 The Summer Youth Work Experiences are underway throughout Ohio! The 5-week service provides students (ages 14-21) with a disability the opportunity to explore careers and gain on-the-job training in a variety of local industries.
Approximately 480 students are participating in career exploration, which is geared toward younger students. From experiences shared by guests from various fields, to career-related field trips, students get an inside look at real work. Activities help students consider a broad range of employment possibilities, understand the skills required to do the work, and take inventory of interests and needs.
Work-based learning experiences help students build confidence and learn essential skills in a job setting. Youth are assigned to work sites based on their interests and abilities. Approximately 2,130 students are working at job sites, receiving support from a job coach, and earning minimum wage.
Jay Burns works in the Provider and Contract Management Unit at OOD. He explained, “This is an early transformational experience of what work can be like.” Students learn more about who they are and what they want out of life.
A variety of on-the-job experiences are being provided at approximately 800 businesses throughout the state. Experiences are offered in many industries, including retail, food service, non-profit, manufacturing, sports venues, hospitals, amusement parks, and more.
Laura Rex is the Director of Business Management and Career Development Services at Functional Training Services, Inc. (FTS) in Columbus. FTS partners with OOD to provide summer youth work experiences for a total of 74 youth in 15 different options. In addition, a career exploration program is offered to younger students in Franklin and Fairfield Counties.
“Going to work for the first time can be overwhelming for anyone – it’s not just about learning to do the job tasks, but also about learning how work is different from school, learning about workplace safety, and learning to meet employer expectations –the list goes on and on," Rex said. “Being able to experience these things during the 5-week program and having the support of a job coach to help guide this learning can really build a solid foundation for the students’ understanding of what work is all about.”
OOD works with hundreds of providers throughout the state to make the summer work experiences possible. “A great deal of planning goes into making summer youth experiences a success,” said OOD Director Kevin Miller. “Hats off to providers and staff for their efforts in helping youth gain a strong foothold in their career path.”
If you have a child, 14 years of age or older with a disability, reach out to OOD for more information on how we can help your child with career exploration, skill development, and strategies to get a job after graduation. Counselors begin talking with students and their parents, about next summer’s opportunities, beginning in the fall. To find out more, go to https://www.ood.ohio.gov/transition-students.
 A total of 296 individuals have obtained employment as a result of OOD’s job fairs held during National Disability Employment Awareness Month in October 2018!
Attention employers: plan to participate in a job fair this October. Call the Hiring Ability Hotline at (866) 895-0058 to speak to an OOD representative and start a partnership with the agency.
 Anthony Streeter at his job at Giant Eagle.
OOD and Giant Eagle collaborate to increase employment opportunities and job retention for people with disabilities at Giant Eagle stores in Northeast Ohio. This partnership demonstrates Ohio’s business-focused approach to enhance employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Through this partnership, a full-time OOD Talent Sourcing Coordinator is embedded at Giant Eagle to facilitate sourcing, hiring, and retention of OOD job seekers with disabilities. In addition, the Talent Sourcing Coordinator works closely with Giant Eagle’s human resources staff to initiate training on inclusion, incorporate accessibility concepts in the workplace, and create pathways to promotional opportunities within Giant Eagle. The Talent Sourcing Coordinator is a resource to support ongoing job retention with Giant Eagle.
In 2019 alone, Giant Eagle has hired more than 40 individuals in Northeast Ohio served by OOD. One of these individuals is Anthony Streeter who was hired at the Legacy Village Giant Eagle in Lyndhurst. Streeter was hired in the front-end department, and his responsibilities range from cart retrieval, bagging, maintaining the appearance of the front of the store, and above all else, customer service.
“I was working with an employment provider in Cleveland, and they recommended OOD,” Anthony said. “I was looking for a new opportunity. Even though I was anxious and nervous, the process went very smooth. It did not take very long at all before I interviewed and was offered a position at Giant Eagle. I am very proud to be part of the Giant Eagle family, and they have embraced me with open arms. I take things one step at a time, and I am always looking to improve my craft. I want to make an impact and be a role model for others and lift them up.”
