 Danny Williams of Cincinnati, Ohio
Danny Williams of Cincinnati is a recent graduate of Cincinnati State Technical and Community College where he earned an Associate of Arts degree. In his free time, he loves to read, write, take walks, and spend time with his family, church community, and beloved dog, Angel.
In March 2022, Danny connected with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) to prepare for the world of work. Danny, who has autism, explains it this way: “I get really interested in topics and try to learn everything about them. I have a tendency to miss some social cues where some people might just get them. Where other people might just ‘get’ something socially, I may have to put a bit more effort in to notice.”
Jennifer Bonenfant, OOD Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, helped arrange for Danny to participate in the Summer Youth Work Experience during the summer of 2022. The summer services supported Danny in exploring and preparing for his first job experience.
Danny selected Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries as his Vocational Rehabilitation provider, and Lisa Martin, Employment Specialist, began to help Danny look for a job to fit his interests and skills. They were thrilled when Danny landed a job as a Branch Shelver at the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library Bond Hill location. Watch a video of Danny as he was just beginning his new position.
As an avid reader and regular library customer, Danny said the job is “perfect” and that the transition into his career has been “a blessed experience”. Danny is also the author of “The Legacy Awakens: Outpouring,” which is available from Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats.
OOD’s Business Relations team, part of the Division of Employer and Innovation Services, develops strategic partnerships with employers across the state of Ohio to help link a large pool of diverse workers with employers and create inclusive work environments. The Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library has been an OOD Employer Partner since 2015.
With a goal to provide an evolving inclusive space, a desire to connect with diverse candidates who may not be aware of employment opportunities, and an interest in accessibility training, the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library reached out and connected to OOD.
Through no-cost, customized training resources, OOD partnered with the library to help achieve its goals. Cynthia Crews, OOD Southwest Business Relations Specialist, provided in-person disability awareness training and a disability education session with staff to help build a greater understanding of disabilities. Julie Wood, OOD Worksite Accessibility Specialist, shared guidance and resources on reasonable accommodations, providing a report to help strengthen the library’s efforts in these areas. OOD has also played a role in supporting recruiting efforts to help diversify the library’s staff and foster inclusivity.
Aimee Pennington, the library’s Human Resources Business Partner, shared, “The library’s partnership with OOD has helped us to progress in our goals of developing our staff and organizational practices to be more inclusive and has opened our recruiting channels to excellent candidates.”
If you are an employer looking to diversify and strengthen your workforce by including people with disabilities, let OOD customize a no-cost Training Program for Your Business. Please get in touch with the OOD Business Relations Specialist in your area to schedule a meeting.
If you or somebody you know has a disability and would like to work, visit OODWorks.com or call 800-282-4536.
For the first time in almost 20 years, OOD will be able to access the maximum amount of federal grant dollars available, helping even more Ohioans with disabilities find and keep meaningful employment.
This historic budget investment by Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted will positively impact Ohioans with disabilities like never before.
Watch a video of OOD Director Kevin Miller explaining more.
On Monday Governor Mike DeWine, along with Kim Hauck, Department of Developmental Disabilities Director, and OOD Director Kevin L. Miller visited The Abilities Connection (TAC) in Springfield, Ohio as part of Developmental Disability Awareness Month.
“Our overarching goal is that we want every Ohioan to live up to their full potential, which fits perfectly with what TAC is doing,” said Governor Mike DeWine.
TAC is a non-profit organization that helps hundreds of people with disabilities get jobs, training, and support each year. Watch a video to learn more.
 OOD staff display “Lots of Socks” to show their support.
World Down Syndrome Day on March 21, 2023 was a time to celebrate the lives of individuals with Down syndrome. The 21st day of March was selected to signify the uniqueness of the triplication of the 21st chromosome that causes Down syndrome.
The #LotsofSocks campaign exists to raise awareness of Down syndrome. For more information, visit WorldDownSyndromeDay.org.
 The sixth annual In-Demand Jobs Week is May 1-5, 2023! In-Demand Jobs Week is the statewide celebration of the jobs, industries, and skills that are in-demand in Ohio.
This year, In-Demand Jobs Week will highlight Ohio’s top jobs that stem from career-focused education and the various paths available to Ohioans as they look for their next opportunity.
Example Career Pathways available in Ohio include:
Career Technical Education - provides students of all ages with the academic and technical skills, knowledge and training necessary to succeed in future careers and to become lifelong learners.
Pre-Apprenticeships - teaches entry level technical and job-readiness skills for an apprentice occupation to prepare students for a formal Registered Apprenticeship training program upon graduation.
College Credit Plus - helps students earn college and high school credits simultaneously by taking college courses from local colleges or universities while in high school.
Industry-Recognized Credentials - demonstrates the knowledge and skills students gain through hands-on learning in a specific job or industry.
Business, education, and community leaders statewide are encouraged to partner to plan events promoting all of Ohio’s opportunities, job-readiness, and more to inspire excitement and awareness among students and job seekers.
Organizations can add their event to the statewide interactive event map by emailing In-DemandJobs@JFS.Ohio.Gov with the event title, date, time, and a short description of the event.
To learn more about In-Demand Jobs Week and to view the statewide interactive event map, visit TopJobs.Ohio.Gov. With questions, please email In-DemandJobs@JFS.Ohio.Gov.
Accessible Chef is a collection of free visual recipes and other resources to help teach cooking skills to individuals with disabilities at home or in the classroom.
The site includes more than 300 free visual recipes to teach basic cooking skills, articles about adaptive cooking tools, and the ability to create your own custom visual recipes and share them with the Accessible Chef community.
Learn more at AccessibleChef.com.
Parma Heights Police Increasing Community Trust with Online Disability Forms
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Job Coaches Help Adults with Developmental Disabilities
The Business Journal, 3-23-23
County Developmental Disabilities Board Celebrates Leadership Day
Fremont News Messenger, 3-23-23
DD Awareness and Advocacy Month: Meet Maxwell Edwards
Portsmouth Daily Times, 3-22-23
Putting Developmental Disabilities Awareness into Action
The Courier, 3-22-23
Motivational Speaker Christopher Milo Helps Portage County Celebrate DD Pride in March
Record-Courier, 3-22-23
DD Luncheon Recognizes Those Who Contribute to Coshocton
Coshocton Tribune, 3-21-23
Supreme Court Hands Victory to Public School Students with Disabilities
National Public Radio, 3-21-23
From Amputee to All-State: Former Ohio Football Player with No Hands Shares Story at Local School
WKBN, 3-21-23
Connecting for Kids Creates Community for Parents Raising Children with Developmental Disabilities
WEWS, 3-21-23
On-Demand Buses Can Transform Travel and Daily Life for People with Disabilities
Next City Op-Ed, 3-21-23
DeWine Tours Springfield Group That Helps Those with Developmental Disabilities
Springfield News-Sun, 3-20-23
DeWine Encourages Businesses Not to Exclude People with Disabilities
WKEF, 3-20-23
Columbus Zoo to Host Sensory-Friendly Easter Bunny Experience, “Quiet Hours” on April 2
WBNS, 3-20-23
Daring to DREAM (Disability Representation, Education and Awareness) with Books
The Advertiser-Tribune, 3-19-23
Illuminating the Possibilities
The Ironton Tribune, 3-18-23
Allen County Board of Developmental Disabilities Collects Electronics for e-Cycling Drive
Hometown Stations, 3-18-23
Update on Accessibly Parking (Editorial)
Loveland Magazine, 3-18-23
Month an Opportunity to Highlight Contributions
Herald-Star, 3-18-23
March is DD Awareness Month
Sidney Daily News, 3-18-23
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