A Look At a Compassionate and High-Quality Community: AC Passage (ACP)
Many options exist for people with developmental disabilities, but what best fits each individual? There are many good day programs here in Medina County. The one I am going to highlight today is called AC Passage Enterprise. It began in 2018 with an initial goal of providing non-medical transportation services in Medina County. It has evolved into offering adult day support and vocational rehabilitation focusing on daily living skills and social interaction. Last fall, I met Amber Clark, the program director, when my daughter and I took her children to Rameseyer Farm, a wonderful place with over 50 interactive farm activities. She was there on a field trip with a group of adults with disabilities, and we happened to see a few of my former students with the group. I could tell then that this was an inviting and inclusive program. Former students hugged me, and other people introduced themselves to me. I asked Amber some questions about ACP, and these are her responses.
1. What inspired the creation of AC Passage?
The inspiration of AC Passage was Amber becoming inspired to stimulate as many brains as possible, to strengthen the body, mind, and soul of all persons once her mother got diagnosed with Early-onset dementia at age 52 with no explanation. 22 years later, Amber lives every day doing everything possible to continue to learn about the brain and how it works and to share that knowledge with all her ACP friends and families. Any coordination with the body and brain we can do in a day brings peace and happiness to her.
2. How do you tailor your programs to meet the needs of individuals with different abilities?
We tailor ACP Day Center to each of our individual’s different needs and abilities by choosing activities and outings that all of our friends can participate in, all while giving them several choices allowing them to flourish in gaining self-confidence in themselves while learning daily life skills. Whether that be speaking in front of peers, conquering a fear they have( walking without holding onto a staff’s hand), going on field trips where there are groups of people, learning to cook, getting their hands dirty( with different art supplies or just outside at the park), dancing, singing, just many different things. Having our yearly play has really brought out a lot in many of our friends, and our talent shows! Working on their achievement goals is a HUGE success. We are sure to praise their success and achievements and watch them continue to want more!
3. What are the center’s main goals and mission?
Our main goal is to be sure each and every single friend of ACP feels like they have a safe and secure place to come each day. That they are surrounded with friendship and trust and are accepted by peers and people for who they are. Then we focus on teaching life skills, community integration and achieving outcomes and goals. And of course, having fun!
4. What services and programs do you offer?
At this time we provide NMT(non medical transportation) and ADS (Adult Day Services).
5. How do you measure success for the people you serve?
Honestly, the feedback I receive from families, the County Board, and the individuals that attend our program tells me a lot of how much success we provide to out individuals at ACP. But the growth we see in them, the happiness, the love we feel from them, the relationships they have with the friends they have made, the incredible art projects they do, the goals they continue to achieve, I could go on and on but it boils down to the positive impact we have on our ACP friends.
6. What is the process to be considered for this program?
ACP does not advertise, our individuals come to us by taking a tour through their “team,” which is usually their SSA(service support administrator) from the Medina County Board and their guardian. We will then chat and decide if ACP is a good fit for them and figure out if ACP has availability for the individual to attend, if the program fits their needs.
7. Are there flexible times people attend AC Passages- for example, M, W, F or Tues, Thurs? etc
The majority of ACP friends attend M- F, but we do have some that attend part-time, depending on their schedule. it could be M, W,F, or T, Th, F, it just depends 😉
One parent had this to say about ACP: “I like that they offer a variety of activities such as bowling, pickleball, games, music, cooking classes, and field trips. They set goals with each individual and work on achieving those goals. I also like that they provide NMT(non-medical transportation) because without that, my daughter would be unable to attend.” I asked her daughter what she liked about it, and she said she liked getting to be with her friends.
I started following this group on Facebook to see what adventures they have had and what activities they do. The individuals at ACP have fun and enriching experiences on field trips, art, music, and seasonal activities. The caregivers are certified, highly professional, and trained to meet the unique needs of the people who attend ACP. I knew the day I saw them on their field trip that this was a compassionate and high-quality organization dedicated to supporting individuals with developmental disabilities.