Opportunities for
Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) accomplished many milestones in 2016. “I
am very proud of staff for all of their hard work in 2016 and look forward to
continued successes in 2017,” said OOD Executive Director Kevin Miller.
Listed below are some of those achievements that have
benefitted Ohioans with disabilities to find or retain employment and to live
independently.
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OOD launched a new job portal called OODWorks.com. The site allows potential consumers to
learn about OOD’s Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services and complete an
online application. This provides a more streamlined process in their pursuit
of employment. Individuals interested in VR services are encouraged to visit
the portal where they can watch an orientation video about the employment
process, take a brief self-assessment and apply online.
 Pictured above are job seeker Cat Banks (left) and OOD Counselor Mary Massie at the Columbus job fair. Cat was thrilled to get hired by an employer at the job fair.
Job Fairs Matched
Job Seekers with Disabilities Directly with Employers
OOD hosted our third annual series of regional job fairs for OOD job seekers.
These job fairs provided job seekers with disabilities opportunities
to connect with numerous employers. More than 759 job seekers attended and 179 employers set up booths to advertise employment opportunities in four job fairs across the state. Numerous job seekers have been hired because of the networking and connections made at these events. The job fairs also increased awareness with
employers about the benefits of hiring individuals with disabilities through a
Windmills educational workshop. It details a formula to assist businesses with the
recruitment of a diverse workforce.
Increased Membership in the Ohio Business Leadership Network
Membership in the Ohio
Business Leadership Network (OHBLN) grew to more than 100 businesses committed
to employing individuals with disabilities. OOD
successfully implemented a business engagement model through a private-public
collaborative partnership with OHBLN employer partners funded by a Poses Family
Foundation grant. Known as the Workplace Initiative of Ohio, this business
engagement model resulted in 490 OOD job seekers gaining employment with OOD’s
employer partners. This model has been recognized and promoted nationally as a
best practice by the Poses Family Foundation as a way to better engage and
support employers.
Recognized Employers with Opportunity Awards
OOD
recognized the outstanding work of Ohio companies committed to providing
employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities through its third
annual Opportunity Awards. These include:
- Champion of Opportunity Award for companies
that have gone above and beyond and who serve as statewide examples of what it
means to provide quality employment opportunities and increase independence for
individuals with disabilities.
- Committed to Opportunity Award for companies
with a proven commitment to integrating individuals with disabilities into
their workforce.
- Creating Opportunity Award for companies who
have recently begun hiring individuals with disabilities.
The 2016 Champion of Opportunity Award honorees were CVS,
Huntington National Bank, Meijer and Sauder Woodworking Company. For more
information about the Opportunity Awards and to see a list of employer
recipients, visit http://www.ood.ohio.gov/Employers/Opportunity-Awards.
OOD’s Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program achieved another year of improved performance
and results in Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2016. These improvements included a:
- 6.5%
increase in applicants
- 9.7%
increase in individuals determined eligible for VR services
- 9.5%
increase in initial employment plans written
- growth
of 1,121 job seekers receiving VR services
- 17.7%
increase in the number of competitive rehabilitations achieved (which includes
a 30.3% increase for individuals with visual impairments)
-
decrease
in the time it takes to rehabilitation by 3.4 months
OOD’s
Division of Disability Determination (DDD)
program exceeded production goals in FFY 2016 by processing
201,783 disability claims and completing over 10,000 more cases for Ohioans
than the previous year. DDD continues to be a top performing state in the
Chicago Region and maintains one of the lowest cost-per-case in the
nation. DDD reduced the time to process Social Security Disability
Income (SSDI) claims from 76.6 to 65.3 days and from 85.7 to 76.1 days for
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) claims.
Since the
launch of the Employment First Partnership in FFY 2014, OOD helped more individuals
with developmental disabilities (DD) achieve competitive integrated employment.
The number of successful closures for DD eligible individuals increased 191%
from FFY 2013 to FFY 2016.
OOD also
served more students with disabilities than ever before through the Ohio
Transition Support Partnership (OTSP) with the Ohio Department of Education.
The number of students with disabilities between the ages of 14 and 18 who
applied for OOD services increased nearly 36% from FFY 2015 to FFY 2016. OOD
also connected with more youth at a younger age. The number of youth ages 14 to 15
at the time of application increased 77% from FFY 2015 to FFY 2016. This
earlier engagement helps students with disabilities get a head start on
becoming job ready and better prepared to enter the workforce.
In December 2014, Ohio‘s General Assembly passed
legislation creating the Workforce Integration Task Force (WIT) which was
requested as part of Governor Kasich’s Mid-Biennium Review. WIT was charged
with gathering and analyzing data to make recommendations regarding barriers to
employment and income parity for Ohioans who are deaf or blind. OOD accomplished
several activities to support the recommendations of the WIT.
OOD
worked with the Ohio Department of Public Safety to allow individuals with
hearing impairments, who secure a federal waiver for the hearing exemption, to
train and test for a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) in Ohio. Seven
individuals have completed the training and testing and are already employed.
OOD
worked with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) to add
questions about reasonable accommodations and training program accessibility to
the Workforce Inventory of Education and Training registration process. This
was an important first step in helping individuals with disabilities learn
which training programs are in-demand occupations to provide the best chance
for successful employment.
OOD
worked with the ODJFS to develop and deploy the Hiring Ohioans with
Disabilities: A Toolkit for Employers, Managers and Human Resource
Professionals
to help employers learn about best practices from some of Ohio’s top employers,
tax incentives for hiring workers with disabilities, recruiting and
accommodating veterans with disabilities and many other resources.
OOD
worked with the Ohio Department of Administrative Services (DAS) to change the state application questions to no longer
require a driver’s license to apply for all state jobs. The site specifies
those requirements based on each individual job, but specifically to those not requiring driving as a qualification.
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Benjamin
William Arnett of Greene County (1838-1906) was the first African
American/Native American state legislator elected to represent a majority white
constituency in Ohio. He lost one leg at age 20 after an ankle injury and a resulting
tumor. Arnett was concerned that state law did not ensure black children had the
same educational opportunities as white children. In 1887, he initiated statutes
that changed education. The state was required to provide equal opportunities
to all children. “The conflict of right and wrong is not confined to the human
heart, but found in the laws and customs of men,” said Arnett. For additional
information, visit
http://www.blackpast.org/aah/arnett-bishop-benjamin-william-1838-1906.
In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr., OOD offices will
be closed on Monday, January 16, 2017.
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