 Top: Erika Salwesky. Second row: Monica Gales, Tyde Flowers, and Mary Rue. Third row: Kenneth Crookston, Jane Worth, and Mary Trinity. Fourth row: Sahar Khan, Jennifer Heck, and Ricardo Nelson.
Wednesday, March 22, 2023 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 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.
 The Five-County Transition Expo, hosted by OOD, the Southern State Community College, local OhioMeansJobs centers, and the Ohio Department of Education Region 14 Transition Council, was held at the Southern State Community College in Hillsboro on Friday, March 3, 2023. This annual event included 269 students from 15 different school districts from Adams, Brown, Highland, Clinton, and Fayette counties.
“Thank you to all of the partners involved, including local county boards of developmental disabilities and schools, for providing this excellent opportunity for students with disabilities to prepare for employment after high school,” said Kevin Miller, Director of OOD. “The sessions not only energized the students but also helped prepare them with valuable information they can begin to use now to be ready for their future careers.”
Students took part in sessions including “Elevator Speeches,” “Don’t Meet your Honey Where you Make Your Money,” “Don’t Be a Boo at Your Interview,” “Project Runway or Project Run Away,” and exhibitor visits.
Employer partners, area businesses, and educational and community organizations present at the expo included Great Wolf Lodge-Mason, University of Cincinnati Clermont College, Shawnee State University, Nestle Purina, Alta Fiber, The Reserves Network, OOD, Southern Hills Career and Technical Center - Project Life, Elite Welding Academy, Southern State Community College, Kings Island, Cox Paving, Great Oaks Career Campuses - Project SEARCH, Laurel Oaks Career Campus - Career X Program, Amazon, Lowe's of Hillsboro, GE Aerospace, Rural King of Hillsboro, OhioMeansJobs (Adams, Brown, and Highland Counties), Paint Creek Joint EMS/Fire District, Highland County Community Action Organization, Inc. - Workforce Special Services, and the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
“It’s a way for students to participate in a job fair experience, getting to talk to employers from their community, as well as being actively involved in the learning sessions,” said Amy Bradford, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor. “Students were able to explore opportunities in fields of interest, as well as ask questions about possible job opportunities.”
“The students gained a better idea of services that OOD is able to offer them, asked really good questions, and were receptive to the idea of help with employment skills,” explained Vicki Grozier, Sr. Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor.
Special thanks to the following OOD staff who contributed to the success of this event: Kim Colyer, Cynthia Crews, Amy Bradford, Paetra Flaspohler, Michelle Dool, Angie Hodges, Ben Alexander, Jim Minutilli, Darren Glass, Lauren Saleba, Abbie Wallace, Lori Case, Tami Fultz, Vicki Grozier, Kayleigh Jones, Jennifer St. Clair, Kerri Stickney, Anne Marie Filo, Ruth Sestito, Kyna Johnson, Crystal Pearson, Sonya Hill, Jennifer Pitman, Casey Jones, Katie McMahan, Vanessa Elliott, Amanda Smith, Kristie Wilson, Kya Achtermann, Jennifer Roeder, Tovara Gray, Natalie Smith, Wendy Taylor, Jerica Kruse, Jacob Karnes, Michelle Rinehart, Kristen Ballinger, and OOD Director Kevin Miller.
 Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s and Lt. Governor Jon Husted’s biennial Executive Budget for Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025 highlights their dedication to making Ohio a Disability Inclusion State and Model Employer of Individuals with Disabilities. The proposed budget will allow OOD to secure the largest investment in its history to positively impact the lives of Ohioans with disabilities.
The Ohio Transition Support Partnership (OTSP), which began in 2015 with the Ohio Department of Education, ensures that students with disabilities have access to OOD’s Vocational Rehabilitation services. In FY 2022, OOD assisted nearly 16,000 young people with disabilities, including approximately 4,500 students through the Ohio Transition Support Partnership, to work toward their employment goals. Governor DeWine’s Executive Budget will expand OTSP to serve an additional 2,250 students with disabilities annually. This will empower more students with disabilities as OOD supports their successful transition from secondary education to post-secondary education and employment.
