This case study represents an attempt to develop knowledge and understanding of "community supports," those formal and informal supports necessary to enable people with disabilities to live in the community and participate fully in community life. The individual in the case study is a white man with severe cerebral palsy born in 1912. The study examines the supports given by a human service worker who provided personal assistance and the role of this support in connecting the subject with the community. The study offers a historical perspective on past service models and highlights the emerging shift from a program paradigm to a support paradigm. Data were collected through interviews and participant observation. Study findings are reported in terms of: surviving in institutional settings; struggling in the community; the role of the personal attendant as a staff person and a friend; and various components of support (everyday practical assistance, translating, facilitating, supporting self-determination, and interweaving formal and informal supports). (41 references) (JDD)