 The grand opening and ribbon cutting for the Workforce Innovation and Talent Center in Cleveland. Pictured left to right: David Casey, vice president of Workforce Strategies & chief diversity officer for CVS; Elizabeth Newman, president & CEO for The Centers for Family and Children; and Armond Budish, county executive for Cuyahoga County.
CVS Health opened a new Workforce Innovation and Talent Center in Cleveland on June 25. The new training center is one of five in the country that includes a simulated CVS Pharmacy and computer lab. Trainers from The Centers for Families and Children provide curriculum developed by CVS Health to offer insight into the roles and responsibilities of front store and pharmacy tech positions. The mock pharmacy has real equipment where participants receive both classroom and hands-on training in customer service, stocking shelves, and working at the cash register.
“The best part about this program is that the location is convenient to downtown and is free,” said Michael Hoag, Business Relations Specialist for Northeast Ohio. “The center is on a bus line and in direct proximity to those who need it most. It greatly expands capacity and provides basic workforce training for people across the community. OOD is honored to be a part of this innovative program with CVS Health.”
Each class will have about 15 students and take approximately eight weeks to complete. The overall goal of the program is for participants to learn about the roles in a business setting including customer service, claims processing or billing, and how the skills learned can be applied to a number of different jobs. Those who complete the program will qualify to apply for a position at CVS.
To learn more about CVS Health’s workforce initiatives, visit https://cvshealth.com/about/diversity/workforce-development-programs. Individuals interested in this program or similar workforce opportunities can get started with OOD by visiting OODWorks.com or calling 800-282-4536.
The Business Relations Team at OOD partners with more than 500 Ohio employers to source candidates for in-demand jobs. The team also provides no-cost disability etiquette and awareness training and worksite accessibility services to strengthen employers’ efforts to be a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Watch a video that explains how OOD helped Levy Restaurants at the Columbus Convention Center reduce employee turnover by 30%.
Are you an employer interested in partnering with OOD? Call the Hiring Ability Hotline at 866-895-0058 to speak to an OOD representative and start a partnership with the agency.
 John Stonfer pictured at his home.
To help Ohio's seniors who have a documented severe vision impairment in their quest for independence, OOD supports the Independent Living Older Blind Program. Services help with daily living skills like cooking and meal preparation, travel skills, telling time, keeping appointments organized, using a phone, organizing and administering medications, and managing finances.
The program is helping people like John Stonfer of Elyria. The 57-year-old is legally blind due to complications from glaucoma. In addition to vision loss, John is hard of hearing and has paraplegia that resulted from a motorcycle accident.
Following the accident, John began working with an aide, Melissa, and they have formed a close friendship over the years. He connected with OOD to improve his independence. John then successfully completed activities of daily living and rehabilitation teaching services through the Cleveland Sight Center to help him achieve his independence goals. He learned to use assistive technology on his iPad to improve his communication abilities, and a talking watch to hear the time and date. John learned how to use FaceTime and exchange photos via text with his family on his iPad. He also learned how to use a low vision application called Seeing AI to identify product labels and colors, as well as read his mail and prescription labels.
A PocketTalker allows John to hear his doctors during his appointments. He said, “It was the first time I didn’t feel dumb. I used to just smile and nod my head ‘yes’ because I couldn’t communicate that I didn’t understand what my doctor was saying. I actually understood and could have a conversation about my health issues.”
Katy McKiernan, ILOB Counselor with OOD, said, “John’s case was particularly inspiring for me. I wanted to help him feel connected to the world, and I am happy to see the success he’s had with his adaptive aids.”
To find out more about the services OOD can offer to support independence, visit http://www.oodworks.com or call 800-282-4536.
 Carol Bais of Portage County learns about the importance of vision screening from Candace Massengill-Thomas, OOD vocational rehabilitation counselor.
Portage County Job and Family Services recently hosted the 5th annual Senior Forum at the Maplewood Career Center in Ravenna. The free event included workshops, lunch, information booths, health screenings, and vision screenings by Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD).
OOD staff Candace Massengill-Thomas, Katy McKiernan, Mia Murphy, and Jessica McKee are certified vision screeners through Prevent Blindness Ohio and provided free vision screenings during the event.
Eye disease and vision loss are on the rise. According to the 2012 Vision Problems in the U. S. Report, the four leading causes of vision loss show significant increases in Ohio since the 2000 report was issued:
- 88,546 people age 50 and older have age-related macular degeneration, a 25% increase
- 991,628 people age 40 and older have cataracts, a 13% increase
- 105,889 people age 40 and older have open angle glaucoma, a 15% increase
- 284,631 people age 40 and older have diabetic retinopathy, a 31% increase
This issue becomes even more critical in Ohio as the baby boomer generation ages. The number of seniors affected by aging eye diseases is expected to double over the next 30 years.
