Supporting Adults with Disabilities
Toledo League for the Hard of Hearing
When Bessie Dewey Anderson discovered that she was losing her hearing, she travelled to Chicago to enroll in lipreading classes. When she realized that there were no similar services offered in Toledo, she founded the Toledo League for the Hard of Hearing. The organization opened in 1920, and it offered lip-reading services and social events for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.
Over the next few decades, the organization expanded its services to include vocational training, recreational activities, and hearing aid distribution. In 1947, the League changed its named to the Toledo Hearing League and began offering hearing aids to needy individuals. The organization changed its name one final time to the Toledo Hearing and Speech Center and provided interpretation services for local news organizations and summer camps for children who were Deaf or Hard of Hearing. In 2014, the Center closed its doors due to increased demands for services and reduced government funding.
The Sight Center of Northwest Ohio
Toledo Society for the Blind was founded in 1923 and its purpose was to “further the interests of the blind and to open to them all possible avenues to independence, education, and recreation.” The Toledo Society for the Blind eventually became the Sight Center of Northwest Ohio, and it continues to offer programs and services that help people live independently with permanent vision loss.
Talking Books
In 1934, Toledo became one of the first regions to participate in the Talking Books program. This program was created by the Library of Congress, and it allowed participants to listen to books recorded on records.
Ability Center of Greater Toledo
Soon after the introduction of the Jonas Salk polio vaccine in 1955, polio cases declined and the Opportunity Home closed its door. In 1975, the Education for Handicapped Children bill was voted into law, which made it possible for children of all abilities to attend public school. The Toledo Society for Crippled Children changed its name to the Toledo Society for the Handicapped as it began to serve adults with disabilities as well as children. In 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) passed into law and banned discrimination based on disability in both private and public sectors. It also required access to programs, services, facilities, transportation, employment, and communication. In the same year, the Society changed its name to the Ability Center of Greater Toledo. Today, the Ability Center is continuing its mission to make Toledo the most disability-friendly community in the country.