The Ability Center

Happy November, Northwest Ohio! The Ability Center is not slowing down this upcoming holiday season and we have some amazing events planned for you! Please join us at our Independent Living group activities next week; our events are always inclusive, accessible and FUN! We hope to see you there 🥳

Monday, November 4th - Sunday, November 10th Events:
Tuesday, Nov. 5 - CRASH Football League (Ages 14+)
Tuesday, Nov. 5 - Trivia Night (Adult Event)
Thursday, Nov. 7 - Inclusive Storytime (Youth & Family Event)
Thursday, Nov. 7 - Dungeons & Dragons (Teen Event)
Saturday, Nov. 9 - Positively Portable Preschool (Youth & Family Event)
Saturday, Nov. 9 - DREAM Storytime & Sportability (Youth & Family/Teen Event)

Learn more & register for the events HERE: https://abilitycenter.org/events/month/

The rest of the Assistance Dog Graduation Photos are in and they are PUR-FECT! 🐾 Thank you again to Doug Hinebaugh for capturing one of our favorite days of the year!

If you are interested in volunteering with our Assistance Dog program, you can learn more HERE: https://abilitycenter.org/volunteering/

The Ability Center is thrilled to be partnering with Paula Apostolou - Recentered LLC to be hosting a 3-part virtual workshop for educators! Join us for session one on Wednesday, November 13th from 4pm to 5pm as we discuss active engagement strategies through practical resources and tools to help you boost student engagement and reduce misbehavior!

Learn more and register HERE:www.drpaula-recentered.com/workshops

"Mrs. Straw said her reason for fostering Wanda is similar to the reason she started teaching, 'It’s really rewarding.'"

Thank you, The Blade, for highlighting this amazing family and our Assistance Dog Foster Program! In December, The Ability Center will be in need of 18 puppy raisers to assist with raising, housing and loving our new litter of future assistance dogs! This holiday season, you can give the gift of greater independence for an individual with disabilities through volunteering with our program!

You can learn more about the rewarding process of puppy raising HERE: https://abilitycenter.org/volunteering/

Perrysburg couple recalls fostering Ability Center puppy, encourages others to do the same What started as a tour of the Ability Center resulted in a “happy accident” for Perrysburg resident Michaela Straw and her family. Mrs. Straw, who’s a ...

The Ability Center's Teen Services Coordinator, Jordan Slutsky, alongside other Independent Living staff put so much time and effort into making this accessible and inclusive event a success! Thank you, WTOL 11, for highlighting our Trail of Terror this spooky season! 👻

Ability Center creates haunted trail accessible to everyone The Ability Center held an accessible haunted trail Friday. Making it easy for anyone to get scared.

This past Friday, we had a spook-tacular time at our Trail of Terror event! With nearly 200 in attendance, this inclusive haunted experience was full of chills and thrills! From the spine-tingling journey through the trail to the delicious food trucks - this event was a scary good time for the community! Thank you to everyone who participated, volunteered and partnered with us to make this fun and inclusive for everyone!

Thank you to our food trucks who attended:
The Loaded Chicken
The Bucking Barista
Gram's Funnel Cakes & Sweet Treats

Join The Ability Center and the Access Network virtually on Tuesday, November 12th at noon for the kickoff of our Lunch and Learn series! This engaging hour-long event will delve into crucial topics of disability law and accessibility relevant to professionals in our community.

Our first session will focus on “Reasonable Accommodation,” a key requirement under Title I of the ADA. We’ll explore the importance of creating an inclusive workplace by ensuring that employees with disabilities can perform their roles effectively. Throughout the session, we’ll cover the fundamentals of this requirement, clarify common misconceptions, and provide practical suggestions for implementing accommodations that benefit both employers and employees. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your understanding and make a meaningful impact in your workplace!

