Jarrett Begins the Career He Always Wanted

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Jarrett Begins the Career He Always Wanted

Jarrett’s not letting autism hold him back! He’s fulfilling a lifelong dream to work with cars.

In his first year of employment at Carvana, he’s received several raises and continues to focus on advancement.

Jarrett first connected with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) while still in high school. He studied Collision Repair Technologies at the Career & Technology Education Centers (C-TEC) of Licking County and graduated from Heath High School in 2019. Autumn Dent and Michael Meadows, OOD Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors, and Shannon Johnston, Job Coach with Behavioral Healthcare Partners, supported him along the way, helping him understand the services he could receive, build trust, and feel confident transitioning into adulthood.

Watch a video about Jarrett’s story to learn more.

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

OOD Works Podcast: Makayla Jones, Wilberforce University Senior

Makayla Jones has been helping with family businesses for years. Now, in her senior year at Wilberforce University, she’s completing her degree in business management with her sights set on launching her own business.

What’s more, Makayla is earning A’s while playing forward on the Wilberforce University women’s basketball team.

Makayla, who has a learning disability and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, has found support from Taleisa Jones, OOD Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, dedicated to Wilberforce University through OOD’s Ohio College2Careers (Ohio C2C) program. Ohio C2C is available at 17 public colleges and universities in Ohio to ensure students with disabilities have the support they need to complete their degree and/or credential, earn higher wages, and meet the demands of tomorrow’s labor market.

Tune in to episode 36 to hear Makayla’s full story wherever you listen to podcasts by searching "OOD Works." Transcripts and MP3 files are available at ood.ohio.gov/podcast.

Black History Month: Daniel Hale Williams, M.D.

Daniel Hale Williams was born in 1858 in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania. At the age of ten, his father died of tuberculosis. He became a shoemaker’s apprentice but realized he disliked the work. He returned to his family barbering business and recognized he wanted more education.

At the age of 20, Daniel became an apprentice to a former surgeon general for Wisconsin. After a surgical apprenticeship and graduating from Chicago Medical College, Daniel went into private practice in an integrated neighborhood. Soon after, he began teaching anatomy, served as a surgeon for the City Railway Company, and was eventually appointed to the state’s health board.

Determined that Chicago should have a hospital where black and white doctors could study and black nurses could receive training, Daniel rallied for a hospital open to all races. After months of hard work, he opened Provident Hospital and Training School for Nurses in 1891, marking the country's first interracial hospital and nursing school.

In 1913, Daniel became the first African American to be inducted into the American College of Surgeons. He died in 1931, but his legacy as a pioneering physician and advocate for an African-American presence in medicine lives on.

Still Time to Comment on Ohio’s Combined State Plan

Every four years, various Ohio state agencies and stakeholders collaborate to create a Combined State Plan to better align the state’s largest workforce programs to better connect businesses to qualified workers. The federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) requires that states review their plan every two years and update State Plan strategies based on changes in the labor market and economic conditions or other factors affecting the implementation of the State Plan.

Ohio has released the draft of its Combined State Plan two-year modification for a 30-day public comment period. The plan covers the time period July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2024, with updates for the following programs:

Title I of WIOA, which funds county OhioMeansJobs Centers and job training and job search assistance programs for adults, dislocated workers, and low-income youth
The Wagner-Peyser Act Program, which funds a variety of employment services to connect job seekers and employers
Adult Basic and Literacy Education, which funds GED preparation, adult math, reading, and literacy courses
OOD’s Vocational Rehabilitation programs for individuals with disabilities
Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education, which provides funding for career technical training for secondary and post-secondary students
Senior Community Service Employment Program, which is a community service and work-based job training program for older Ohioans
Jobs for Veterans State Grants Programs, which helps veterans find jobs through employment services at local OhioMeansJobs Centers

To view the draft plan or offer comment, please visit jfs.ohio.gov/owd/Initiatives/State-Plan-Home.stm. The online portal will be open to public comment until 5 p.m. on March 5, 2022.

Rare Disease Day

Rare Disease Day, which takes place on the last day of February each year, seeks to raise awareness about rare diseases and their impact on individuals' lives.

The campaign calls for people living with a rare disease to have equal opportunities to realize their full participation in family, work, and social life. Learn more at RareDiseaseDay.org.

International Wheelchair Day

First launched by a British blogger in 2008, International Wheelchair Day takes place annually on March 1 for wheelchair users to celebrate the impact their wheelchair has had on their lives. Learn more at the International Wheelchair Day Facebook page.

All About Accessibility: PigAbilities Accessible Race

Graphic: Text: The Cincinnati Flying Pig PigAbilities April 30th, 2022 with image of flying pic

PigAbilities is a movement for inclusion that supports families and friends who live with disabilities. The one-mile event is designed for participants (and supporters of participants) to run, walk or roll at their own pace so they can cross the official Flying Pig Marathon Finish Swine, just like everyone else.

Registration is open for this year’s event, which will take place on April 30, 2022 at noon. To learn more and register, visit FlyingPigMarathon.com/events/pigabilities/.

In the News

Get in and Get er’ Done! How Ohio Makes VR Work for Customers!

Manager Minute Podcast, 2-23-22

Many Different Options for IEP Students as They Start to Transition, Says Clinton-Massie Special Education Director

News Journal (Wilmington), 2-23-22

Person Who Uses a Wheelchair Shares Tips for Being Less Weird Around Them

Upworthy.com, 2-24-22

Defiance DD Celebrates Awareness Month in March

The Crescent-News, 2-24-22

Family Caregivers Can Get Help Making a Plan

Dayton Daily News, 2-23-22

Crawford County Group Recognizes March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

Crawford Source, 2-23-22

Summit DD Offering Events, Inclusion Kits for National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month in March

Cleveland.com, 2-23-22

Ohio University Southern Announces 2022 Envision Access Conference

Ohio University News, 2-23-22

Akron Zoo to Offer Free Admission to Anyone Wearing Orange During Third Annual Inclusion Days

WEWS, 2-22-22

After Boy is Abandoned, Professionals Remind Parents of Kids with Autism to Ask for Help

WKRC, 2-21-22

Prevent Blindness Honors the Columbus Crew with People of Vision Award

The Highland County Press, 2-21-22

Cyclones Hold Sensory-Friendly Game for Attendants

WKRC, 2-20-22

The Purple Cat Enriches Lives of Adults with Disabilities for 25 Years

Spectrum News, 2-20-22

Patient No More Exhibition at Miami Explores Fight for Disability Rights

Miami University Student Life News, 2-7-22

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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) 2021, OOD received $105,851,903 in federal funds. Funds appropriated by the State covered 21.3 % of the total costs, or $28,648,609. Of these federal funds, $15,877,785 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 2021, OOD received $299,041 for SE Youth with a Disability, and State appropriated funds paid the remaining 10%, or $32,933 of the total costs. In FFY 2021, OOD received $335,518 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 2021 paid 90% of the total costs incurred under the program. In FFY 2021, OOD received $1,139,118 in federal grant funds. Funds appropriated by the State paid over the 10% required match, or $126,568 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 2021. In FFY 2021, OOD received $638,013 in federal grant funds. Funds appropriated by the State paid over the 10% of the match required or $70,268 of the total costs incurred under the IL Program.