Over the years, Ability Beyond Disability has helped thousands of people with physical and mental disabilities to discover, build and celebrate their abilities. Throughout our history we have pioneered ways to support people with disabilities to live with dignity, independence and hope. After opening the first group home in 1968, for example, Ability Beyond Disability, quickly became Connecticut’s largest private provider of residential services for people with disabilities.
During the 1980’s Ability Beyond Disability expanded services to offer clinical supports including occupational, speech and physical therapy, on-site nursing, dietary and behavioral professionals; and in 1983, we began our Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Program in Connecticut, making it the first of its kind to be offered in the state. In 1987 our first two residential homes for TBI patients were opened, making Ability Beyond Disability the first agency in the state of Connecticut to serve those with traumatic brain injuries through a residential program. In the mid-nineties we started the first program providing direct services for people with brain injuries in New York.
Next, we began helping hundreds of adults to find paid employment each year, and by 1997 achieved the highest number of job placements in the state of Connecticut. In 2001, Ability Beyond Disability took community inclusion a step further and launched our Community Integration Project, an initiative to move the people who were being served in sheltered workshops and structured programs out into community settings. It is believed we were the first in the country to do so, and still continue to lead the way in community-based services.
Our track record for quality services landed us a new opportunity in 2009 to help children and young adults with mental illness build a brighter future through a partnership with the Connecticut Department of Children and Families. That same year, we embarked on a new social enterprise venture, known as Roses for Autism, offering individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder the opportunity to learn skills necessary for successful employment at a local rose farm and elsewhere in the community.
As we look to the future, Ability Beyond Disability remains committed to helping thousands of people with disabilities to Discover, Build and Celebrate their abilities. Our strong belief in community inclusion and a history of creating a level playing field for people with disabilities has made us a leading provider of the services that make a tangible difference in people’s lives. In fact, Ability Beyond Disability offers one of the most comprehensive systems of community-based support for people with disabilities in the Northeast, with services spanning Connecticut and northeastern metropolitan New York.
