired as a locomotive engineer after 36 years of dedicated service. In 1980, he married Josephine Bull, who was born in Nairobi, Kenya, and moved to Trinidad in 1979. Josephine's father, Leonard J. Bull, became a gunsmithing instructor at Trinidad State Junior College.

Nash and Josephine welcomed two children into their lives: a beautiful daughter, Ivorye, and a son, Blayne. Blayne is now 31 and works for the City of Trinidad in the IT department.

Ivorye Lorraine Gutierrez graduated from Hoehne High School in 2002. Now 42 years old, Ivorye was born with cerebral palsy but has never let that stop her from enjoying life to the fullest. She has been an active member of the community, working for Fishers Peak Outfitters for two years. Ivorye contributes her time and talents to several committees, including the DHS Family Support and serves as a board member for the ABC Disability Support Group. In her role as chairperson of the Accessibility Committee at ABC Disability Support Group, she has attended numerous meetings focused on ADA compliance and accessibility within the city. Sadly, Josephine passed away on Mother's Day nearly five years ago.

Currently, Nash serves as a domestic engineer and is actively engaged as a board member with the ABC Disability Support Group, the Family Support Council through the Department of Human Services, and the advisory committee at Alta Vista.

04/06/2026

A few of our own are up for a service/leadership award in Trinidad. The Trinidad Chenoweth Award has been a prestigious award since 1979 this award in Trinidad area has honored citizens whose service to the community has greatly enhanced our quality of life. The award is named after its first recipient, Judge and Congressman J. Edgar Chenoweth. Mr. Chenoweth exemplified leadership and service to the Las Animas County area. Stay tuned to see who is announced a winner on April 11th.

2026 Chenoweth Award Nominees: Mark and Liz Lyles, Founders of ABC Disability Support Group

Mark and Liz Lyles have called Trinidad home for over eleven years. Mark moved to the Valdez area in 1988 with his mother, and he graduated from Primero High School. Liz and Mark met in Denver, where they both pursued careers in nursing. Their connection to Trinidad deepened during visits to Mark’s family, and Liz soon fell in love with the region.

With Mark boasting over 25 years of nursing experience and Liz bringing 16 years in the field, their professional backgrounds lay the foundation for their advocacy work. Additionally, Liz is trained in special education law, serving as a dedicated advocate for families navigating the complexities of educational resources.

Their journey into advocacy was sparked by personal challenges as they sought support for their daughter, who has a rare genetic disorder. Faced with barriers in the school system and limited resources, Mark and Liz took it upon themselves to create the community support they needed, leading to the establishment of the ABC Disability Support Group in 2018. This non-profit organization is committed to advocating for individuals with disabilities and has worked tirelessly with local schools and the City of Trinidad to improve special education resources, enhance accommodations for individuals with disabilities, and raise awareness of the daily challenges faced by this community.

Through years of hard work and collaboration, Mark and Liz have successfully spearheaded numerous initiatives, including the installation of a wheelchair swing at Trinidad’s community center and the acquisition of all-terrain wheelchairs for state parks. Liz also authored a proposal that resulted in the renovation of Central Park's ballpark to improve accessibility.

In addition to these substantial enhancements, ABC Disability Support Group organizes all-inclusive activities and social events, such as the Champions Accessibility Road Race, as well as parent support groups, educational workshops, personalized transportation services, and referral systems to connect families to essential resources.

Mark and Liz are passionate about ensuring that other families do not face the same struggles they encountered. Their tireless efforts have fostered a supportive community dedicated to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all abilities. ABC Disability Support Group is proud to be the only non-profit special education advocate south of Pueblo, Colorado.

As they continue to expand their impact, they have developed partnerships with various local and state-level organizations including Peak Parent Center, EI Colorado, Family Support, HuLA, The Arc of Colorado, Disability Law Colorado, the State of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Extreme Motus, Special Olympics, and Pulseline Collaborative. Their efforts have been recognized statewide, particularly as a resource for Developmental Pediatrics at Children's Hospital Colorado. More recently, they have engaged with additional organizations such as Spark the Change Colorado, Trinidad State College, and Best Buddies.