Register HERE: https://forms.office.com/r/3mhJPjZZx6

Are you ready to have a spooky time?! The Ability Center's Trail of Terror is happening TOMORROW, Friday, October 25th from 8pm to 10pm and it's going to be a spine-tingling night for people of all abilities! Join us for carnival-style games, an inclusive haunted trail, food trucks and more!! Check out the map to see where the food and fun will be located at on our Sylvania campus. See you on the trail👻

Come hungry, we will have 3 food trucks on-site:
The Loaded Chicken
Gram’s Funnel Cakes & Sweet Treats
The Bucking Barista

Learn more and pre-register here: https://abilitycenter.org/event/fright-night-an-accessible-haunted-experience

The Ability Center is thrilled to join in congratulating one of our Assistance Dog consumer's, Holly Koester, who is a former 3T skier, for being inducted into the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame!

We are honored to have Holly in the Assistance Dog family and proud of all of her accomplishments. Help us congratulate her in the comments below! 🎉

Congratulations to Holly Koester upon your induction into the Greater Cleveland Sports Hall of Fame!

Thank you, WTOL 11, for joining us at our wonderful Assistance Dog Graduation last week. We appreciate you highlighting the event and the passing of the leash ceremony!

Learn more about our Assistance Dog program and how YOU can foster a dog here: https://abilitycenter.org/volunteering/

Ability Center graduates new class of assistance dogs A special passing of the leash ceremony on Friday signified the 11 dogs going from their foster homes to the people they will now help.

This past Friday, we had an impactful, elegant night that will our fosters, consumers and staff will remember forever! We hosted our Signature Assistance Dog Fall Graduation at the beautiful Glass Pavilion at the Toledo Museum of Art and this night was an unforgettable milestone celebrating the impact of teamwork and commitment of many. We are thrilled to mark another graduation, where leashes have officially been passed and greater independence has been achieved. We will be sharing more photos displaying this wonderful night in the near future, so stay tuned!

Congratulations To Our 2024 October Graduates!

Service Dogs:
Apollo: Sandra Sundermeier
Clove: Andrea Kimmet
Felix: Caroline Thomas
Robbie: Hannah Magrum

Skilled Companion Dogs:
Jesse: John Ross Comes
Rosemary: Valerie Russo

Facility Dogs:
Fiesta: Union Elementary School
Keelan: Defiance Elementary School
Legend: Springfield Middle School
Norene: Wood County Prosecutor's Office
Oscar: Highland Elementary

Retiring Breeding Dogs:
Carmen

Thank You To Our Sponsors:
Carolyn and Herbert Metzger Foundation
Zeisloft Family Trusts

Thank you to our photographer:
Doug Hinebaugh

The Ability Center is excited to share that Maggie Dreier, our Director of Independent Living, and Jennifer Engelmann, our Youth & Family Services Coordinator, were featured guests on The Perrysburg Podcast! They joined host Kim NewLove to discuss the wonderful features of Rotary Park, an inclusive playground that surpasses ADA standards, providing a safe and engaging environment for individuals of all abilities.

In this episode, they dive into the playground's accessibility features, the various play options available for kids of all ages, and more! Since its opening in July 2021, it has been an honor for The Abilty Center to be a funder and collaborator in the creation of this 13,000-square-foot space. It is a thrill of our organization to see our community progress towards being the most disability-friendly in the nation!

Congratulations to Kim, Maggie, and Jennifer on this fantastic episode! Be sure to check out the link below to watch the video on YouTube or listen on either Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Rotary Park (VIDEO) This episode has three parts:Part One is general information Part Two is a list of 10 features Park Three is an interview with Maggie and Jennifer from The A...

The Ability Center has a SPOOK-TACULAR list of events prepped for next week! In honor of the Halloween season, join us on Friday, October 25th from 8pm to 10pm for our Trail of Terror, which will be an accessible haunted experience! This will be a night of spooks, chills and thrills for the community!

