15 Birmingham orgs you need to know that support individuals with disabilities

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Whether it’s kiddos who need early intervention or adults seeking job opportunities, Birmingham is home to many organizations whose mission is to help people with disabilities. To help round them up in one place, here’s our guide of 15 local orgs you need to know.

What did we miss? Tag us @bhamnow and tell us more places that help individuals with mental or physical barriers.

For adults navigating the Birmingham community

1. Disability Rights & Resources

Disability Rights & Resources encourages and supports people with disabilities to reach their own independent living goals. They do this through advocacy, peer support and services like:

• Independent living skills training
• Transition into the community
• Nursing home diversion
• Youth transition
• Work incentives planning + assistance

Disability Rights & Resources: Website | Facebook | Instagram

2. Horizons School

Founded in 1991, Horizons School provides a community-based educational program for young adults with learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder and developmental conditions.

They help students transition to independent living and set them up for success by:

• teaching them to manage personal health + leisure time
• helping them to follow a daily schedule, live within a budget + prepare daily meals
• guiding them to develop friendships, use public transit + prepare for employment

Many Horizons students earn career certificates and enroll in community college. The majority of the school’s graduates successfully live independently, manage personal needs and maintain paid employment.

Plus, they have fun events like the Career Readiness Fashion Show, where students walk down the runway in casual, business casual or business professional attire.

Horizons School: Website | Facebook | Instagram

3. Triumph Services

Triumph Services, Inc. works with adults with developmental disabilities who strive to live independently. Triumph Services takes a holistic approach to therapy through four pillars:

• Live: Provides competitive skills
• Work: provides competitive employment + purpose in life
• Play: Provides community integration + healthy relationships
• Counseling: Addresses depression, anxiety + builds self-esteem

Triumph Services: Website | Facebook

4. WE, Inc.

Workshops Empowered Incorporated (WE Inc.) focuses on helping people with disabilities and other barriers to employment reach their full vocational potential.

Programs like WE Made provide job training in the food service and retail industries. With their own line of baking mixes, WE Made participants get hands-on work experience, a steady income, job readiness training and graduate with connections to employers around the Greater Birmingham Area.

Plus, WE Inc. furthers its mission through the Empower Café—a dining experience and space where people with barriers to employment gain real-world skills through the service industry.

WE, Inc.: Website | Facebook | Instagram

For kids who need a boost to reach their full potential

5. Mitchell’s Place

Mitchell’s Place is an inclusive, accredited preschool and outpatient clinic located in Irondale near Liberty Park. Their mission: to improve the lives of children and families affected by autism and other developmental disabilities. 

With a staff of highly-skilled and caring therapists, analysts and teachers, Mitchell’s Place provides individualized treatment plans to help unlock each child’s potential.  

To do this, they offer a number of helpful services for children and their families, including: 

• Early learning preschool
• Applied behavioral analysis
• Occupational therapy
• Speech therapy
• Psychiatry
• Group programs
• Psychology + comprehensive evaluations

Mitchell’s Place: Website | Facebook | Instagram

6. The Bell Center

The Bell Center is dedicated to maximizing the potential of children from birth to three years of age who are at risk for developmental delay.

Children come from across the state with various diagnoses and special needs. However, unlike other early intervention providers, a diagnosis or specific percentage of delay is not required to attend. 

Each child who enters their program is served by a therapy team that includes:

• Physical therapist
• Occupational therapist
• Speech-language pathologist
• Early childhood special education teacher

This unique approach ensures that every development area is addressed at each therapy session.

The Bell Center: Website | Facebook | Instagram

7. The Red Barn

Joy O’Neal founded The Red Barn in 2012 after growing up around horses and seeing how much good working with horses can do for children. This idea blossomed into a resource for children from low-income families to benefit from equine therapy.

The Red Barn meets a need for children with physical or developmental challenges—the staff sees around 100 children each week!

The Red Barn: Website | Facebook | Instagram

For everyone to get the resources they need to thrive

8. Easterseals

Through pediatric and adult services, medical assistance, camps and more, Easterseals is dedicated to helping members of our community achieve extraordinary results–no matter their disability.

A key part of Easterseals’ mission is a workforce development program where adults with disabilities are placed in entry-level roles throughout the area, offering them a safe and meaningful experience.