In addition, OOD will focus on increasing services to students with disabilities enrolled in Career-Technical Education in Ohio. A greater number of these students can benefit through help from OOD for individualized work experiences, assistive technology, tools, licensure/certification fees, work clothing, and job placement in their chosen field.
Dawn Watts, President of Ohio Deaf Friends of the Library, at the exhibit.
The General Assembly of the State of Ohio passed legislation in 2017 designating March 13 - April 15 as Ohio Deaf History Month.
From March 13 through April 17, the Ohio Statehouse will feature an Ohio Deaf History Month exhibit. The display will be in the Governors Hallway on the first floor. This exhibit is provided by the Ohio Deaf Friends of the Library. Learn more from the Ohio Statehouse website.
 March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month! Did you know that cerebral palsy (CP) is one of the most common physical disabilities in children?
The word “cerebral” refers to the brain’s cerebrum, which is the part of the brain that regulates motor function. “Palsy” describes the paralysis of voluntary movement in certain parts of the body. CP affects movement and posture, sometimes causing challenges with posture, walking, muscle tone, and movement coordination.
Depending on how CP is managed, motor skills can improve or worsen over time. While symptoms and severity vary from individual to individual, there are many medical and support options to help individuals with CP lead fulfilling lives.
Learn more from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Ohio Department of Health is conducting a statewide health and well-being assessment of people with disabilities. One component of the assessment is a survey of Ohioans with disabilities and/or their in-home care providers. Information collected through the survey, discussion groups, and data reports will inform the development of the State Health Improvement Plan and support other agency planning efforts.
The survey, which is online and anonymous, may be completed by an individual with a disability, age 18 and up, or by an informal care provider of a person with a disability. Caregivers may assist those with disabilities in completing the survey. An example of help may be reading the questions aloud and recording their responses. If a person you care for is unable to participate directly in the survey, you can respond as a caregiver on their behalf. There are also questions about informal caregiving. Informal care providers include family members paid via Medicaid waivers.
The deadline to complete the survey is March 29, 2023. The survey is available in English and Spanish using the following weblinks:
Disability Survey 2023 – English
Disability Survey 2023 - Spanish
Thank you for your time and input which will help develop a State Health Assessment and Health Improvement Plan for Ohio.
 Grace Dow is a writer who has cerebral palsy. Her blog GraceDowWrites.com features stories about “life on four wheels with cerebral palsy”. Entries include “The Emotional Challenges of Cerebral Palsy,” “Accessibility Means Dignity,” and “Will Going Back to the Office Leave Disabled Employees Behind?”
Legally Blind Toledo Painter Displays Wild-West Works at Fuller Art House
WTVG, 3-15-23
Focus on Abilities, Not Disabilities of People in Our Community (Opinion)
Cincinnati.com, 3-15-23
AI Tool May Flag Parents with Disabilities
Associated Press, 3-15-23
Employment Rate Rising for Adults with Developmental Disabilities
The Business Journal, 3-14-23
First Responder Disability Awareness Training Set Next Month
Review Times, 3-14-23
Butler Tech's Project Life Program Helps Adults with Disabilities Be Independent
WKRC, 3-14-23
Supporting People with Developmental Disabilities Incredibly Increases Our Value as a Society
Loveland Magazine, 3-14-23
Program Aimed at Helping People with Disabilities Save for the Future Thriving in Ohio
WTOV, 3-14-23
What's New at the Mu? Gallery Hosts “Accessible Expressions Ohio” Exhibition
The Massillon Independent, 3-13-23
DD Awareness and Advocacy Month: Meet Brody Wyatt
The Ironton Tribune, 3-13-23
Allen County Board of Developmental Disabilities Speaks About the Various Programs They Offer
Hometown Stations, 3-13-23
Student Interns Continue to Make Big Impact at OhioHealth Berger Hospital
OhioHealth Newsroom, 3-13-23
Ohio Miss Amazing Competition Helping Girls and Women with Disabilities Build Self-Esteem
WEWS, 3-12-23
Books Featuring Deaf/Hard of Hearing and Blind/Visually Impaired Characters and Topics
The Outreach Center for Deafness and Blindness, March 2023
Tactile Images Provide Low Vision Visitors Access to "Meditation Ocean" Exhibit at the Wex
The Ohio State University Office of Technology and Digital Innovation, 2-16-23
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