A non-profit that works with kids and adults with disabilities is moving into a larger location. Ability Connection launched 70 years ago in Dallas and has now moved into a 30,000-square-foot office in Las Colinas, giving the organization an additional 8,000 square feet.
"Our mission is to enrich the lives of people with disabilities one person at a time. That 'one person at a time' is really crucial," says Ability Connection Chief Executive Jim Hanophy. "We're one of the few organizations that will serve people with more significant disabilities. In fact, a lot of the people we serve were not successful in other programs."
Hanophy says Ability Connection works with about 900 people from across Texas. Some stay with family. Others live in eight group homes.
The non-profit provides physical and occupational therapy, group activities, education programs and employment services.
"The focus is on getting them the resources they need to live successfully in the community," Hanophy says.
He says Ability Connection takes a personalized approach, recognizing each participant has different capabilities. He says the additional space will let the organization work with more people while maintaining that personalized help.
"The focus is always on getting them in the position to live their best quality of life," he says. "It's so important. Our staff knows each and everyone, when they're happy when they're not happy, what they need, and being able to adjust accordingly."
Hanophy says the additional space will give them the ability to work with more people and also provide more activities.
"In our old building, everything had to be done in one classroom," he says, "Here, people can move about. We have a break room where people can go and eat their lunch. We have a fitness center. We have a sensory room. A lot of our folks can benefit from sensory integration, especially those who require full care. We have a computer lab now."
Hanophy says those activities can help people build problem-solving and social skills. He even teaches an improv class.
"We really try to tap into the creative side of folks," he says. "What I've learned with the adult population is we tend to focus on having them be compliant. I focus on having them use the creative side of their brain. The thing I love about improv is it focuses on all the skills without knowing you're focusing on them: creativity, communication, team work, all that."
A summer program for kids starts next week.
"We focus on preventing skill regression," he says. "That happens a lot for teens during the summer. Especially those with disabilities, they tend to lose some of the gains they made during the year. During our summer camp, we have the families choose three goals they want to focus on. A lot of times, those are social skills goals. Sometimes, they're academic."
Hanophy says the move to Las Colinas can also make Ability Connection more accessible for those living in the central and western parts of the Metroplex.
More information about Ability Connection can be found at https://abilityconnection.org/ .
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