Ohio Governor Mike DeWine recently signed the operating budget for Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025 into law, reinforcing his commitment to making Ohio a Disability Inclusion State and Model Employer of Individuals with Disabilities. This historic investment will allow Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) to positively impact the lives of Ohioans with disabilities like never before.
The budget funds a brand-new initiative called Accessible Ohio. This initiative will support Ohio’s businesses, communities, attractions, and venues in becoming accessible and inclusive for individuals with disabilities.
The budget allows OOD to maximize federal grant dollars available within two years and the Vocational Rehabilitation Program to help even more Ohioans with disabilities get and keep a job.
Supports the Creation of “Accessible Ohio”
Building upon Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted’s commitment to Ohioans with disabilities, the Accessible Ohio initiative creates the first-ever coordinated effort in Ohio to support Ohio’s businesses, communities, attractions, and venues to be accessible and inclusive. Ohio will lead the way in fostering a sense of community and belonging that strengthens the state for all of its citizens.
Accessible Ohio will make Ohio a global leader in public accessibility, encouraging businesses to locate in Ohio and visitors to prioritize travel to our state.
Accessible Ohio Specialists will be on hand to consult directly with local partners to identify barriers, establish goals for accessibility, and provide information about potential funding resources. Watch a video about Accessible Ohio or visit our Accessible Ohio webpage to learn more.
Supports Ohioans with Disabilities to Earn Higher Wages
As Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Husted continue to bring in-demand jobs to Ohio, OOD will increase support to Ohioans with disabilities so that they can attain credentials (e.g., degrees, certificates, licensures). These credentials will help remove barriers for Ohioans with disabilities as they work to achieve financial independence.
Nationwide, individuals with disabilities are disproportionately employed in low-wage, entry-level jobs, experience dramatically higher rates of poverty, and have significantly lower levels of educational attainment. People with disabilities are also much more likely to be employed part-time than those with no disability, and the percentage of working-age individuals with disabilities who are employed is less than half that of working-age individuals without disabilities. The budget aims to level the playing field and increase earnings for Ohioans with disabilities.
With the DeWine-Husted administration’s support and a new five-year federal grant, OOD’s Works4Me program will help 1,450 individuals with disabilities to move out of subminimum wage employment and into competitive integrated jobs. The innovative program will bring together partnerships across the state to bridge the skills gap for individuals with disabilities through career development, work incentives planning, paid community-based work experiences, and wraparound services.
Boosts Credential Attainment
Through existing partnerships with Ohio Technical Centers, community colleges, career centers, and other training programs, OOD will seek to support Ohioans with disabilities to earn short-term credentials needed for in-demand, well-paying jobs. This will help meet the needs of Ohio’s employers seeking to hire skilled workers. OOD can provide counseling and guidance to these students with disabilities to address their needs and purchase necessary services such as tuition, fees, licensures, exams, tools, equipment, uniforms, transportation, technology, and other supports. Students will have access to OOD’s network of more than 700 Employer Partners for internships and employment opportunities and receive any needed on-the-job support.
Expands Ohio College2Careers
With the support of the DeWine-Husted administration and the Ohio General Assembly, OOD, in partnership with the Ohio Department of Higher Education, launched Ohio College2Careers (Ohio C2C) in 2019. Originally implemented at 15 colleges and universities, the partnership expanded in 2021 to Ohio’s two Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Wilberforce University and Central State University. Ohio C2C immerses full-time vocational rehabilitation counselors on campuses to assist students with disabilities in career exploration, assistive technology, resume and interview preparation, and job placement. Our Career Development Specialists connect these students with OOD’s Employer Partner network for internships and careers.
Through the budget, a continued partnership between the Ohio Department of Higher Education and OOD will expand Ohio C2C to make these critical services and resources available to college students with disabilities statewide, serving an additional 1,600 students annually. OOD will also modernize policies to increase support for tuition and other education expenses for students with disabilities and refine current career services to meet the needs of college graduates with disabilities.
Increases Services to High School Students with Disabilities
The Ohio Transitional 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. The operating 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.
Increases Support for Community Centers for the Deaf
The budget invests an additional $500,000 annually for the Community Centers for the Deaf to increase services to help Ohioans who are deaf or hard of hearing reach their educational and vocational goals. As a result, individuals served by the Community Centers for the Deaf will engage more in the community and experience greater independence.
