The Central Florida Sheltered Workshop (CFSW) was founded in 1962 by a group of parents to ensure vocational opportunities for their disabled children once formal education from the public school system was complete. The CFSW vocational training center was the first work-oriented rehabilitation center for people with mental and physical disabilities in the Greater Orlando area. In 1965, eight people received services at CFSW’s small converted store in College Park.

Life Concepts was founded in 1980 with a small grant from the State of Florida’s Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services. This enabled the agency to provide residential services and specialized programs to children and adults with developmental disabilities who had formally resided in state institutions. During the agency’s first year, Life Concepts opened two group homes and three supervised apartments for 28 residents and a vocational training center serving 25 adults with developmental disabilities.

The roots of Quest, Inc. can be traced to Life Concepts and the Central Florida Sheltered Workshop. On July 1, 1994 these organizations merged to combine resources to serve a greater number of Central Floridians. The name, Quest, Inc. was adopted February 1, 1995.