HomeGoods staff and associates pose with the Champion of Opportunity Award
Thursday, I had the pleasure of presenting the “Champion of
Opportunity Award” to the TJX Companies at the HomeGoods store in Lewis Center. TJX has been a tremendous partner to OOD. They have a deep commitment to hiring
qualified individuals with disabilities and continue to make purposeful efforts
to honor this commitment. Whether it is
through direct hire, community based assessments or the single provider
training initiative, the individuals who come to OOD for services benefit from our
relationship with the TJX Companies.
The partnership between TJX Companies and OOD has been so
successful that 13 individuals with disabilities have been hired since July of
2014. These employees have been so
successful that TJX now actively reaches out to find qualified candidates to
help meet their workforce needs.
Ken Travis, HomeGoods regional manager [Pictured at right with Director Miller], meets with the OOD
team on a regular basis to provide updates, feedback, and explore additional
avenues of partnership. He has been
instrumental in expanding the success of this partnership statewide. Whether it is through arranging conference
calls with district managers covering all parts of the state, providing contact
information for local store managers, or sharing information about the success
of our partnership in Central Ohio with his statewide counterparts, OOD
consumers throughout Ohio have greater employment opportunities thanks to Ken.
The TJX Companies, Inc. traces its history to 1919 with the
founding of the New England Trading Company in Boston. By the 1950s, the family-owned business
opened the first Zayre discount department store focusing on convenience,
selection and value for the whole family.
By the mid 70’s, T.J. Maxx opened and the company acquired Chadwick’s of
Boston catalog in the 80s and added HomeGoods in the early 1990s, among other
retail stores. By the mid-1990s, T.J.
Maxx and Marshalls combined to operate more than 1,000 stores in the U.S.
Thanks again to the TJX Companies, and to Functional Training Services (FTS), for their commitment to
integrating individuals with disabilities into the workforce. We look forward to continuing the strong
partnership and helping more Ohioans achieve quality employment and increased
independence.
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Individuals with disabilities who are working but are experiencing difficulties on the job can often benefit from the assistance of an OOD counselor. Counselors can assess an
individual’s work situation and create customized solutions to keep them on the
job.
Debbie Meddings, who came to OOD
for assistance when her disability began
affecting her ability to complete her paperwork, is a good example. As a licensed practical nurse (LPN) in
south-eastern Ohio, Meddings makes home visits and works in a local nursing
home. The lighting, glare and mobility
conditions specific to each location were presenting a challenge. She needed equipment that was portable,
multifunctional and adaptable to each job environment.
After assessing the LPN’s work environment, the counselor
looked at various magnifiers, sun filters and pens that could improve contrast
and provide portable lighting. The
greatest contribution for mobile documentation turned out to be an iPad, which
allows for magnification and color contrast adjustments. Additionally, pocket magnifying glasses and a
headlamp assist with manual and non-electronic tasks such as reading
prescription labels. A high-contrast pen
also makes hand writing easier.
With these adjustments Meddings is back to her normal, exceptional
speed and competency. These low vision
applications allow her to perform her work duties such as reading documents, or changing colors, and most
importantly, complete the required paperwork while in a patient’s home. The customized technology has not been
expensive, difficult to assess or deliver, and most items used are general
consumer, off-the-shelf items. It
just took career counseling, guidance and a little ingenuity to save a job this nurse still loves and performs with
pride.
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Approximately 1 in 28 Americans age 40 and older are robbed
of their sight by low vision, defined as visual impairments that are not
correctable through surgery, pharmaceuticals, glasses, or contact lenses.
(Source: Vision Council 2015 Low Vision Report)
Vocational
Rehabilitation
Current
FFY2016
Individuals in Job Ready
Status: 3,557 2,403
(For county level information
& map visit
our website)
Individuals Employed: 1,661 2,153
(Employed, not yet successfully closed)
Successful Closures: 2,578
(Employed for over 90 days,
case closed successfully)
Disability Determination
(FFY2016 as of 01/29/16
Week 18)
Applications
Received:
66,194
Determinations:
70,004
Productivity Per Work Year
(PPWY)
376.3
(Total number of cases
processed divided
by the number of work years
funded)
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