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OOD
is partnering with the Department of Job and Family Services to
update and reconfigure the disability employment pages on the www.OhioMeansJobs.com (OMJ) website. Now OMJ features OOD as a primary
resource for job seekers with disabilities. This provides meaningful access to
our vocational rehabilitation program by linking individuals with disabilities
seeking employment services directly to OODWorks.com.
In
addition to job seeking resources, OMJ directs employers who need assistance in
hiring and retaining people with disabilities to OOD resources. These include
our business relations team, the Employer Toolkit and the Ohio Business
Leadership Network. The update also includes provider resources such as access
to Labor Market Information and connecting prospective providers to OOD’s
provider services page.
Leveraging
the vast reach of OMJ will help OOD expand our outreach to individuals with
disabilities, employers and providers. This partnership serves as a promising
example of how Ohio is working to align workforce programs to better meet the
needs of Ohioans.
To learn more, go to www.OhioMeansJobs.com. Click on
either the individual or the employer landing page to locate the disability
icon to look at the new pages.
Each summer, approximately
2,500 Ohio students with disabilities have opportunities to identify career
interests and gain valuable work skills through Summer Youth Work Experiences
(SYWE). OOD partners with more than 90 community rehabilitation programs and
community employers to arrange over 500 sites across the state for these
experiences. Research indicates that work experiences for youth with disabilities during high school help them to acquire jobs at higher wages after they graduate.
Authentic work experiences are beneficial to all youth, but
especially for students with disabilities. Some examples of the variety of
occupations students are experiencing this summer include health care, animal
care, greenhouse work, retail, food service and hospitality. SYWEs are one
piece of OOD’s service delivery, ensuring that students with disabilities have
access to pre-employment transition services. Such activities comprise a key
component of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). OOD is
excited to assist these young people with their transition to adulthood by
providing high-quality work experiences.
OOD's Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired (BSVI) wants to provide information in each person’s
most comfortable reading format. We also want to make it easy for counselors
and partners to share this information. With this in mind, we have stored a
number of commonly requested, large print and Braille-ready files (BRF) on our
public internet: http://www.ood.ohio.gov/Information/OOD-Publications.
BRF/large print publications currently available:
- 10 Steps to
Communicating Effectively with People with Disabilities
- Are You Experiencing Impaired Vision?
- Are You Experiencing
Vision Loss?
- BSVI It’s All About
Employment
- Finding a Job Should Be
About Ability
- How to Make the Most Out of
Your Doctor’s Visit
- OODWorks.com
In addition, we have posted Braille formatted participant
informational documents under the BSVI homepage on the Intranet making it
easier for OOD employees to provide them to customers: http://intranet.rsc.ohio.gov/VR/BSVI/_layouts/15/start.aspx#/.
BRF participant informational documents:
- Rights and Duties
- Professional Disclosure
Statement
- Employer Consent
- Participant
Acknowledgment
- Rights of Persons with a
Disability
- Selection of a Provider
Informational Sheet
- VR Program Overview
The Braille-ready documents are marked with a BRF ending and the large print documents are marked with a WORD ending. Just like print PDFs, BRF documents
should require no changes or formatting on your end. These documents may also
be emailed directly to a Braille reader as attachments, exactly like print
documents.
On
April 17, 2017 the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) approved updates to
the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC 3304.2.52) related to OOD’s vocational
rehabilitation fee schedule. These changes include updated service
definitions and rates that will go into effect on October 1, 2017. In addition,
this will align rates for medical, psychological and dental fees paid by OOD
with those of the Ohio Department of Medicaid.
Training
regarding use of the new fee schedule rates will take place for OOD staff and
providers in late August and early September.
Do you ever recall something from an earlier HireGround
that you would like to access again? OOD has posted all past issues starting
with January 2014 online. All are available both in PDF and text versions at ood.ohio.gov/About-Us/Media-Center/HireGround-Newsletter.
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