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Governor Mike DeWine’s budget invests in funding for direct services that will ensure students with disabilities working toward a credential or college degree earn higher wages and meet the demands of tomorrow’s labor market. This will be accomplished through an innovative partnership between Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD), Ohio’s state college and university system and Ohio businesses. These funds will provide access to services such as job placement, technology and internships that will level the playing field for approximately 1,500 students annually.
You can watch a video of Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities Director Kevin Miller’s budget testimony on the Ohio Channel or read it on OhioHouse.Gov (April 1, 2019 Hearing).
 Do you or a loved one have a communication disability? Individuals with a medically- diagnosed communication disability can voluntarily enroll in a database that connects to the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS). By enrolling in this system, a law enforcement officer will be alerted that you, or a passenger in your vehicle, has a communication disability and may have difficulty communicating.
The communication disability law, House Bill 115 became an Ohio law on August 1, 2018, with the goal of improving interactions between law enforcement officers and individuals with a diagnosed communication disability. This important information can help an officer understand why someone may not make eye contact or have a delayed response. Officers can then adjust their approach, reducing the chance of a potential misunderstanding.
Registration is a voluntary option for drivers or passengers who regularly occupy a vehicle, including minors. During a traffic stop, LEADS will alert law enforcement that a driver or passenger has a communication disability. With respect to medical confidentiality, details regarding communication disabilities will not be provided to law enforcement.
To register someone for the database, visit the Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities website to download a Verification Form. While you do not have to disclose personal medical information on the form, it does require the signature of a licensed practitioner, confirming a diagnosed communication disability.
Completed verification forms should be mailed to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV)/Vehicle Information Services, P.O. Box 16521 Columbus, Ohio 43216-6521 or scanned and emailed to VIS-Administration@dps.ohio.gov. Forms can also be hand-delivered to any BMV Deputy Registrar. Applicants will receive a confirmation receipt sent to the email address provided on the form.
For more information, please visit www.ood.ohio.gov/Information/Communication-Disability-Law.
Amy Roberts, Recruiter for AVI Foodsystems Inc., was on-hand at the hiring event in Columbiana County and has participated in past hiring events.
The Business Relations Team works throughout the state to raise awareness about OOD and our mission with employer partners to promote and support the hiring of individuals with disabilities. Through OOD's network of employer partners, OOD Business Relations Specialists (BRS) identify job opportunities that match our job seekers' skill sets and experience. They also provide services and resources that promote an inclusive and diverse work environment. If you are an employer looking to diversify and strengthen your workforce through the inclusion of people with disabilities, please contact the OOD BRS in your area to schedule a meeting.
Earlier this month, OOD held a hiring event at the Columbiana County OhioMeansJobs Center to connect individuals with jobs in the food service and healthcare industries. Employers included Wendy’s, AVI Foodsystems Inc. and Salem Regional Medical Center. A total of five individuals left the hiring event with confirmed jobs, and three additional individuals are in the process of being employed.
Sathya Gopalakrishnan, associate professor of environmental economics at The Ohio State University, has found more mobility on the job and in her life with help from OOD.
Sathya Gopalakrishnan is an associate professor of environmental economics at The Ohio State University. On any given day, she can be found teaching undergraduates how to value the environment and be good stewards of the natural resources around them.
The road to Sathya’s successful career has been an extraordinary one. In 1994, while still in her native India, Sathya was involved in an accident that left her paralyzed and in a wheelchair. The accident also injured her left arm, causing severe nerve damage and taking away all sensitivity and motor function. Despite these challenges, Sathya came to the United States and attended Michigan State University where she earned her master’s degree and then went on to Duke University where she earned her Ph.D. in environmental economics.
Sathya’s first contact with OOD was in 2012, when at the age of 30, the agency helped her learn how to drive, and assisted in modifying her car -- overcoming the barriers caused by her disability. “It changed my life,” said Sathya. “It allowed me to be extremely independent. It allowed me to go to get around and go places both for personal and professional pursuits, and gave me freedom I had never experienced before.”
In 2015, after much consideration Sathya made the decision to have her left arm amputated so that a prosthetic limb would provide hand-grip and greater functionality. After more than two years of back and forth negotiation with her insurance provider, Sathya went to OOD for assistance, obtaining the limb she needed. “What I found at OOD was that even the starting conversation was uplifting to me,” said Sathya. “What was so different was that they offered a spirit of support. The people on my team were all working really hard to make sure others’ lives were better. They were working hard so that other people could work.”
The Vocational Rehabilitation Team, led by Amy Beavis, conducted a full evaluation at Sathya’s workplace. They attended multiple meetings with the prosthetic team and compiled a list of all the activities she would need to perform at work. The team worked to get her a prosthetic arm with technology that utilized only one muscle group. The evaluation also led to Sathya receiving speech recognition software to help her with email and other electronic communications, using her voice. “It helped by making these tasks more much accessible and convenient,” said Sathya.
After several years of frustration, Sathya finally got her prosthetic arm. And again, the results were life-changing, not just at work, but at home, too. “It’s the little things,” said Sathya. “I can now work in the kitchen and cut vegetables. I can open a bottle or a jar with greater ease. I can go to the cafeteria and hold both a cup of coffee and a tray. I can hold a phone and a map to get directions. I can hold two grocery bags and tie a garbage bag, which doesn’t seem like a great feat, until you try to do it with one hand. It is still a learning process and I continue to work with my occupational therapist and prosthetic to become more adept with the device. I couldn’t have started this journey without the help I received from OOD. It has been liberating and has helped me to live a more fulfilling life.”
 Learn about the opportunities in your community during In-Demand Jobs Week, May 6-10! Right now there are more than 210 events on the statewide event map. Contact your vocational rehabilitation counselor regarding events that are exclusive for those served by OOD. Learn about all of the special events taking place and find the complete list of in-demand occupations and information by visiting Ohio Means Jobs.
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