FAQ
Questions and Answers
Below we have listed many of the questions asked of us most often. If the answer offered is not sufficient, please call us to continue the conversation.
If you have a question not listed or answered below, please begin your search for an answer by contacting Angie Hiser, our Director of Information and Referral. Either call her at the Sylvania office or email her here: ahiser@abilitycenter.org
Q: What if disability suddenly becomes a part of my life or the life of someone I know or love?
A: Depending upon your history and familiarity with disability, you undoubtedly have a conceptual understanding of what it means to be “disabled” that is either based in experience and truth or upon old myths and stereotypes. Though it most assuredly seems totally foreign and frightening … the “last thing” you were expecting, our initial advice to you is “Relax. Take a deep breath”. The best thing you can do is call us. Life changes like these can sometimes be very traumatic and, while your world spins and everyone wants to offer you advice, we can help you find direction as you begin to look for real answers to big questions.
Q: What is The Ability Center of Greater Toledo?
A: The Ability Center of Greater Toledo (ACT) is a non-profit Center for Independent Living (CIL) serving persons with disabilities in Northwest Ohio. For more information, visit our “About Us” page by clicking here.
Q: What is an Independent Living Center? Are you unique?
A: We are certainly unique in the Northwest Ohio area. As an Independent Living Center, we are one of a network of nearly 550 Independent Living Centers across the country. In accordance with our by-laws, we are consumer controlled and driven. At least 51% of our staff and Board of Trustees must be people living with disabilities. This can include family members of people living with disabilities. This affords us the benefit of assisting the community from a perspective built upon wisdom and experience: positive, straight-forward knowledge one cannot get from school or a book. For more information on the concept of Independent Living and Independent Living Centers go here.
Q: We’ve benefited from your services but are moving to another part of the country. How do we find a Center like yours where we are moving?
A: We have a link to a list of Centers on our “Links” Page, under “Independent Living. You’ll find it down the left side list, in the “Community Partners” section.
Q: Do people with disabilities live there?
A: While many of the people who WORK there might argue because they sometimes put in long hours, no, no one lives at The Ability Center. It is a service organization offering disability-related programming and assistance to individuals, families and organizations as part of the northwest Ohio community.
Q: What is the Center’s mission?
A: The Ability Center’s Mission is to assist people with disabilities to live, work and socialize within a fully accessible community.
Q: Whom does it serve?
A: The Ability Center serves consumers (i.e. people with disabilities) of any age, any walk of life, living with disability in the Northwest Ohio counties of Lucas, Ottawa, Wood, Fulton, Henry, Defiance or Williams.
Q: What are The Ability Center’s services?
A: The Ability Center provides a variety of vital services (see connections to individual program pages down the left side) to help people with disabilities to: understand their rights and how to address them, to gain new skills necessary to live, work and play in their community, and, if necessary, to find other means of support.
Q: Where are The Ability Center’s offices?
A: The Ability Center maintains three offices across our 7-county service area to best serve our consumers:
The Ability Center of Greater Toledo
5605 Monroe Street
Sylvania, Ohio 43560
419.885.5733 (Voice/TTY)
866.885.5733 (Toll Free)
419.882.4813 (Fax)
The Ability Center of Ottawa County
1848 East Perry Street, Suite 110
Port Clinton, Ohio 43452
419.734.0330 (Voice/Fax)
877.734.0330 (Toll-free)
The Ability Center of Defiance
P. O. Box 213
Ney, Ohio 43549
419.782.5441 (V/TTY)
877.209.8336 (Toll Free)
Q: How does The Ability Center define “disability?”
A: A disability is a physical, intellectual, or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life functions (e.g. caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, walking, seeing, hearing, breathing, learning, toileting, or working).
Q: How does a person qualify for The Ability Center’s services?
A: Virtually any person with a disability qualifies for The Ability Center ’s services simply on the basis of his/her disability. An exception may occur when outside funding requires income or geographical qualifications.
Q: How does a person access The Ability Center’s services?
A: Simply contacting The Center (by phone, in person, by mail or email) and identifying oneself as a person with a disability (or acting on behalf of a person with a disability) is all it takes to start the process. Generally, there is little or no paperwork associated with The Ability Center ’s services.
Q: How much does The Ability Center charge for its services?
A: Practically all of The Ability Center’s services are free of charge. At the present time, only Camp Cricket (The Center’s summer day camp for children with and without disabilities) requires a nominal fee.
Q: How is The Ability Center funded?
A: The Ability Center receives its basic charter and funding from the United Sates Department of Education via the Rehabilitation Services Administration. Additional funding comes from: The United Way of Greater Toledo; The Center’s Auxiliary; various local, county and state grants; donations; fees; and an endowment fund.
