About us
Built for the moment school-based services end — and the questions that follow
About First Coast Abilities & Wellness Center
When adults with intellectual and developmental differences leave school-based services, the structured support they relied on often disappears overnight.
First Coast Abilities & Wellness Center was founded to answer a clear, unmet need: a place in Northeast Florida where adults with IDD can build stronger minds and healthier bodies for the long term. We are a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit creating a holistic wellness program designed specifically for this community — because nothing like it exists here yet.
Why our approach is different
Research-based, and built around the whole person
Most wellness options treat mind and body as separate problems — or offer fad diets and workouts with no accountability that fade the moment motivation does. We take a research- and data-based approach tailored to each individual, addressing both mind and body together. Our focus is sustainable, dignified wellness that becomes a lifestyle, not a short-lived fix.
Mind and body, together
We treat the whole person — building physical health and confidence, focus, and independence at the same time. That holistic view is the heart of what we do.
Research and data, not fads
Our programs are grounded in current research and shaped by data for each individual, so progress is measurable and built to last rather than to fade.
Individualized by design
No two people arrive with the same goals or abilities. Every plan is tailored to the individual, meeting each person exactly where they are.
Adults 18+ with IDD and the families who support them
Who we serve — and who we serve alongside
We serve adults (18+) with intellectual and developmental differences throughout Northeast Florida.
We also speak directly to the parents, caregivers, and families who walk beside them — the people who have watched a loved one try to go it alone, only to end up back where they started. Our brand promise is simple: empowering adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live healthier, more connected, and more independent lives through inclusive wellness and community engagement.
Request more informationHow our approach shows up in practice
Three programs, one holistic path
Our wellness program brings mind and body together through three connected areas. Each is built for all mobility levels and every stage of the journey toward a fuller, more independent life.
Adaptive Fitness
Strength training, cardiovascular conditioning, and total-body fitness classes designed for all mobility levels.
Nutrition & Living
Seminars, meal planning, and cooking that build lifelong healthy habits instead of short-term diets.
Education & Life Skills
Technology education, financial literacy, and employment readiness that grow real-world independence.
The team behind the mission
Our people bring disability-specific expertise
What sets us apart is our people.
Our nonprofit staff brings specific knowledge of different disabilities and the latest research and trends to serve this community with care and confidence. As disability wellness professionals in Northeast Florida, they treat every person as capable and valued, tailoring support to each individual's needs. We're building our team as we prepare to open — check back here soon to meet the staff who will guide your wellness journey.
Request more information
Where community and wellness meet
Rooted at The Arc Village in Jacksonville
First Coast Abilities & Wellness Center is located at The Arc Village in Jacksonville, FL — a setting built around inclusion and connection for our community.
Community engagement is part of our promise, not an afterthought, and this home helps our members build the relationships that make wellness sustainable. We are not yet open to the public, and we're preparing to welcome adults with developmental differences across Florida very soon.
Stronger Minds. Healthier Bodies. Fuller Lives.
Help us open the doors — or stay close as we grow
As an IDD wellness nonprofit in Jacksonville, FL, we're building something Northeast Florida has never had before — and we'd love your help to make it real.
Give to support adults with developmental differences on their path to healthier, more independent lives, or reach out to learn more about membership, our upcoming events, and how to get involved.