Blindness and low vision can affect the ability to drive, read, stay active in the community, perform household tasks, and work. When these abilities are impacted, there could be a risk of social isolation, depression, increased falls and injuries, all of which can have an emotional and economic toll on individuals and their families. Vision screenings help identify potential red flags that indicate the need for someone to follow up with an eye doctor.
“Providing vision screenings is a way that our certified OOD staff can contribute toward early detection of possible problems that could lead to more serious vision issues,” said Jennifer Wells, vocational rehabilitation supervisor from Akron. “If someone finds out they have a vision issue, we may be able to assist them through our Independent Living Older Blind (ILOB) program, or our Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired (BSVI), if they require assistance getting or keeping a job.”
Ohio’s Aging Eye Public Private Partnership, of which OOD is a member, provides resources and educational opportunities, including the Ohio Vision Resource Guide. The guide offers tips to protect vision, find an eye care professional, locate eye care resources, find assistance related to low vision, and more.
 From left to right: Greg Dormer, OOD deputy director of the Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired; Dr. Brian Dulude, interim director of Blind, Inc. Minnesota; and Sarah Kelly, OOD program administrator for the Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired.
In a quest to learn about the best tools and technology for individuals who are blind or who have low vision, staff with the Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired (BSVI) recently traveled to Minnesota.
At the suggestion of the National Federation of the Blind – Ohio (NFB-Ohio), Greg Dormer, deputy director, and Sarah Kelly, program administrator, visited Blind, Inc. Minnesota, which was founded by NFB. The Residential Independent Training Facility helps participants adjust to blindness. With additional locations in Louisiana and Colorado, the program is geared for those whose blindness was brought on suddenly, but it can also help those who have been blind their entire lives and want to live more independently.
At the residential facility, 10-12 adults, from all over the country, live together for six to nine months, working with instructors to improve navigation and live more independently. “Most of the instructors on this team are blind. The instructors know completely what it is like to navigate life without sight,” said Kelly. “For those with partial sight, blindfolds prevent leaning on visual skills. This helps maximize the participants’ experience.”
While there, participants learn about using assistive technology, JAWS (screen reader), and Braille. They build practical skills including self-care, cooking, cleaning, and home maintenance. The program even includes an industrial arts class and assignment of preparing dinner for 30 people.
 Students at Blind, Inc. Minnesota take an industrial arts class to build confidence during residential training.
For those participants who live in Minneapolis, Blind, Inc. provides continued services, including housing and vocational rehabilitation referrals. “Because of the comprehensive nature of Blind, Inc., I was able to observe the training in action and better understand the differences in their model of training and compare it to what is available here in Ohio to help the blind community,” Kelly said.
“One of the main differences in the program is that in Ohio, most of our instructors are sighted and in Minnesota, they are not. I teach orientation and mobility from a sighted perspective,” said Kelly. “Having an understanding of what it means to actually be blind makes a difference in instruction.”
For information about the services OOD provides for individuals who are blind or who have low vision, visit https://ood.ohio.gov/Services/Services-for-the-Visually-Impaired.
 Unlimited Possibilities For all People will present the 4th Annual All Disabilities Festival at Genoa Park, 303 West Broad Street in Columbus, on Sunday, July 28th from 9 am to 6 pm.
The festival will feature live entertainment and arts, a wellness fair, a children's fun space, retail vendors, food trucks, and community resources. There will also be a segment honoring veterans with disabilities, an art tour by the State Organization on Arts and Disability, and an “All Disabilities Walk” from 9 am to noon.
 The American Association of People with Disabilities is coordinating the National Disability Voter Registration Week, July 15-19, to make a concerted effort to get people with disabilities registered to vote and prepared to cast a ballot in November. The REV UP campaign encourages individuals to “Register! Educate! Vote! Use your Power!” Ohio REV UP resources and events are available at https://www.aapd.com/advocacy/voting/state-resources-and-events/ohio/.
 Microsoft offers a variety of accessibility resources, including vision-related tools, hearing-assistive tools, and tools for those who live with dyslexia, seizures, autism, or other cognitive differences. The company offers applications for people living with learning disabilities, mobility-assistive technologies, and mental health assistive tools. For those who use Office 365, an Accessibility Checker can alert users of issues that make content difficult for people with disabilities to access, as well as recommend actions to make it easier to fix flagged issues.
More information and links are available at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility/.
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