Friday Update: April 28, 2023

Music Vine Concert Series Today

Join Bittersweet Farms for the Music Vine Concert Series at the Grand Rapids Town Hall, Friday from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.! Starting next Friday, Music Vine returns to the Pavilion at Bittersweet Farms in Whitehouse. This event is free and open to the public, so bring your favorite rhythm instrument and dancing shoes. Click here for full details!

Special Olympics NW Ohio Regional Games this weekend

Lucas County Lightning athletes, as well as many others from our region, will be competing at Findlay High School on Sunday, April 30 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Please come cheer on our athletes as they do their best to qualify for the State games! If you are interested in volunteering at this event, please click here.

Partners for Inclusion at the Wranglers on Sunday

Join Partners for Inclusion at the Glass City Wranglers game on Sunday, April 30 at noon. The Wranglers are Toledo's professional basketball team. Tickets are $10 with pizza and beverages included. For more information, click here or click here to email Lon Mitchell.

Autism Walk on Sunday

The Autism Walk is happening Sunday, April 30 at the Franklin Park Mall in Toledo. This walk helps to raise funds, all of which stay here in Northwest Ohio. The money raised from this event directly benefits services and programs for the mission of Autism Society of NW Ohio. Click here to donate or register! For full details, click here.

Playroom at Finnegan Autism Center on Sunday

Playroom is a place for families of children with special sensory needs to come and play! Siblings and other children are also welcome to attend. Occupational therapy students from University of Toledo run the FREE event from noon - 2 p.m. Sign up here!

Nominate NOW! Disability-Friendly Awards 2023

The Toledo City Paper has partnered with The Ability Center for the Disability Friendly Awards. Please nominate your favorite Inclusive Family-Friendly Event, Disability-Friendly Workplace, Local Disability Ally, Most Accessible Restaurant/Bar, and Best Adaptive Outdoor Activity. Deadline is Sunday! Click here to get your nominations in today!

10th Annual Trauma Informed Care Summit

Registration is now open for the Trauma Informed Care 10th Annual Summit. The draft agenda is available: Pathways to Resilience, Healing, and Recovery is May 16-17 at the Hilton Polaris, 8700 Lyra Drive, in Columbus. Workshops will focus on Workforce Development, Organizational Leadership Development, and Cultural Diversity. Download the draft agenda at this link. Register online at this link.

Oregon City Schools/ East YMCA Present Project: Wellness

All OCS Kindergarten through 4th grade students and families are welcome to attend this event 5:30-7:30 p.m. on May 3rd at the YMCA on Pickle Road in Oregon. Featuring bounce houses, behavior tips, counseling, games and crafts, t's a time for students and families to enrich their mind, body and soul with activities and resources. Email wwasserman@oregoncs.org for more information.

Make It, Take It: Parent Resource Fair May 4

The Ability Center is hosting a Resource Fair on Thursday, May 4 from 6-8 p.m. This event is ideal for parents and caregivers and features DIY activity stations such as Emotional Regulation, Visual Schedules, Sensory Play, Social Stories, and more. You'll leave feeling organized and empowered! Cost is $5. Click here for full details or here to register.

SALUTE Meeting May 8

SALUTE, the self-advocacy group of the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities, will have its monthly meeting on May 8 from 5:30-7 p.m. The guest speaker is James Kesler, an Occupational Therapist who helps teens and adults with disabilities of all kinds learn and prepare to drive. You can attend the meeting in person at the Larc Lane Center, 1155 Larc Lane (use door O) or via Zoom. Click here to send an email if you have any questions.

SALUTE Storytellers Summer Workshops begin May 9

Learn to tell powerful stories about self-advocacy! This free workshop, held at the Larc Lane Center, is run by Dr. Rebecca Monteleone, a professor in the Disability Studies program at the University of Toledo. The group will meet six times between May and July before performing their stories live on stage July 15 at the Toledo Museum of Art. Learn how to share your story about disability pride and self-advocacy with a broad audience. For questions or to sign up, click here.

NAMI Offering a variety of FREE Art Workshops

NAMI of Greater Toledo hosts several FREE art workshops every month! These workshops are aimed at helping people express themselves creatively through art, develop coping skills, make connections with others, and experience the power of art. In May, there are virtual workshops on May 9 and 25 and in-person workshops on May 11, 16, and 18. Details vary (project, age range, time, location, etc.) and registration is required. If you are interested, please check out the details by visiting our online events calendar, or click here to see NAMI's events calendar.