Since the formation of ABC Disability Support Group, Mark and Liz have positively impacted over a hundred families with children and adults with disabilities in the Trinidad area.

04/05/2026

🌟🎉 Feeling incredibly blessed at ABC Disability Support Group ! Today, we had the privilege of hosting an all-abilities Easter egg hunt that brought together over 50 amazing children! 🐰

With over 700 eggs for the children to enjoy it was heartwarming to see them participate in a safe, sensory-friendly environment, and they loved meeting the Easter Bunny alongside their neurotypical peers. 🥚💖

Thank you to everyone who joined us and made this day so special. Together, we are creating opportunities for joy, inclusion, and community. Here’s to many more unforgettable moments! 🌈🤗

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our co-sponsor, Nichols Cottonwood Corner, for generously providing the space for our community to come together and create lasting memories. Their support made this event possible and helped facilitate a celebration of inclusion and joy for all participants.🙌🙌

Thank you to all who joined us for this memorable day. Together, we continue to create opportunities for joy, inclusion, and community connection. We look forward to many more events that foster collaboration and support among our diverse population.💖💖

04/03/2026

We cannot wait to see you all at our All Abilities Easter Egg Hunt tomorrow. We will have games, face painting, and so many eggs!

03/29/2026

Having a disability parking pass displayed on my mirror I parked and got out of the car, I had this lady say to me, "well, you look perfectly normal to me!", as I turned to look at her and said, very seriously, "maybe that's part of the problem, you can't see what's lurking under my shell." The look on her face was priceless! Just because YOU can't SEE it doesn't mean it doesn't exist! Until you have walked in our shoes and have felt the pain we feel, keep your cruel and ignorant comments and opinions to yourself. I'm posting to stop people from mocking and laughing at people for things beyond their control. Its hard to explain to someone who has no clue. It's a daily struggle being in pain or feeling sick on the inside while you look fine on the outside.

Please put this as your status for at least 1 hour if you or someone you know has an invisible illness (Cevrvical Fusions Neck & Back, Knee & Hip Replacements, for Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS), IBS, Crohn's, PTSD, ALS, Anxiety, Arthritis, Cancer, Heart Disease, Bipolar, Depression, Diabetes, Lupus, Fibromyalgia, MS, AS, ME, , Epilepsy, Sjogrens, hereditary angioedema , Migraines, Hashimotos, AUTISM, Borderline personality disorder, M.D.,D.D.D., CFS, Histiocytosis, O.D.D, A.D.H.D, RSD, RA (rheumatoid arthritis ) PBC,RLS ,COPD, Sarcoidosis,traumatic brain injury(stroke victim) ..etc. Never judge what the eyes can not see💜🙏🏾
For those who don't know how to copy and paste on FB...hold your finger on the text.
I’m posting this to support all those with invisible illnesses❣️
Pass it on. I did. Please don't FAAFO²

03/11/2026

01/24/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14Sa5QatSH7/

Autism and Development Disability Stay Safe Program, For Self-Advocates & Caregivers

UPDATE: Due to potential winter weather - these sessions will now be held virtually via Zoom.

FREE to attend: choose one session
January 27th, 6:00-8:00pm
January 29th, 6:00-8:00pm

🔗Link to register in comments

12/03/2025

Unfortunately ABC Disability Support Group will not be able to host our Annual Winter Wonderland Party this year.

11/28/2025

Hometown Holidays this weekend

https://facebook.com/events/s/26th-annual-tree-lighting/1484406589269755/

https://facebook.com/events/s/26th-annual-parade-of-lights/669099209223990/

https://facebook.com/events/s/after-party/2319728268471306

11/22/2025

Colorado is proposing significant cuts to Long-Term Services and Supports (LTSS), including Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS).💡 Learn more and stay informed: https://bit.ly/49yJiCh

Want to share your voice?
The Office of Community Living (OCL) is hosting a series of listening sessions.
💡 Learn more and sign up: https://bit.ly/4if2szr