If haunted trails are not your preference, don't be frightened, we have other outstanding, fun events on the calendar too! See the list below:

Monday, October 21: Musically Me (Youth & Families)
Monday, October 21: Intro to Dance w/ The Toledo Ballet (Teens)
Tuesday, October 22: CRASH Football (Ages 14+)
Friday, October 25: Trail of Terror (Community Event)
Saturday, October 26: Trip to the Ballet, Sleepy Hollow (Teens & Adults)

Sign up for an event and learn more here: https://abilitycenter.org/events/month/

Yesterday, we had the pleasure of hosting over 20 nursing students from Mercy College for a tour of our beautiful Sylvania property. They explored all four of our buildings, engaged in discussions about the various ACT departments available for patient referrals, and learned more about the extensive programs and services we provide across 13 counties in Ohio. We appreciate the opportunity to share our mission and connect with the next generation of healthcare professionals!

Thank you, Mercy College students, for stopping by; The Ability Center is excited to be a resource for you throughout your future endeavors in the medical field!

Congratulations to our new school facility dog handlers!

We’re thrilled to announce 6 new handlers for a few of our School Facility Dogs! Last week, staff from three of our SFD-placed schools gathered for an enriching three-day supplemental training with our Assistance Dog Program team.

During this hands-on training, participants gained valuable skills in reinforcing their dogs’ training, advocating for them in their work, and maximizing the ways these incredible dogs can assist their students. The experience was both informative and enjoyable, and we couldn’t be happier to have more certified handlers in our exceptional schools!

Additionally, we’re excited to share that ACT’s Community Outreach Specialist, Taylor, also participated in the training and is now a certified handler for The Ability Center's ambassador dog, Norman!

Congrats to the following schools:
Timberstone Junior High with Maize
Upper Sandusky Union School with Fiesta
Silvercreek Elementary with Granger
North Central Local Schools with Mort

This morning we hosted a Disability Awareness Experience for a group of realtors within the Mortgage Bankers Association of Northwest Ohio! Participants engaged in hands-on activities, such as wheelchair basketball and navigating an Agility Angels course with a dog! Additionally, the group learned more regarding transportation and accessibility, advocacy, and the use of durable medical equipment. Thank you, MBA, for spending the morning with us; we hope you discovered a fresh perspective on disability and that you left the experience thinking differently!

Is your business or group interested in a Disability Awareness Experience with The Ability Center? Learn more about it: here https://abilitycenter.org/events/disability-awareness-experience/

The Ability Center has a roster of events for you to participate in next week and they are all guaranteed to be FUN!! Whether you're looking for something chill and social, such as a connecting at a coffee shop or book club; or if you're looking for something active, such as CRASH Football or bowling - there is something for everyone on next week's list! Check out all of the activities below!

Monday, October 14 - Sunday, October 20th Events:
Monday, October 14: Musically Me (Youth & Family)
Monday, October 14: Adulting 101: Voting 101 (Teens & Young Adults)
Tuesday, October 15: DREAM Adult Book Club (Ages 23+)
Tuesday, October 15: CRASH Football League (Ages 14+)
Wednesday, October 16: Kintsugi Art with Plein Air (Ages 23+)
Thursday, October 17: Dungeons and Dragons (Teens)
Friday, October 18: Playground and Parent Talk (Youth & Family)
Saturday, October 19: Gust Brothers Pumpkin Farm (Youth & Family)
Saturday, October 19: All Ability Yoga (All Ages Welcome)
Saturday, October 19: Club Connect - Chandler Cafe (Teens)
Saturday, October 19: Bowling & Name That Tune (Adults)

Check out more upcoming events HERE: https://abilitycenter.org/events/month/

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month and The Ability Center is thrilled to be celebrating and spreading the word regarding the value and talent workers with disabilities add to America’s workplaces and economy! When employers embrace inclusive hiring practices, they not only foster a more diverse workforce, but also drive innovation and economic growth. People with disabilities bring valuable skills, experiences and perspectives that enhance workplace culture and productivity. By ensuring access to good jobs, we create opportunities for individuals with disabilities to invest in their futures, support local economies and actively participate in the financial mainstream. Please take a few minutes to watch this informative video, courtesy of the US Department of Labor, so you can learn more!

