National Rehabilitation Counselors Appreciation Day

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National Rehabilitation Counselors Appreciation Day

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Tuesday, March 22, 2022 is National Rehabilitation Counselors Appreciation Day. We take this opportunity to thank the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors and all

Vocational Rehabilitation staff for their tireless work. We honor their commitment to providing direct, personalized services to help individuals with disabilities find and retain meaningful work.

Watch a video to learn about how Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors make a difference. If you or somebody you know has a disability and would like to work, visit OODWorks.com or call 800-282-4536.

Istvan Advances His Career

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As a high school student, Istvan Tamoga and his parents began planning early for Istvan’s future success. They knew his speech delay and learning disability didn’t have to hold him back. With services from Cindie Merlino, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD), Istvan began

Project SEARCH in Parma following his graduation from North Royalton High School.

Project SEARCH is an intensive nine-month internship program that provides training and education, with a goal to place students with disabilities in competitive integrated employment.

Istvan gained hands-on work experience by interning in different departments of Parma Hospital. One of the internships Istvan completed was at the University Hospital daycare facility. Working there helped confirm his interest in working with children. Additionally, Istvan learned to take a bus from Parma Hospital to the daycare facility.

After completing the program, Istvan got a part-time childcare job at FX Fitness. When the childcare closed, Istvan enrolled in the Early Child Care Education/Child Development Associate program at the Polaris Career Center in Berea to earn his Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. Istvan completed 220 hours of classroom training, certifications for CPR and first aid, and 480 hours of unpaid field experience, all while working part-time at a grocery store. In February 2021, Istvan earned his CDA after being observed with children in the classroom, creating a professional portfolio, and passing a state test.

In May 2021, Istvan was hired on the spot at Holy Family Daycare. He works approximately 25 hours a week as a teacher’s aid with toddlers and preschoolers.

Istvan explained that work makes him feel useful and he enjoys the children.

Istvan and his family expressed appreciation for the support from OOD, the guidance counselor at Polaris, and the childcare teacher that Istvan worked with to earn field hours as instrumental to his achievements.

What’s next for Istvan? He has the goals of being promoted to a lead teacher role, becoming more independent, and eventually living on his own.

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

10th Anniversary of Ohio Employment First

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March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month! We pause to celebrate Ohioans with developmental disabilities and encourage inclusion. It is an honor to help individuals with developmental disabilities live fulfilling lives through employment, contributing to a better Ohio. We also recognize the importance of support from families, direct support professionals, county boards of developmental disabilities, the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities, and others.

This year, Ohio marks the 10^th anniversary of Employment First (EF), which helps individuals with developmental disabilities have the support needed to work in the community. In the past 10 years, provider agencies, schools, families, businesses, and people with developmental disabilities across Ohio have all worked together to create opportunities and pathways for integration, independence, and full community participation. Learn more at the EF website.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s most recent Executive Budget supports EF, helping individuals with developmental disabilities find and keep employment. Watch a video regarding this special month and anniversary.

OOD Council Subcommittee Meets March 23, 2022

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The OOD Council’s Vocational Rehabilitation Policy Subcommittee will conduct an in-person meeting for OOD Council members and a virtual meeting for the public on March 23, 2022, beginning at 10 a.m. Public comments or correspondence should be submitted to OOD.OfficeofCommunication@OOD.Ohio.Gov by the close of business on Friday, March 18, 2022. For more information about the meeting, please visit the OOD Council meetings webpage.

All About Accessibility: Document Accessibility Unraveled

graphic of microphone Text: CHAX chat Podcast Accessibility Unraveled

Chad Chelius and Dax Castro are the hosts of the CHAX Chat Podcast, which aims to unravel document accessibility at beginner to advanced levels. They discuss challenges as well as tips and tricks to tackling PDF document remediation and other document accessibility topics, trends, and more. Find on your favorite streaming platform or at AccessibilityChecklists.com.

In the News

Blanchard Valley Center Prepares “Smart House” to Test the Waters of Independent Living

WTOL, 3-16-22

Monsters Partner with Adaptive Sports Ohio to Present New Sled Hockey Team

ClevelandMonsters.com, 3-16-22

County Board Helps Lead the Way in Celebrating Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

Perry County Tribune, 3-16-22

Highland County Commissioners Recognize DD Awareness Month

The Highland County Press, 3-16-22

Deaf Advocates Want “Part of Our Population” for Leadership at Deaf Services Center

The Columbus Dispatch, 3-16-22

Classroom Hero: Columbus Downtown H.S.’s Daphne Derden Credited with New ASL Club Success

WBNS, 3-15-22

Rocky River Public Library Awarded a Grant to Increase Inclusive Programming

Cleveland.com, 3-15-22

Sertoma Club Wins Grant for Its Work with Hearing Impaired in North Central Ohio

Richland Source 3-15-22

At a School for the Deaf, Signs of Change are Clear

The New York Times, 3-15-22

Cincinnati Nonprofits Team Up to Offer Scholarships to Students Who are Blind, Visually Impaired

WVXU, 3-14-22

Swimmer with Disabilities Finds Independence in the Pool

Spectrum News, 3-14-22

How Autism Empowered Big Brother Contestant Britini D'Angelo

MSN, 3-14-22

Microsoft’s PeopleLens Project Helps Blind Kids Learn Social Cues in Conversation

TechCrunch, 3-14-22

Prevent Blindness honors Kurt Reiber, Freestore Foodbank with Southwest Ohio 2022 People of Vision Award

The Highland County Press, 3-14-22

Kiwanis Club of Lima Celebrates Disabilities Awareness Month

LimaOhio.com, 3-14-22

Pandemic Continues to Create Challenges for Local People with Developmental Disabilities

Springfield News-Sun, 3-13-22

President Biden Announces Key Appointments to the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities

The White House Briefing Room, 3-11-22

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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.