Open Barn and Greenhouse Night May 11

Sunshine Communities welcomes the public to a FREE night of fun at Sunshine’s Barn and Greenhouse on May 11 from 4-6 p.m. at Sunshine’s main campus. The Barn hosts a variety of animals who are cared for by individuals at Sunshine. The Greenhouse is home to anyone who loves to work with plants. Come enjoy an evening of learning and fun! Click here for more details.

Toledo Adult Autism Board Game Night

The Toledo Adult Autism Tabletop Group (for ages 18+) will be meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 12 at the Toledo Game Room. Please park/use entrance at the rear of building. Members bring their favorite non-traditional board and card games to play. Introductory games available for learning and play. Come out for a fun evening! Questions? Please click here to email the coordinator.

Nationwide Map of Adult Size Changing Tables Now Available

Changing Spaces Ohio and the Inspired Access Foundation have teamed up to create an interactive map that displays locations of all adult size changing tables across the country. You can see and search the map at www.universalchangingtablemap.com. The hope is that this map will be a resource to people in Ohio and across the country when planning day trips and travel. By consulting the map, caregivers, providers, and self-advocates will be able to find locations where they can meet their restroom needs. The map is also useful to see which cities and states are making good progress, and which have more work to do. Learn more at InspiredAccessFoundation.com.

Zoo for All Walk May 13

This non-competitive walk, within the Dart Frog Dash, begins at 9:15 a.m. on May 13 and is focused on fun and access for all! The Toledo Zoo understands that some guests may require assistance or additional accommodations. They have created a safe route within Zoo grounds for guests who may find the 5k route troublesome. Special consideration given to sensory needs and ADA accessibility. For more details, contact Toledo Zoo's inclusion coordinator at 419-385-5721 x.3039. Register by May 1 to get a t-shirt! Click here to register.

Super Saturday Dance May 13

Save the date for another Super Saturday Dance and Bible Study! The dance is hosted by Five Lakes Church on May 13, from 7-9 p.m. This evening is just for individuals with special needs and their caregivers, who must be present. Bible study starts at 6:15 p.m. followed by the dance with a light meal at 7 p.m. Registration is recommended. Click here to register.

Lucas DD/ Mercy Health Bike Safety Fair on May 15

Bring your bicycle and helmet and head over to the Larc Lane Center between 3-7 p.m. on May 15 for a Bike Safety Fair! This is an inclusive event for all ages and abilities. You can have your bike and helmet inspected, learn safety rules of the road, ride your bike on our bike rodeo, check out vendors and enjoy food from the food trucks. Get your activity station passport stamped and enter to win prizes! We're also raffling off a brand-new bike! Registration is recommended via this link. 

Autism Parent Support Group May 17

AB Education & Behavior Consulting LLC presents a FREE Autism Parent Support Group at Sylvania Playland on May 17 from 5-7 p.m. Pizza and drinks will be provided! Please click here to register.

Self-Led Disability Advocacy Group

People First of Toledo, affiliated with Courageous Community Services and People First of Ohio, invite you to a Self-Led Disability Advocacy Group. The meeting is hosted by the Ability Center on May 18 from 6-7:30 p.m. Engage with your community, learn self-advocacy skills, and meet other people like you! Meetings are $5 (or $50 for 12 months) and open to everyone. Questions? Please click here to email the facilitator Quinn Thomas.

Nationwide Children's Toledo Inclusion Resource Fair

Local organizations come together to connect with families for a day of fun, family resources, networking and more during the Nationwide Children's Toledo Inclusion Resource Fair. The event is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 20 at the Perrysburg Inclusive Playground. Resource and service providers will be on site to speak with parents and provide helpful information for children of all ages and abilities. There will also be family-friendly games, crafts, and food trucks. This FREE event is open to the public. Click here for further details.

Spectrum Sailing Camp June 13-15

Spectrum Sailing provides maritime education, programming, and outreach for autistic individuals. They run a FREE, 3-day sailing camp June 13-15 for 10–17-year-olds. Sessions run morning or afternoon. Campers learn knots, parts of the boat, why the boat sails, and most importantly how to sail! Space is limited. Click here for details and here to register.

Lucas DD Spring Dinner Dance June 16

Adults are encouraged to get their dancing shoes ready and join us for our spring dinner dance from 6-9:30 p.m. on June 16 at the Premier! Both attendees and any necessary caregivers are required to register! Less than 350 tickets are left! so click here to learn more and register now.