2024 National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM): Access to Good Jobs for All Each October, during National Disability Employment Awareness Month, or “NDEAM,” we celebrate the value and talent workers with disabilities add to America’s...

The Ability Center has something spooky brewing! Join us for our Trail of Terror on Friday, October 25th from 8pm to 10pm on our Sylvania campus, located at 5605 Monroe Street in Sylvania, Ohio! This event is FREE and will include a haunted trail full of frightful scenes, spooky sounds, special effects and MORE! You won't want this event that is designed to thrill and chill visitors of all abilities!

Please note that while this event is designed for teens and adult that individuals of all ages are welcome to attend!

Learn more and RSVP for this spooktacular night HERE: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=5sQ5W8OsBEe5NF315iyiLlOXr4QiImdBr47ZfknX_-5UNUlONllTTUtQQURSQ0lHQkY5MFdBWUI1Sy4u&route=shorturl&fbclid=IwY2xjawFycflleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHaDkauKLKBzgvtagw-zwNHj-E-SG2Nw4Mgu41XEGaUuQYfxup6S_2zFytg_aem_dPl_Vi46gsgK8qvydQz0fg

Sylvania's McCord Junior High School just concluded it's 2nd Annual Amazing Shake, a program that teaches students the interpersonal skills to interact with others in new and challenging situations, preparing them for the real world. This year's champion is Mikey Jones; and The Ability Center is thrilled to have been his organization of choice for his project!

Mikey planned an educational service project that included spirit days, opportunities to donate money or supplies toward Ability Center, and an educational assembly to 580 students! Through his hard work and fundraising efforts, Mikey raised $560 for our organization!

A heartfelt congratulations and thank you to Mikey for partnering with us on our mission and helping to raise awareness about our programs and services!

The Ability Center had the pleasure of being a sponsor of Down Syndrome Association of Greater Toledo's 23rd Annual Buddy Walk! DSAGT's mission is to help empower all individuals with down syndrome to reach their fullest potential through support, education and advocacy. At the event, ACT staff and other community members wore "The Extra Miles" t-shirts and participated in the walk in support of Jordan Kwapich, our Client Services Coordinator, and her son, Miles!

It was an honor to partner with this outstanding organization as we strive to make Toledo the most disability-friendly community in the nation!

The fun never stops at The Ability Center!! We have Independent Living groups for youth & families, teens and adults! Always keep an eye on our events calendar to see what exciting things are planned! Check next week's events below!

Monday, October 7th - Sunday, October 13th Events:
Monday, October 7th: Adulting 101: Voting 101 (Teen & Young Adult Event)
Tuesday, October 8: CRASH Football League (Ages 14+)
Saturday, October 12: Positively Portable Preschool (Youth & Family Event)
Saturday, October 12: Sportability Basketball (Ages 5-15)

Check out more upcoming events here: https://abilitycenter.org/events/month/2024-10/

The Auxiliary to The Ability Center's 39th Annual Style Show was a success! This past Wednesday, over 400 individuals gathered to watch a fabulous style show, honor Purple Heart Veterans, mingle over a delicious lunch and more! Thank you to everyone who attended, your support at this event was outstanding and will help benefit many children and adults with disabilities!

Thank you to the following businesses for the wonderful fashions displayed in the show: Chico's, Dillard's, White House Black Market, Ragazza Boutique, Vivian Kate and Zina's Boutique and Alterations!

Thank you, Sashem Brey from 13abc, for returning as the event emcee for the 5th year in row!

Thank you to all of our fantastic models; you all were phenomenal on the runway!

Thank you to the Auxiliary co-chairs and committee for planning a phenomenal event!

We have more fantastic photos to share in the near future, be sure to stay tuned to see more!