Opportunities
for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) Executive Director Kevin Miller offered
testimony on House Bill 115 to the Senate Government Oversight and Reform
Committee on November 29th. The bill, sponsored by Representatives
Theresa Gavarone and Scott Wiggam, would improve the interactions between law
enforcement officers and individuals who have disabilities that impact their
ability to communicate. Other testimony came from law enforcement and a mother
whose son is on the Autism spectrum and was mistakenly charged with a DUI. They
all spoke about the need for this bill and how it would help avoid a situation that
could become harmful by providing law enforcement information about a driver
who may have a communication disability through the Law Enforcement Agencies Data
System (LEADS).
Director
Miller also has a personal connection to someone with a communication
disability. His son Connor is on the Autism spectrum and although he is
diligent about teaching Connor how to interact in the world,
he is concerned when Connor is driving by himself. “I worry every
day as he drives back and forth between home and his community college,” said
Director Miller. "Because he’s on the Autism
spectrum, he reacts differently in social and stressful situations.”
Other organizations
that are publicly supporting HB 115 include 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, Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence, National Multiple
Sclerosis Society, and the Deaf Services Center.
OOD spent
November and December awarding our annual Opportunity Awards. There are three
different categories of these awards; the highest being the Champion of
Opportunity award. This award is given to organizations
that have gone above and beyond and who serve as statewide examples of what it
means to provide quality employment opportunities and increased independence
for individuals with disabilities. Here is a quick look back:
Natural Essentials INC.
The awards were kicked off on November 9th at Natural Essentials INC.; the recipient of the Northeast Area Champion of Opportunity Award.
Natural Essentials INC. was chosen for their commitment to inclusion by going the extra mile, such as teaching their managers American Sign Language to better communicate with employees who may be deaf or hard of hearing.
HCR ManorCare
HCR ManorCare was the next organization to receive the Champion of Opportunity Award on November 16th and represents the Northwest Area.
HCR ManorCare received their award for their willingness to
hire individuals with disabilities and reaching out to OOD when they are in
need of employees.
The
Ohio State University
On November 29th, we presented The Ohio State
University with the Champion of Opportunity Award for the Southeast Area.
Ohio State has embedded an OOD Talent Sourcing Coordinator
to help place individuals with disabilities in open positions on campus. Ohio
State also regularly holds Windmills trainings to educate on inclusivity and
maintaining a good work environment.
Miami
University
The last of our Champion of Opportunity Award events was
held on December 5th in the Southwest Area, where OOD recognized Miami University with the
Champion of Opportunity Award.
Miami University President Greg Crawford accepted the award. The university strives to have an inclusive environment by encouraging
human resource staff members and department heads, who are involved in the interviewing
or hiring process, to participate in OOD’s Windmills and Disability Awareness
trainings.
For the first time, we are happy to add
educational institutions to the award recipient list. You can see previous recipients as well as this year’s honorees at Opportunity Awards.
Lucas Fauble first came to OOD in October 2014 looking for
a part-time job as a transition-aged youth while attending post-secondary
training at the University of Northwest Ohio in Lima to be an agricultural diesel mechanic. Lucas's first OOD Individualized Plan for Employment
was created the following year. He was able to secure employment as a courtesy clerk at Meijer.
One year later, Lucas returned to OOD to pursue permanent
employment after finishing his training at the university. He was looking for a higher paying position
to repay his student loans and provide him the independence to support himself.
Working with his job developer, Lucas constructed a resume
and took part in interviewing exercises. He met weekly with his job developer
to view and apply to job postings on Ohio Means Jobs.
Tim Slye and Jason Grieser of Grieser Transportation were working
closely with Fulton County Workforce Development and Ohio Means Jobs to recruit
potential employees for open driver positions when they received Lucas’s
resume. Tim and Jason were impressed with Lucas's skill set and
that he had his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). They interviewed
Lucas and offered him a full-time position in March 2017. Lucas was thrilled.
Ten months later, Lucas still loves his job and has developed a strong bond with his
supervisor Tim. The two stay in contact while Lucas is on the road, even to the
point that Lucas sends Tim pictures of his favorite meals. Greiser
Transportation prides itself on being a small local business that walks
side-by-side with employees and their families. They encourage OOD job seekers,
who have a CDL, to apply with their company. For information about how OOD helps students transition from school to
work, visit Transition
Students.
Military
service members can receive expedited processing of
disability claims from Social Security through OOD’s Division of Disability
Determination (DDD). Benefits available through Social Security are different
from those available through the Department of Veterans Affairs and require a
separate application.
Military service members who became
disabled during active military service duty on or after October 1, 2001,
regardless of where the disability occurred, are eligible for the expedited
process.
The Fast Track Unit at DDD handles
these specialized cases to ensure priority processing. The unit produced 644 military
casualty claims during Federal Fiscal Year 2017. These military claims are typically
processed within 26 days and can be processed on initial, reconsideration, continuing
disability review or pre-hearing levels. For further information, visit SSA Veterans.
In OOD’s Business Relations video titled Workforce Success Stories, Richard Smith, a phone bank representative
at Huntington National Bank, recommends businesses consider a partnership with the agency. “OOD is committed to your companies,” said Richard. “They are committed to the
individuals with whom they are recommending to you. They are committed to the
community as a whole.” For more information about how OOD can help your
business meet its diverse workforce needs by including people with
disabilities, check out all five of OOD’s Business Relations Videos.
It can be difficult to receive Braille instruction once an
individual is out of the public education system, particularly in rural and
other areas of the state not served by vision service providers. In September,
OOD issued a request for proposals from eligible entities to provide basic
uncontracted Braille instruction to learners with low vision or blindness who
are at least 14 years of age and who are out of school.
Ohio’s chapter of the National Federation of the Blind
(NFB) is the recipient of the Adult Braille Literacy Project Award. Their proposal offered instruction based
in four cities around Ohio, along with wide-ranging initiatives for recruiting
eligible learners. Group studies will start next spring and include a
weekly one-on-one follow-up between a certified teacher, a Braille mentor and
individual learners for about 14 weeks. Participants will be encouraged to
explore the employment assistance available through OOD’s Bureau of Services for the
Visually Impaired (BSVI).
If you know an individual with a visual impairment that would like to master Braille, contact Elizabeth Sammons at elizabeth.sammons@ood.ohio.gov.
The agency's Independent Living Older Blind (ILOB) team provided seniors with tips, technology and skills to feel safer and more self-sufficient. Some of these services include special lighting or magnification technology for ease of reading; tactile or high-contrast markings for kitchen safety; and talking devices like clocks and large-number phones. Average time from application to finish has decreased from 7.6 months to 6.5 months. Visit the ILOB
Program for eligibility and service details.
This
ADA Hospitality guide will help make
your holiday events and celebrations inclusive and welcoming for people of all
abilities.
Connect
to OOD on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to see items like this
TV news story about how we helped an individual with a disability keep his job by
obtaining a new standing wheelchair.
#ConnectToOOD #OODWorks
Please share this publication and
encourage others to subscribe to the OOD Focus E-newsletter on
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