In addition to support from OOD, Street has appreciated his supervisor, Pam. “Pam is a blessing,” Streeter said. “She is a loving and caring person, and she teaches excellence and motivates us to be our best. This motivation for me and my team allows us to take advantage of this opportunity by showcasing ourselves and our skills.”
Streeter’s impact has caught the attention of his co-workers and management. Matt Thrush, Legacy Village’s Store Leader, stated, “Anthony is one of the best newly hired Team Members we’ve discovered in many months, or even longer. His amazing personality, professionalism, commitment, and desire to take care of the customer is a breath of fresh air.”
 From left to right: Greg Dormer, OOD BSVI Deputy Director; Sarah Kelly, OOD BSVI Program Administrator; Stacey Butts and Dani Moran, The Sight Center of Northwest Ohio.
OOD partners with the three sight centers in Ohio to support individuals with vision loss: The Sight Center of Northwest Ohio, Cleveland Sight Center and the Cincinnati Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired.
This week, OOD’s Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired staff Greg Dormer and Sarah Kelly caught up with staff at The Sight Center of Northwest Ohio in Toledo. The non-profit agency provides clinical and in-home services to residents in 16 counties in Northwest Ohio and parts of Southeast Michigan. Programs and services help people of all ages work, learn, play, and live independently with permanent vision loss. The center features a low vision clinic, assistive technology devices, rehabilitation therapy, mobility training, Braille services and resource information.
To find out more about the services OOD can offer to support individuals who are blind or low vision, visit www.oodworks.com or call 800-282-4536.
 Rhonda Tanner, OOD Deputy Director, at this week’s Congressional Briefing.
On June 19, the Division of Disability Determination (DDD) hosted a Congressional Briefing for the Chicago region of the Social Security Administration (SSA), which includes Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Staff with the following offices attended: Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman and Representatives Mike Turner, Jim Jordan, Bob Latta, Bob Gibbs, Steve Stivers, Bill Johnson, Steve Stivers, Joyce Beatty, Warren Davidson, and Troy Balderson.
The briefing gave attendees an update on services provided to those applying for Social Security benefits, workloads, and updates on the use of technology to provide improved customer service. Also discussed was the success of SSA’s Anti-fraud Initiative.
Rhonda Tanner, Deputy Director of DDD, shared how Ohio is a model for disability determinations. DDD is on track to process nearly 158,000 cases this year. “We strive to make the right decision at the earliest point possible. We ended fiscal year 2018 with an accuracy rate, as measured by SSA, of 99.3%,” said Tanner. “We also maintain a low cost per case in the region.”
Tanner highlighted the Fast Track System, which swiftly processes military casualty and critical cases in as little as 36 days. She also praised the work of the Cooperative Disability Investigative Unit. Staff help save taxpayer money by curbing Social Security fraud. Ohio’s unit is among the top five states in the nation for the amount of money that is saved by detecting attempts to defraud Social Security programs.
The briefing also previewed a pilot program called Ohio Direct Referral. Once established, a cooperative agreement with SSA will allow DDD to direct referrals to the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation for potentially eligible 17 and 18 year-olds to support a direct path to employment.
 Kelly Jordan, OOD Business Relations Specialist, (fourth from left) participated in a panel discussion about accessible voting.
Kelly Jordan, Business Relations Specialist, participated in a panel on accessible voting at “Preparing for Tomorrow, Today,” a summer conference for elections officials hosted by Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose on June 19. The panel addressed access to polling places and Boards of Elections offices, as well as, access to voting equipment on Election Day and during early voting. Jordan’s role was to provide pointers for interacting with people with disabilities at polling places. The panel was moderated by Brett Harbage, Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator for the Ohio Secretary of State. In addition to Jordan, panel members included Lou Ann Blake with the National Federation for the Blind; Nate Fernandes, Digital Accessibility Coordinator for the Ohio Secretary of State; Elizabeth Johnson, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice; and Commissioner Thomas Hicks with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
Want to learn about accessible voting? Visit the U.S. Election Assistance Commission for information on improvements to voting systems and voter access, voting rights for voters with disabilities and more.
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