John's Assistive Technology at Work

Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities sent this bulletin at 05/14/2021 09:02 AM EDT

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John’s Assistive Technology at Work

Photo of man wearing headphones and plaid black and white shirt, text Don't give up hope. You can do anything you set your mind to.

John Edwards grew up in rural Kentucky. He attended Kentucky School for the Blind, where he first experienced assistive technology. In 1995, John moved to Ohio. Over the years, John struggled to find a gainful job.

In 2015, John connected with Kimberly Chaffin, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor. He met with Tiehan Liu with Ohio Job Connection, and received training in Job Access With Speech (JAWS), screen reader technology. Kimberly also arranged for John to learn to use Pen Friend, a voice labeling system.

John received vocational services through Goodwill Industries of Southern Ohio and was hired as a customer service representative in direct phone sales at a satellite company. He worked for two years, getting paid via commission. After John’s hours decreased, he couldn’t afford work transportation costs, and he resigned. However, he remained determined and motivated.

In 2019, John connected with Kimberly and Goodwill again. He met with Tom Cooper, Job Developer, to apply for home-based jobs. John landed a stable, full-time telework position with Residential Program Incorporated (RPI), based in Athens, assisting with customer verification and validation. John uses the assistive technology he received from OOD to succeed in his work.

“RPI is very happy to have John as part of the team,” said Lori Smith, RPI Programs Manager. “He has gone the extra mile to perform to the best of his ability. He has a great attitude and is very reliable.”

“Having clients like John makes my job a lot easier,” said Tom. “He had a big desire to work, and it was easy to help him find work.”

“Don’t give up hope,” said John. “You can do anything you set your mind to.”

If you or somebody you know has a disability and would like to work, visit OODWorks.com or call 800-282-4536.

May is Older Americans Month

Text, Older Americans Month Communities of Strength May 2021

Older Americans Month celebrates countless contributions that older adults make to our communities. Their time, experiences, and talents benefit families, peers, and neighbors every day. This year’s theme, “Communities of Strength,” honors how older adults have built resilience and strength over their lives through successes, failures, joys, and difficulties. Their stories and contributions help to support and inspire others.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted officially proclaimed May as Older Americans Month in Ohio. Learn more at the Ohio Department of Aging’s website.

OOD Continues to Assist Job Seekers

Lady wearing a yellow, orange, light, dark blue striped long sleeve sweater. Text, in the past 60 weeks, we have placed 5,844 into jobs

If you or somebody you know has a disability and would like 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.

Training Series for Employers on Supporting Employees with Disabilities and Accessible Work Environments

The Employers' ADA Handbook Session 5 Accessibility Hour

OOD is pleased to present The Employers’ ADA Handbook, a free five-part series to help employers navigate Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The Employers’ ADA Handbook features monthly hour-long webinars with an accompanying Learner’s Guide and resources. Questions and answers are facilitated throughout the presentations. The trainings are hosted by OOD’s Worksite Accessibilty Specialist, Julie Wood, OTR/L, ADAC and OOD Business Relations Specialists. The first four sessions, Title I Overview, Reasonable Accommodations and Undue Hardship, Performance, Conduct, and Safety, and Resources and Funding, are available on-demand.

On Wednesday, May 26 at 10 a.m., the fifth session, The Employers’ ADA Handbook – Accessibility Hour, will cover resources for answering frequently asked questions from employers about their responsibilities under Title I of the ADA. Questions and answers are facilitated throughout the presentation. Specific topics to be discussed will include:

How to locate guidance on Title I of the ADA
Strategies for identifying and implementing effective reasonable accommodations
Funding resources to assist with reasonable accommodations
Best practices for navigating common scenarios related to disability in the workplace

You will not need to pre-register for this training, but please respond to this survey to let us know you'll be joining us. This will assist us in making sure we are sharing any updates, attachments, and resources before and after the event.

The training will take place as a Microsoft Teams Live Event. You can view the training through your web browser, and you do not need to have Microsoft Teams to participate. Here is the link to join the training.

This Program has been approved for 1.00 HR (General) re-certification credit hour toward aPHR™, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™re-certification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®).

The use of this official seal confirms that this activity has met HR Certification Institute’s® (HRCI®) criteria for recertification credit pre-approval.

OOD is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities and programs in accordance with the ADA and other applicable laws. To request an accommodation based on a disability, please contact Chris Glover at Chris.Glover@ood.ohio.gov by May 21, 2021.

Don’t Hesitate, Vaccinate

photo of eight different people smiling with words VACCINATE

In this video, Ohioans share how they feel now that they are fully vaccinated. How will you feel once you're fully vaccinated? Don't hesitate, vaccinate!

For trusted information on coronavirus (COVID-19) in Ohio, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov or call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634).

All About Accessibility: Accessible Pharmacy Services for the Blind

Graphic of Rising Sun with Text Accessible Pharmacy

Accessible Pharmacy Services for the Blind is a comprehensive, home delivery pharmacy service specializing in the needs of the blind and low vision community. This pharmacy offers accessible medication labels and solutions (braille, presorted pill packs, large print, etc.). Most Ohio insurances are accepted, and they can assist in transferring prescriptions. They offer comparative pricing and do not charge for shipping or accessibility features. Learn more at AccessiblePharmacy.com.

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Quilt Company Preserves Memories while Empowering People with Hearing Loss

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Transition to Work Students Back on Job

The Weirton Daily Times, 5-8-21

Educator at Ohio School for the Deaf Named 2021 Ohio Teacher of the Year

WSYX, 5-7-21

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Programs provided by Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) are funded, in whole or in part, with federal grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). For purposes of the Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Program, including Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS), OOD received 78.7% of its funding through the DOE VR grant. In Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2020, OOD received $103,332,949 in federal funds. Funds appropriated by the State covered 21.3 % of the total costs, or $27,966,859. Of these federal funds, $15,499,942 is set aside for Pre-ETS. For purposes of the Supported Employment (SE) Program, the DOE SE grant funded 90% of the costs for the Supported Employment for Youth with a Disability Program up to the grant amount and 100% of the costs of regular Supported Employment program costs up to the grant amount. In FFY 2020, OOD received $369,584 for SE Youth with a Disability, and State appropriated funds paid the remaining 10%, or $41,065 of the total costs. In FFY 2020, OOD received $369,584 in regular SE grant funds. For purposes of the Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who are Blind (OIB) Program, the federal grant received from DOE in FFY 2020 paid 90% of the total costs incurred under the program. In FFY 2020, OOD received $1,148,413 in federal grant funds. Funds appropriated by the State paid over the 10% required match, or $127,601 of the total costs incurred under the OIB program. For purposes of the Independent Living (IL) Program, the federal grant received from HHS paid 90% of the total costs incurred in FFY 2020. In FFY 2020, OOD received $641,721 in federal grant funds. Funds appropriated by the State paid over the 10% of the match required or $71,302 of the total costs incurred under the IL Program.