On Tuesday, April 4th,
OOD staff will be traveling to Sandusky for events surrounding Governor John
Kasich’s State of the State address. While in the region, OOD along with
other cabinet-level agencies, will be hosting a variety of events highlighting
the work we do with partners and individuals with disabilities. OOD’s focus
this year is on the different pathways available to help
individuals with disabilities achieve quality employment and increased
independence.
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EHOVE
Career Center Recognition (316 West Mason Rd., Milan OH) – 9:30 a.m. With our state agency
partners from the Department of Higher Education, Office of Workforce
Transformation and Department of Education, we will recognize EHOVE Career
Center and highlight the Ohio Transition Support Partnership (OTSP) and the
Adult Basic and Literacy Education initiative (ABLE), specifically bringing
attention to the Basic Braille Instructional Services.
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Employer Training and Recognition at Great Wolf Lodge (4600 Milan Rd., Sandusky, OH) – 10 a.m. Employer Disability Etiquette Training
& 11:15 a.m. Employer Recognition. With our state agency partners from the
Department of Job and Family Services and the Office of Workforce
Transformation, we will recognize and honor Great Wolf Lodge and other local
employers for hiring individuals with disabilities.
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Sawmill Creek Resort Employer Recognition (400 Sawmill Creek
Drive, Huron) – 1:30 p.m. We will be joined by the Department of Developmental
Disabilities to highlight Employment First and recognize Sawmill Creek.
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Steak ‘n Shake (4620 Milan Rd., Sandusky) – 3 p.m. We will be joined by
the Department of Developmental Disabilities to highlight Employment First and
recognize Steak ‘n Shake and Ability Works.
We are excited about
visiting Sandusky to showcase the great work we are doing in the region, while
acknowledging the important work of our partners. Connect to OOD on Facebook
and Twitter #OHSotS as we visit and honor our partners in Sandusky.
That evening, Governor
Kasich will offer his State of the State address and highlight the progress
Ohio has made over the last 12 months and the important work that remains.
Click on this link to see a video of Director Miller, with
his son Connor, discussing his testimony on House Bill 115. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8I1OCLxwtA&feature=youtu.be
On
Wednesday, OOD Director Kevin Miller and his son Connor, who is on the Autism
spectrum, offered proponent testimony on House Bill 115 sponsored by
Representatives Theresa Gavarone and Scott Wiggam. This bill will improve the
interactions between law enforcement officers and individuals who have
disabilities that may impact their ability to communicate. This proposal will
help avoid a situation that could become harmful by providing law enforcement
information about a driver who may have a communication disability through Law
Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS).
"My
wife and I have dedicated our lives in an effort to work with our son to learn
how to interact with the world he lives in," said Miller. "We believe
there is a significant opportunity to assist with our partners in the law
enforcement community to better identify individuals who may have a communication
disability."
"As
a youth on the Autism spectrum, I know that Connor may have difficulty during a
traffic stop answering questions or providing information to an officer.
Behaviors that might seem suspicious for many people, like failing to make eye
contact or short one-word answers, are typical for my son," he said.
A
multitude of organizations have already publicly supported HB 115 including the
Buckeye State Sheriff’s Association, Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, Ohio
Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities, National Alliance on
Mental Illness, The Arc of Ohio, and the Ohio Center for Autism and Low
Incidence.
Connect to OOD on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to see
items like this post about people with autism learning to excel on the job.
April is Autism
Awareness Month and this Sunday, April 2nd, is the 9th annual World Autism
Awareness Day. Throughout the month, organizations and participants from
around the world will come together to raise awareness and increase understanding
for Autism.
OOD provides services to individuals who are on the Autism
spectrum to assist them in finding and retaining employment. Here’s a message
from OOD Director Kevin Miller about employment opportunities for individuals
who are on the Autism spectrum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsxBI851YSA&feature=youtu.be.
As we continue to improve
outreach and efficiencies in the communication efforts of OOD, we want to keep
you informed on the changes to the Weekly Focus e-newsletter and our social
media pages. We have increased our presence on social media to interact with
businesses, partners, employees and those we serve. Our social media now
features the type of items you may have seen in our Weekly Focus e-newsletter.
Our Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages highlight up-to-the-minute items with
links and videos. Starting
the first week in April the Focus e-newsletter will become a monthly
publication and will feature stories of employment successes, job
opportunities, statewide partnerships, advocacy and policy efforts, and much
more.
Connect To OOD by
subscribing to our monthly Focus e-newsletter by going to our website and follow
us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Google's
Chromebook ChromeVox Screen Reader’s new version makes the Braille display
keyboard easier to navigate through Chrome, rather than switching back and
forth to the Chromebook keyboard. For more information, visit https://blog.google/products/chromebooks/new-improved-chromevox-screen-reader/.
Vocational
Rehabilitation
Current
FFY2017
Individuals in Job Ready Status: 3,254 3,568
For county level information
& map, visit our website.
Individuals Employed:
2,062
2,941
Employed, not yet
successfully closed
Successful Closures:
3,131
Employed for over 90 days,
case closed successfully
Disability Determination
(FFY
2017 as of 3/24/2017 – Week 25)
Applications Received: 84,809
Determinations: 90,944
Productivity Per Work Year (PPWY) 358.0
Total number of cases processed
divided
by the number of
work years funded
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encourage others to subscribe to the OOD Focus E-newsletter on
our website. Also be sure to
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