 Jackie Forshaw of Delaware, Ohio has proven she’s a go-getter. When Olentangy Berlin High School (OBHS) first opened four years ago, Jackie didn’t hesitate to continue pursuing the sport of wrestling and made history as the school’s first female wrestler.
This wasn’t the first time Jackie proved her toughness. Mike Forshaw, Jackie’s dad, explained, “Jackie was born as a micro-preemie. So many people told us Jackie would never get to this point. Experts told us she would not be able to accomplish certain things.”
During her sophomore year, Tiffany Lewis, Transition Coordinator for OBHS, began to facilitate important conversations with Jackie, her mom Alida and Mike, and other members of Jackie’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) team, on the possibilities following graduation. They knew advanced planning would be important due to Jackie’s disabilities.
Jackie has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and Asperger’s syndrome. She explained her challenges as requiring repetition to learn new things and sometimes having a hard time communicating.
During the summer following her sophomore year, Jackie participated in the Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) Summer Youth Work Experience and worked at a Goodwill retail store. Her retail experience continued with a job at Marshalls, where Jackie was employed for an entire year despite many difficulties from working during the COVID-19 pandemic. While on the job, she benefitted from job coaching from The Alpha Group and learned to be more confident handling challenges on her own.
In her junior year, Jackie was linked with Heather Bickley, a Senior Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor with OOD. One of the options presented to Jackie was to participate in Project SEARCH, a nine-month internship program that provides training and education leading to employment for individuals with disabilities. The decision to participate wasn’t taken lightly as it meant deferring graduation to 2022. With work experience at Romeo’s Pizza, Goodwill, and Marshalls, Jackie decided the program would be a good way to take the next step in her career journey.
Partners in the Project SEARCH program included OhioHealth Grady Memorial Hospital, Delaware Area Career Center, The Alpha Group, and OOD. As an intern in the program, Jackie completed three rotations, learning and gaining work experience in the areas of supply chain, sterilization, and nutrition. According to Mike, “These were important skills, but more importantly, Jackie learned how to be a professional adult in a working situation. They taught her how to have confidence in her demeanor and the way she carries herself.”
During all three of the 10–12-week rotations, Jackie was supported by Karina Ilkanich, a Delaware Area Career Center Intervention Specialist and Project SEARCH Instructor, as well as Seth Harriman and Joann Roszman, both with The Alpha Group and Project SEARCH. “In the beginning, Jackie worked on communication with coworkers. Following recommendations from her job coaches, she improved over the year to become a successful overall employee. This led to her being recognized by the staff at OhioHealth for her hard work.”
Jackie shared that she was appreciative that Karina and Joann checked in with her regularly, listened to her, and helped customize her experience.
Through rotations in nutrition, sterile processing, and supply chain, Jackie gained a better sense of the work she enjoys. During her time in nutrition, she liked the slower pace than she had experienced in fast food, helping with food prep, and interacting with others. Jackie found she enjoyed the organizational tasks and the importance of patient safety with the sterile processing work. While participating in the supply chain rotation, Jackie liked when she had support from coworkers in a smaller setting.
A colleague at the hospital encouraged Jackie to start applying for permanent positions. With support from Joann, Jackie started applying and was hired on as an Environmental Services Associate. She cleans patient rooms and bathrooms, assists with cleaning related to patient discharges, and handles bigger projects like cleaning an entire stairwell.
Karina explained, “As Jackie’s Project SEARCH instructor, it was my privilege to support her goal of achieving competitive and integrated employment. Jackie’s hard work and determination throughout the program year led her to become not only an employee but a valuable asset to OhioHealth.”
“It has been a pleasure being a part of Jackie's multi-agency team and assisting with her transition planning. I'm grateful for the resources and supports available through OOD that have helped her achieve competitive community employment,” said Tiffany Lewis, Transition Coordinator with Olentangy Local School District.
To further support Jackie’s independence, Heather connected Jackie to Bill Arnett, a Driving Instructor with Capabilities. He shared, “Jackie was always eager to drive and eager to learn to drive safely. She was great at letting me coach her on the driving laws and rules!” With Bill’s help, Jackie got her driver’s license and drives to and from work.
Jackie continues to thrive at her job. She is saving money and working on skills to continue to be more independent, including shopping, helping with chores, and contributing to household expenses.
Alida Forshaw, Jackie’s mom, explained: “We’ve always believed in Jackie, not to be sappy and corny, but your guidance helped her believe in herself. Jackie is employed, drives herself to work, and increased her problem-solving skills. We know that we are not the only families on your caseloads, but the care you put into helping Jackie makes us feel like we are. We cannot thank everyone here enough!”
Jackie said, “My parents are everything to me. I appreciate that they didn’t push me to go to college. I am thankful for my parents and everyone!”
“Jackie’s story just shows how when we all come together there can be so much success for the individual,” Heather said.
If you or somebody you know has a disability and would like to work, visit OODWorks.com or call 800-282-4536.
Decisions on whether Ohioans are eligible for Social Security disability benefits are crucial for people looking to create a dependable foundation for their lives. Staff at OOD’s Division of Disability Determination (DDD) understand those needs and the importance of quickly processing cases and delivering accurate decisions. In agreement with the Social Security Administration (SSA), DDD determines medical eligibility for Ohioans who apply for Social Security disability benefits.
In episode 42 of the OOD Works podcast, Robert Fenn and Brandon Smith, Public Affairs Specialists with SSA, explain Social Security disability benefits changes in 2023.
Learn more at SSA.Gov or call 800-772-1213. Transcripts and MP3 files are available at OOD.Ohio.Gov/podcast.
 OOD is proud to recognize November as National Family Caregivers Month, a time to celebrate the contributions of caregivers, provide them with tools that they need, and continue to support individuals with disabilities.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services offers a “resources for Caregivers” webpage with resources for caregivers who take care of family members or friends who are aging, seriously ill, or have a disability.
 Happy Thanksgiving! Our efforts at OOD are only possible with the collaboration and support of Ohioans with disabilities, family members, providers, and other partners. We are thankful for you!
The OOD Works e-Newsletter will return on Friday, December 2. Stay tuned!
 The Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities (OCECD) created the “Youth Empowerment” comic series to empower transition-age youth to become self-advocates. The resource informs youth about empowerment, self-determination, self-advocacy, and more. Visit OCECD’s Youth Self-Advocacy webpage to find the comics, videos for youth, and more.
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