 Tonya Berger at her job.
Tonya Berger is a 43-year-old, hands-on mother of four from Cincinnati. She takes pride in being a mom and caring for her family. As a working mom, Berger previously held jobs that involved working long hours, standing, and walking on cement floors – requirements that were not a good fit with her disability. Berger has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which is a group of inherited disorders that weaken connective tissues of the body, primarily the skin, joints and blood vessel walls. She has also had multiple foot surgeries and is a brain aneurysm survivor.
Berger came to Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) in 2018 for help finding a new job. She expressed an interest in working in a hospital setting to Lynda Ramsey, OOD vocational rehabilitation counselor. Berger and Ramsey explored vocational and training programs in the Cincinnati area. As part of her career exploration, Berger completed three informational interviews with long-time medical assistants to ensure she was able to meet the demands of the job. One of those interviews was with a medical assistant in her doctor’s office. Berger then decided to attend the Medical Assistant Training program through the Great Oaks Career Campuses, specifically the Diamond Oaks Campus in Cincinnati.
OOD made arrangements for Berger to start the Medical Assistant Training program. “I literally jumped into the program full force, and I haven’t looked back,” said Berger. Berger completed the six-month program with perfect attendance and obtained her certification as a Clinical Medical Assistant. Following the training program, Berger completed an externship at Mercy Health System Primary Care and soon landed a full-time position with Mercy Health - The Heart Institute.
“When I was offered the job, I was so excited,” said Berger. “I couldn’t wait to send a message to the director of my training program at Great Oaks, Veronica Johnson. She had always been one of my best champions,” said Berger. “I told her that even with a disability, I knocked it out of the park!”
As a medical assistant, Berger prepares patients for appointments and cares for their rooms. “When you are coming to see a cardiologist, it is usually for a serious health concern,” said Berger. “I like to know that I am giving each patient individual attention. I can ask them about their day, help allay their ‘white coat syndrome’, and ease them through the process.”
“OOD helped me to find a way to work that best suited my situation,” added Berger. “I am grateful for a job that provides a good balance between sitting and moving. It allows me to contribute to my family who are my greatest support system.”
“Tonya is a very positive and upbeat person, and we are so happy for her success,” said Ramsey.
If you have a disability and want to work, visit http://www.OODWorks.com or call 800-282-4536 to get started.
 Left to right: Jaret Porubsky, Jared Trujillo, and Blake Hustic stand in front of the parts they packaged at R.W. Beckett.
R.W. Beckett, located in North Ridgeville, Ohio, makes combustion products used in heating, cleaning equipment, and for custom applications. Their products include residential and commercial burners, controls, and others parts and accessories. For the first time, R.W. Beckett participated in the OOD Summer Youth Work Experience, which provides students with the opportunity to explore careers and gain valuable work skills.
Lenore Commisso, OOD senior vocational rehabilitation counselor, was instrumental in bringing the partnership together. She determined which students would be a good fit for this particular worksite and provided support to keep efforts moving forward. Lenore said, “Working with these students, Step by Step, and R.W. Beckett has been a career highlight. Everyone was incredibly invested in these students’ success, including the students displaying teamwork by helping each other.”
Blake Hustic, Jaret Porubsky, and Jared Trujillo were selected and spent their summer working at R.W. Beckett packaging furnace motors and pumps, building igniters, and working with power tools. Step by Step provided training and support to help the students along the way. Melissa Wagner, their on-site job coach from Step by Step, said, “They met and exceeded what they expect out of an adult, and this is a youth program.”
 Left to right: Vic Takacs, director of operations at R.W. Beckett; Melissa Wagner, job coach; Blake Hustic, student; Eric Hess, shipping supervisor at R.W. Beckett; Jared Trujillo, student; Rick Swartz, director of human resources at R.W. Beckett; and Jaret Porubsky, student.
According to Bryan Underwood, who works in human resources at R.W. Beckett, “In the first week they did better than any temporary worker we’ve ever had.” He went on to add, “Our staff experience was also very positive. We like to make a difference in as many lives as possible. There is a genuine care of seeing these boys do something that was different and expanding their possibilities.”
Dave Volak, Executive Director for Step by Step, said, “This Summer Youth Work Experience has been the smoothest, most meaningful, and well-played service coordination ever. This is the embodiment of why we are here: to help people with disabilities and businesses meaningfully connect to benefit all parties.”
The students were pleased to prove they could be valuable workers and earn paychecks. Blake said, “It’s a big step getting my first paycheck. The work I’ve done here is rewarding.”
If you have a student who is 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. Vocational rehabilitation 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.
 The last full week of September is the International Week of the Deaf. Here are some tips for communicating with a person who is deaf or hard of hearing:
- Always face the person when talking.
- Enunciate, and keep your mouth clear of obstructions.
- Talk directly to the person, not the interpreter.
- Use a written note or mobile device, if needed.
- Rephrase if you’re not understood.
- Avoid noisy backgrounds.
- Don’t shout.
 Signing Savvy is a sign language dictionary containing several thousand high-resolution videos of American Sign Language (ASL) signs, finger-spelled words, and other common signs used within the United States and Canada. The website includes resources and tools to use while learning sign language, such as the ability to build custom wordlists, virtual flash cards and quizzes, print signs, build sign phrases, and more. Additional information is included with each sign video to help provide a better understanding of the sign, when to use it, and how to remember it.
 September is Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month. Established in September 2014 by U.S. Senate Resolution 533, organizations such as the United Spinal Association, the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation work to raise awareness about the seriousness of spinal cord injuries and resulting assistance that is needed.
According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, there are approximately 17,700 new cases of spinal cord injuries in the United States each year. There are approximately 288,000 people already living with spinal cord injuries in the U.S. Every spinal cord injury is unique –some individuals have limited mobility while others have no mobility.
Ohioans with spinal cord injuries may require personal care assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) so that they can maintain employment, look for employment, or participate in training for employment. OOD’s Personal Care Assistance (PCA) program can help. The PCA program provides partial reimbursement to eligible individuals so they may hire an attendant. For more information, visit https://ood.ohio.gov/Programs-Partners/Programs/Personal-Care-Assistance.
Stay tuned for an upcoming OOD Works Podcast with Scott Fedor, author of the book Head Strong. Scott is a native Clevelander whose life changed in an instant when he broke his neck. Hear about his recovery journey and how he helps others through his nonprofit organization, Getting Back Up.
 The Social Security Administration’s Red Book is a free guide to employment supports for beneficiaries of Social Security disability benefits, Supplemental Security Income, or both. It explains work incentives, how working can affect benefits, where to find local services, and more. Visit https://www.ssa.gov/redbook/.
 Now there is a new way to budget using OhioMeansJobs. The Ohio Lifestyle Calculator was recently added to the website, which already features a Budget Calculator. Both tools help individuals create a spending plan for things that are needed and important.
The Budget Calculator is ideal for predictable monthly expenses and income. It includes features to take into account income assistance and supplemental income.
The Lifestyle Calculator is helpful when the costs of housing, utilities and other living expenses are unknown. This tool projects costs for all these expenses based on selected regions of the state. The user’s lifestyle budget is then matched to occupations and target salaries that would support his/her selected lifestyle.
For more information or to size-up your budget and lifestyle, visit https://jobseeker.ohiomeansjobs.monster.com/FundIt/Home.aspx, or watch a video.
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Harford Miracle League Breaks Ground on Adaptive Ball Field for Youth with Special Needs
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