Direct Support Professional Recognition Week

Thank You, Imagine! DSPs!

This week, we celebrate the Direct Support Professionals who bring skill, dedication, creativity, and care to their work every day.

DSPs play an essential role in supporting people to pursue their goals, build relationships, develop skills, work and participate in their communities, make choices, and live lives that reflect who they are. At Imagine!, their work is at the heart of our mission to create a world of opportunity for all abilities.

Why Do We Celebrate DSP Recognition Week?

Direct Support Professional Recognition Week is a national celebration held each September to recognize the contributions of DSPs and raise awareness of the important role they play in making community inclusion possible.

Across the country, DSPs provide the day-to-day support that helps people with disabilities live, work, connect, contribute, and thrive in their communities.

Recognition Week gives all of us an opportunity to pause and celebrate that work, but our appreciation for DSPs shouldn’t be limited to one week each year.

Help Us Celebrate!

You don’t have to supervise or work directly alongside a DSP to join in. This week, look for opportunities to:

• Say thank you. A quick email, Teams message, note, or conversation can mean a lot.
• Recognize great work when you see it. Be specific about the difference someone’s work made for a person, family, coworker, or team.
• Share the celebration. Help friends, family, and community partners understand what DSPs do and why their work matters.
• Celebrate our DSP colleagues. If you see an Imagine! DSP this week, take a moment to let them know their work is seen and valued.

To every DSP across Imagine!: thank you. We are proud to work alongside you, and we’re grateful for everything you do to create opportunities, strengthen connections, and make inclusion possible every day.