Our vision
Fostering a culture where individuals with developmental disabilities are valued and respected members of their community.
Northumberland County · Since 1978
Community starts with belonging.
Access supports adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to build lives of purpose, choice, belonging and dignity.
48years of service
Since 1978, Access Community Services has worked alongside people, families and communities to create opportunities for choice, connection, belonging and self-directed lives.
How we support people
Choice at home. Connection everywhere.
Personalized services are built around each person’s goals, relationships, strengths and right to participate fully in community life.
Supported Group Living
Eight welcoming homes in Cobourg and Port Hope help more than 40 people build rich, connected lives.
Learn moreSupported Independent Living
Individual support with housing, finances, health care, employment and community connections.
Learn moreAccess Connections
Person-centered opportunities that build skills, relationships, self-expression, well-being and meaningful connections within our community.
Learn moreMission, vision & values
What guides our work.
Everything we do begins with the belief that people belong in their community, and that they lead their own lives.
Our mission
Access Community Services creates pathways for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live with purpose, choice, and dignity. We work with individuals, families, and communities to build inclusive environments where strengths are celebrated and people live fulfilling, self-directed lives.
Our values
- Advocacy
- Community
- Commitment
- Empowerment
- Self Determination
- Service Excellence
Our impact
Growing a more inclusive Northumberland County.
42adults supported in Group Living
30+people in Supported Independent Living
8group living homes in Cobourg and Port Hope
Access Connections is our fee-for-service program, with ongoing registration throughout the year.
Read our storyWhat’s happening at ACS
Events and gatherings.
Rooted here
Port Hope and Cobourg, since 1978.
Access is not a service that visits Northumberland County — it grew up here, in these two towns, and it is part of the fabric of both.
Port Hope
Where it started. Access opened its first group home on Port Hope’s streets in March 1979, and opened a fully accessible home here in 2008. People we support live, work, volunteer and take part in community life across the town.
Cobourg
Home to our office at 259 Division Street and to Access Connections. Summer concerts, the waterfront, the library, the shops — Cobourg is where a great deal of everyday community life happens for the people we support.
Proudly serving Northumberland County · Local community resources