Ability Connection’s adult formal is the event of the year for the people they serve.
“It’s like an adult prom, but without having to find a date and everybody gets to be king or queen,” CEO of Ability Connection Jim Hanophy said. “The guys get top hats, the girls get tiaras and everybody gets all dressed up.”
It’s just one of the events hosted by the nonprofit that has been a lifeline for so many for the last 70 years in North Texas.
“Our mission at Ability Connection is to enrich the lives of people with disabilities one person at a time. This year alone we have served about 800 adults and about 350 children,” Hanophy said.
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He said it's not just about the cool music and a night of dancing for people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“It has such a bigger meaning. It’s a celebration. It’s a celebration of life and being part of the community and having fun. It’s about being able to connect with other families and connect with friends of families. It’s a way for many of these people to see that they are not alone. Our DJ for the evening is also an Ability Connection member, DJ Dotster (Dottie Haines) and her dad will be with her,” Hanophy said.
Members were even treated to a store-like setup where they were able to go to pick out the perfect outfit for the evening. Hundreds of formal dresses were donated by The Salvation Army.
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Ability Connection recently moved into a new 30,000-square-foot facility, giving them 8,000 more square feet to serve people living with disabilities.
“We provide most of the services in the community, helping people live in the community with their families or with host home providers.”
“We have a training center here in the new facility, which is kind of a learning and growth environment for people of all levels of disabilities. We have a lot of programming.”
Ability Connection has specialized programs for adults and young people to create meaningful opportunities for social and self-advocacy skills.