Some participants work at Birmingham-area companies like Edgar’s Bakery, Brookwood Baptist Hospital, Piggly Wiggly, Trussville Parks and Rec and more!

Easterseals Bham: Website | Facebook | Instagram

9. Glenwood Autism

Glenwood was formed in 1974 by a group of Birmingham-area residents seeking mental health treatment and assistance for family members. With little to no programs available at the time nearby, this motivated group decided to create their own. 

Here are just some of Glenwood’s services:

• Child + adolescent services
  • Testing + diagnosis
  • Therapy + counseling
  • Children’s center early intervention
  • Children’s residential services
  • Allan Cott School for Autism
• Adult Autism Services
  • Full-time residential care
  • Day programs

Glenwood Autism: Website | Facebook | Instagram

10. KultureCity

Founded in 2013 as a local effort to support individuals with autism and sensory needs, KultureCity has become a leading organization in sensory accessibility. They’ve achieved this through programs and initiatives such as mobile sensory stations, portable bags and the Sensory Activation Vehicles (S.A.V.E.).

According to KultureCity, common sounds, lights, crowds and certain smells can be overwhelming or even physically painful for individuals with sensory needs. This leads many to withdraw from public spaces due to repeated experiences of being unable to enjoy themselves.

By providing sensory kits and vehicles, KultureCity creates a safe haven in busy places for someone who’s feeling overwhelmed to come back to a sense of calm.

KultureCity: Website | Facebook | Instagram

11. Lakeshore Foundation

Lakeshore Foundation was the first facility designated as both a U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training site, welcoming elite athletes from across the globe to train and compete here in Birmingham.

Lakeshore offers 92 aquatic, fitness and recreation programs for any individual seeking a healthy, active life—no matter their disability.

In 2003, they were designated an official United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) Olympic and Paralympic Training Site. Since then, Lakeshore:

• Has been hosting national team training camps + international competitions for 20 years.
• Has produced 52 Paralympic athletes, coaches + staff—together, they have captured 30 Paralympic medals.

Lakeshore Foundation: Website | Facebook | Instagram

12. The Arc

The Arc’s goal is to provide individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities with the support and services they need. Through Jefferson, Blount, Shelby and Walker counties, The Arc provides services to thousands of individuals through:

• Employment support
• Community + day programming
• Residential services
• Early Intervention for toddlers + their families

There are three Arc locations across Central Alabama that each support families in their surrounding communities.

• The Arc of Central Alabama: Website | Facebook | Instagram
• The Arc of Shelby County: Website | Facebook | Instagram
• The Arc of Walker County: Website | Facebook

13. The Exceptional Foundation

Established in 1993, The Exceptional Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that assists individuals with special needs in the Greater Birmingham area.

The organization currently serves over 700 individuals with special needs each year through social and recreational services for adults and youth.

Youth programs include:

• After-school sports leagues
• Art + music camps
• Cooking lessons
• Yoga

Adult programs include:

• Gym activities + daily exercise
• Cooking classes
• Social skill development
• Art, music + dance classes

The Exceptional Foundation: Website | Facebook | Instagram

14. The HANDS Program

The HANDS Program helps children, teens and adults with neurodevelopment disorders through one-on-one therapy, small group therapy, training and consultation services for individuals with:

• Speech + language delays
• Developmental delays
• Behavior disorders
• Down Syndrome
• Fragile X
• Asperger’s
• ADD/ADHD
• Rett Syndrome

The HANDS Program: Website | Facebook | Instagram

15. United Ability

United Ability provides innovative services that connect people with disabilities to their communities and empower them to live full and meaningful lives. They do this for all ages through:

• Early intervention
• Hand In Hand Early Learning Center
• Ability Clinic: Adult + pediatric care
• Adult Services: Job training, offsite activities + more
• Employment opportunities

Plus, Gone For Good is United Ability’s onsite document and e-waste destruction company, where many of their adult participants work, and where all profits go back to support United Ability’s programs.

United Ability: Website | Facebook | Instagram

What did we miss? Tag us @bhamnow and tell us more nonprofits that help individuals with mental or physical barriers.

Check out Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama for more resources on staying healthy, happy and connected within the Greater Birmingham Area.

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