 John Eneix and his wife Margaret, standing on the land where they plan to build a retirement home.
In his early 20s, John Eneix, from Lakewood, was diagnosed with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), an inherited form of vision loss. After being laid off from a factory job, John’s brother suggested he apply for services at the Rehabilitation Services Commission (RSC), now Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) in Cleveland.
While there, John learned about the Business Enterprise (BE) Program that enables Ohioans who are legally blind to have entrepreneurial careers in food service management. Licensed operators operate and manage cafeterias, convenience stores, snack bars, and vending in state and federal buildings, highway rest areas, and state colleges and universities, where they have priority under the Randolph-Sheppard Act and Ohio Revised Code. John learned that he qualified for services and was eligible for the BE Program. He began training and filling vending machines at the Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building in downtown Cleveland, learning the ropes from BE Operator Irv Fillinger, who was responsible for the location. John later gained experience by running the snack bar at the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine.
In 2005, John applied for and accepted an opportunity to run two convenience stores in the Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building. John’s wife and children worked alongside him in the stores serving the 3,800 people who worked in the building.
Over the years, John served as Chairman of the Ohio Vendors Representative Committee (OVRC), which is a group of operators elected by their respective districts for a two-year term. The OVRC works with the OOD Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired on major administrative decisions, policy, and development of the BE program. He was also a Representative and President of the Ohio Blind Vendors Association, where he started a scholarship for children of vendors with visual disabilities. During his career, John has mentored and trained new licensees for the BE Program.
“The BE Program has benefited my life in every way. It has provided stability and an economic ladder to a career, and I was blessed to work with mentors who taught me everything I needed to know to be successful,” said John. “I hope I have passed on some of what I have learned to the vendors that I have mentored.”
“We want to congratulate John on his retirement,” said Annette Lutz, Chairperson of the OVRC. “He has always been willing to help other Operators with any problems they may have.”
“John has been a successful and respected BE Operator amongst his peers and BE staff,” said Christy Hauck, BE Program Administrator. “We wish John the very best in his retirement!”
If you are interested in becoming a BE operator, visit the BE Program for more information. If you are interested in having the BE Program assess your site for potential vending, please contact Christy Hauck at 614-438-1278 or Christine.Hauck@ood.ohio.gov.
 If you have a disability and want to work, reach out to OOD today. Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors can help you explore your options. Visit OODWorks.com or call 800-282-4536 to get started.
OOD congratulates several Ohio employers who were recently recognized as 2020 Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion by Disability:IN. To earn this distinction, businesses must score 80 points or higher on a scale from 0 to 100 on the Disability Equality Index (DEI), a national benchmarking tool that allows America’s leading corporations to self-report their disability policies and practices. The Index measures key performance indicators across organizational culture, leadership, accessibility, employment, community engagement, support services, and supplier diversity.
The following OOD Employer Partners scored 100% on the DEI: American Electric Power (AEP), Aramark, Booz Allen Hamilton, Compass Group USA, CVS Health, Huntington Bank, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Land O’Lakes, Lowe’s, ManpowerGroup, Marriott International, Inc., Northwestern Mutual, PNC Financial Services Group, Inc., Sodexo, Synchrony, UPS, US Bank, Verizon, Walgreens, and Walmart Inc. Those OOD Employer Partners scoring 90% include Amazon, Cintas Corporation, Fifth Third Bank, Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc. (JLL), The Kroger Co., Meijer, and Whirlpool Corporation, and 80%: Target.
Collectively, OOD has assisted more than 880 individuals with disabilities in obtaining employment with these businesses since July 2019.
OOD partners with these 2020 Best Places to Work employers plus hundreds of other companies throughout Ohio to promote employment for individuals with disabilities. OOD also provides services to employers at no cost, including recruitment of job-ready candidates with disabilities, disability etiquette and disability awareness training for employees, worksite accessibility consultations, information about employer tax credits, plus hiring events and job fairs.
More information about how OOD’s Business Relations staff support disability inclusion practices in the workplace can be found at OOD.Ohio.Gov/Employers.
July 26th marks the 30th anniversary of President George H.W. Bush signing into law the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure the civil rights of people with disabilities. The Act has worked to break down barriers to opportunities, including employment so that workers with disabilities can contribute their talents, skills, and abilities.
Ohio is home to approximately 1.6 million Ohioans with a disability, and 870,000 are of working age. Moments after being sworn into office, Governor Mike DeWine signed
Executive Order (2019-03D), establishing Ohio as a Disability Inclusion State and Model Employer of Individuals with Disabilities. The Order requires all state agencies to increase recruitment, hiring, and advancement of people with disabilities.
The Executive Order called for the Ohio Department of Administrative Services (DAS), in consultation with OOD, to hire a state Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator to lead numerous actions aimed at improving hiring, recruitment, and retention of individuals with disabilities as well as creating and sustaining a culture of inclusion throughout the workplace.
OOD and DAS also collaborated to provide Disability Etiquette and Awareness training to all state employees. The e-learning training module features interviews with several Ohioans who discuss their disabilities and offers practical examples of interaction and communication. Disability Etiquette and Awareness helps participants become aware of respectful etiquette and proper language usage related to interactions with people with different types of disabilities.
OOD serves individuals with disabilities, whether physical, intellectual, sensory, or mental. The agency’s Bureaus of Vocational Rehabilitation and Services for the Visually Impaired prepare and assist eligible Ohioans with disabilities to get and keep a job. To learn more about OOD, watch a video.
For trusted information on coronavirus (COVID-19) in Ohio, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634).
 Are you struggling with stress as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and need emotional support? Call the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services’ COVID CareLine toll-free at 1-800-720-9616 to speak with a licensed mental health professional and get the help you need.
 Looking for something to do from home that will make a difference? Respond to Census 2020! It takes just 10 minutes online, but will affect you and the state of Ohio for the next 10 years!
To be counted, visit: http://2020census.gov.
Google Lookout is an Android app that identifies objects for people with visual disabilities. The app uses artificial intelligence to identify objects through a phone’s camera. It can also read signs and labels, scan barcodes, and identify currencies. Learn more at Google Play.
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