STAR Center - Fact Sheet

..Today more than 54 million Americans, or 20% of the US population, have a disability. But did you realize that over 26% of the population in West Tennessee has some type of disability and that 1 in 3 of you will be affected by a disability in your lifetime?

..The STAR Center provides services to children and adults with all types of disabilities along with their families and caregivers; professionals in health, education, and rehabilitation; and employers.

..The STAR Center serves all children and adults regardless of ability to pay for services. The STAR Center's youngest client is 3 months old and our oldest is 104 years old.

..The STAR Center began in 1988 as an all-volunteer organization in the back half of a classroom at West Jackson Elementary school and is now the largest assistive technology center in the nation both in scope of services and numbers served.

..The STAR Center has over 150 professional staff members and 600 volunteers, a $4+ million budget, one 33,000sq. ft. facility, serves over 17,000 people each year, and is CARF accredited in Assistive Technology for the Community and Employment.

..The STAR Center has the only mobile assistive technology bus--the Access Express-that carries many of the services directly to the clients in West Tennessee.

..The STAR Center has visitors from other cities, states and countries come to see how to replicate our programs in their locations.

..The STAR Center is a beta test site for many conventional and assistive technology companies and their newly developed technology products.

..The STAR Center can match local contributions 4 to 1 with state and federal grants for all services that are employment related, thus increasing program and operating funds.