Meet Tonya Banther, Independent Living Supervisor at the Access Center for Independent Living (ACIL).
A fixture at ACIL for the last 14 years, Tonya wears many hats within our organization. While she has taken on several additional duties, Tonya has helped consumers to achieve independent living goals since she started working here. Assisting consumers is still the aspect of Tonya’s job that does her heart the most good.
“I am most passionate about helping consumers find employment. I believe that all people with disabilities should have a chance to work if they want to because working will hopefully give people a chance to make their dreams in life come true,” said Tonya.
Proving herself quickly at ACIL, Tonya has been the Core Services Program Manager supporting ACIL’s independent living specialists for over a decade, helping them to learn the ropes of IL and in turn help consumers.
Born with Cerebral Palsy at a time when society, her doctor, and even some of her family didn’t expect much of people with disabilities, Tonya was always determined to prove herself by working and living as independently as possible. Despite always wanting to work, Tonya, the first born in a large family, didn’t always picture herself going to college due to the financial commitment it required.
Tonya was working at a nursing home as a nurse’s aide when a patient encouraged her to get out of there and go to college.
“It wasn’t until that patient encouraged me to get financial aid and to look into the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilition that I looked into studying at Wright State,” said Tonya.
After earning a degree in Social Work, Tonya worked for a mental health agency as a case manager for many years before working at ACIL.
“As a case manager, I did everything for clients. For example, if a client had an appointment with Social Security or Medicaid, I would complete the paperwork, make sure the client was ready to go, and then drive the client to the appointment to make sure paperwork was accepted. If I didn’t do everything, it would not get done. The hardest thing when I started working here was taking a step back and allowing consumers to do things for themselves. It is definitely more satisfying to help consumers help themselves,” said Tonya.
Considering how often Tonya used to transport others, people may be surprised to know that she did not earn her driver’s license until her 30s.
“I took driver’s ed in high school but wasn’t supported in earning my license. When I started driving as an adult it was like I had always been driving, It was another way I proved myself,” she said.
Tonya believes that youth with disabilities should be given many opportunities to prove what they are capable of as she has done throughout her life. In that spirit, she became the site coordinator of Dayton’s Youth Leadership Forum that has been hosted by ACIL since 2020.
Dayton’s YLF is one of six in-person, week-long, trainings geared toward youth with disabilities statewide. Each forum is sponsored by Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) and hosted by a Center for Independent Living during the summer. Participating in a YLF can help students become one of Ohio’s future leaders by improving their leadership, citizenship, and social skills. Dayton’s YLF this year will be held July 22 through July 26 at the downtown branch of the Dayton Public Library.
As site coordinator, Tonya has a hand in every aspect of YLF from choosing the venue, food, and educational activities offered to scheduling speakers and any nursing care students may need. She does this while maintaining the budget and meeting all other OOD requirements.
“I put a lot of work into YLF in hopes that students will get a lot of it. I hope that students gain knowledge and resources to become leaders in their everyday lives. I hope students become more confident in their ability to make decisions regarding education, employment, housing, and any benefits they may need,” said Tonya.
As the Ohio Benefits Longterm Care Services and Supports (OBLTSS) Coordinator at ACIL, Tonya also cares about making sure people with disabilities know about the benefits that are available to help improve their quality of life.
While Tonya’s various duties at ACIL keep her busy, she enjoys spending her spare time with her eight sisters, her brother, many nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews. When she is not working or with her family, you will likely find Tonya completing a needle point project featuring French knots or watching a Hallmark movie.
“Hallmark Christmas movies are my favorite. I also really enjoy musicals. Wicked is my all-time favorite. I’ve seen it four times. I am excited for the movie to come out later this year. I just hope the movie is good and does the story justice,” she said,
Need to reach out to Tonya? Call her 937-341-5202 Ext 108 or email [email protected]
