On January 24, 2020, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) and the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), a division of the Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS), held a media event to launch the Communication Disability Law Awareness Video.
“The Communication Disability Law is a big step in the right direction to reduce confusion and to support the safety of people in our community who have challenges communicating,” said Lt. Governor Jon Husted. “It’s wonderful to have a process to help folks with a communication disability, but if they don’t know it’s available for them, then we are not making full use of the law.”
The new video explains the Communication Disability Law, which allows individuals with a medically diagnosed communication disability, who drive or who are a regular passenger in a vehicle, to voluntarily enroll in a database that connects to the Law Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS). The law enforcement officer is then aware that the driver or a passenger in the vehicle may have difficulty communicating and can approach the vehicle with awareness to help avoid a situation that could become harmful to either the individual with a communication disability or to the officer.
"This has been a game changer for individuals with communication disabilities,” said Kevin Miller, Director of OOD. “By opting in, a communication disability is flagged for law enforcement, but exact disabilities (e.g., deaf, hard of hearing, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder) remain private.”
“Being able to obtain information about an individual with a communication disability is an invaluable resource for Ohio Law Enforcement,” said Thomas Stickrath, Director of ODPS. “This allows for improved communication, which in turn creates trust, community stability, and officer safety.”
 Pictured at the media event, left to right: Thomas Stickrath, Director of ODPS; John Moore, CEO/Executive Director of Deaf Services Center, Inc.; Kevin Miller, Director of OOD; Lt. Governor Jon Husted; Chris Page; Diane Page; Lt. Col. Marla Gaskill, Ohio State Highway Patrol; and Charles Norman, Registrar of the BMV.
John Moore, CEO/Executive Director of Deaf Services Center, Inc. said, “I would like to encourage those with a communication disability to sign up. This valuable information can allow the law enforcement officer to approach the person with the communication barrier appropriately, reduce stress, and proactively eliminate any instance of misunderstanding.”
The video gives step-by-step instructions on how to register. Individuals interested can take a verification form to a physician, psychiatrist, or psychologist to validate a communication disability. Completed forms should be submitted to the BMV. For additional information, visit www.OOD.Ohio.Gov/CommunicationDisabilityLaw.
 Chris Page and his mother Diane Page at the media event on January 24, 2020.
Chris Page was pulled over for a traffic stop in 2016. His failure to make eye contact caused officers to believe he had been drinking. Chris’ difficulty with motor skills led to him failing a field sobriety test and being arrested.
Once in custody, he submitted a urine sample and took a breathalyzer test that proved he had not been drinking. Chris is on the autism spectrum, and his symptoms were misunderstood during the traffic stop.
Tune into episode 11 of the OOD Works Podcast to learn how Chris’ experience and his mother’s advocacy efforts helped prompt the Communication Disability Law. Find the episode now wherever you listen to podcasts by searching "OOD Works." Transcripts and MP3 files are available at https://ood.ohio.gov/Podcast.
Angelo is majoring in human resources at Stark State College. After experiencing some difficulty in his classes, he reached out to the college’s Disability Support Services and was connected to Ohio College2Careers (Ohio C2C). Shannon Thomas, Ohio C2C Counselor, has been helping Angelo set career goals and discover work opportunities.
“I can now see that my future looks very bright,” said Angelo. Watch a video to learn more.
 Carol Brown and her cat Cody at her apartment.
Carol Brown is an 81-year-old resident of a retirement village in Columbus. She is an active gardener, mystery reader, pottery collector, social butterfly, and cat lover. She is slowly losing her sight to macular degeneration, a disease that runs in her family. Age-related macular degeneration is deterioration of the macula, the small central area of the retina of the eye that controls visual perception. The health of the macula determines a person’s ability to read, recognize faces, drive, watch television, use a computer, or any other visual task that requires seeing fine details.
“Carol was first referred to us in 2017 and again in 2019 by her eye doctor to help her prepare for what was to come,” said Heather Young, OOD Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor with Independent Living Services for Older Blind Ohioans (ILOB). ILOB has provided Carol with a handheld magnifier, a portable video magnifier, a talking glucometer, and iPhone accessibility training.
Kathy Moos of Vision Rehabilitation Practitioners helped Carol learn to use tactile markers to indicate appliance settings and other techniques to safely navigate her kitchen. She provided Carol with a dollar bill reader and taught her to fold currency so she knows its denomination. “Carol is amazingly focused and fiercely independent,” said Kathy. “Her desire to push through setbacks and her eagerness to figure out how to adapt to using aids and training makes her an excellent consumer of services.”
OOD provided Carol with orientation and mobility training using a white cane. At first Carol hesitated to use the white cane, but now she uses it regularly. “I go grocery shopping every Wednesday and use my cane to get to the bus and around the store,” Carol said.
Carol enjoys using the State Library of Ohio Talking Book Program, Amazon Alexa, CVS ScripTalk, and COTA Mainstream On-Demand. She said, “Kathy and Heather have taught me how to cope with my diminished vision, and they have given me a quality of life that I can maintain. Life is blurry, but I am determined to stay independent for as long as I possibly can, and I am grateful OOD is helping me to do that every day,” she added.
For more information about the OOD ILOB Program, visit
https://ood.ohio.gov/Programs-Partners/Programs/Independent-Living-Older-Blind
February is Low Vision Awareness Month. Low vision refers to vision loss that cannot be corrected by eyeglasses, medicine, or surgery. Low vision symptoms may include difficulty reading, using a computer or tablet, writing, watching television, recognizing faces, seeing dials or other mechanical controls, seeing the board at the front of a classroom, shopping, and driving a car.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology has a webpage dedicated to resources and links for people with low vision. Categories include children, audio book and magazines, large print materials, technology, national organizations, vision rehabilitation self-help materials, and more. Visit www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/low-vision-resources.
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