Supports Disability Services Partners
The budget strives to leave no individual with a disability behind. OOD’s long-standing partnerships with Vocational Rehabilitation providers, Ohio’s Centers for Independent Living, sight centers, Assistive Technology of Ohio, and the Ohio Brain Injury Program through The Ohio State University, will receive funding support from OOD to meet the needs of Ohioans with disabilities.
Empowers Ohioans with Disabilities
The budget significantly increases efforts to support Ohioans with disabilities, empowering them to find careers, stability, purpose, meaning, connection, and independence.
The budget allows OOD to maximize federal grant dollars available within two years. With the full match, OOD will serve more than 41,000 Ohioans with disabilities annually. An additional 7,000 individuals with disabilities per year will receive increased support for vocational rehabilitation services, education, credentials, and assistive technology. The investment also expands the employer partners OOD assists (currently more than 700) in recruiting new employees and strengthening diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
The budget also continues funding for OOD Jobs for Recovery, Ohio Employment First, Ohio Vocational Apprentice Program, Independent Living Services for the Older Blind Program, and Personal Care Assistance Program. For those individuals who are unable to work due to their disability, OOD’s Division of Disability Determination will continue to determine medical eligibility for Ohioans with disabilities who apply for Social Security disability benefits.
If you or somebody you know has a disability and would like to work, reach out to OOD today. Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors can help you explore your options. Visit OODWorks.com or call 800-282-4536 to get started.
OOD has announced the second half of its 2023 webinar topics to help employers support disability inclusion in the workplace.
“By fostering an inclusive workplace, we are helping all Ohioans live up to their God-given potential,” said Governor DeWine. “Ohio is home to approximately 840,000 working-age individuals who identify as having a disability, providing a talented and diverse workforce.”
“We provide employer partners with practical steps and strategies for creating inclusive workplaces that promote a diverse and supportive environment,” said OOD Director Kevin Miller.
These webinars correspond with Governor DeWine’s Executive Order 2019-03D, which established Ohio as a Disability Inclusion State and Model Employer of Individuals with Disabilities, OOD’s Inclusive Employer Toolkit, and the Governor’s Inclusive Employer Award criteria.
The webinars are as follows:
- July 19, 2023: Creating Inclusive College Internships
- August 23, 2023: Building and Leveraging Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
- September 21, 2023: Creating a Workplace Culture that Supports Disability Disclosure
- October 19, 2023: Invisible Disabilities in the Workplace
- November 16, 2023: Lessons in Accessibility
All webinars begin at 10 a.m. and will be Microsoft Teams Webinars. Each webinar will be recorded and archived for future viewing. Each webinar has been approved for 1.00 HR (General) re-certification credit hour toward aPHR™, aPHRi™, PHR®, PHRca®, SPHR®, GPHR®, PHRi™ and SPHRi™ re-certification through HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®) and 1.00 SHRM Professional Development Credit (PDC) hour toward SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP®. While this training is not pre-approved for CESP Continuing Education (CE) credit, it aligns with CESP content, and verification of attendance will be provided upon request. These credits are available for attendees of the live broadcast. More information about all upcoming webinars, including the links to register, can be found on the Employer Webinars webpage.
 Eligible Ohioans can receive assistance with electric utility bills, central air conditioning repairs, and air conditioning unit and/or fan purchases through the HEAP Summer Crisis Program.
Learn more and start your application at the HEAP Summer Crisis Program webpage.
Jeri Fields: Social Security Celebrates Americans with Disabilities Act
The Ironton Tribune, 7-11-23
New App Ahoi Makes Cities More Accessible to People with Disabilities
NBC News, 7-10-23
Zoom Duck Derby Raises Funds for Ohio Charity Helping Individuals with Developmental Disabilities
WCMH, 7-9-23
City of Toledo Holds Festival to Celebrate Those in the Community with Disabilities
WTOL, 7-8-23
Social Security Celebrates the Americans with Disabilities Act
The Press, 7-8-23
Wood County Olympians Bringing Home the Gold
Sentinel-Tribune, 7-8-23
Webinar Series Promotes Disability Inclusion in the Workplace
PublicNow.com, 7-7-23
Artists Spreading Their Wings at Soaring Arts Studio
WTVG, 7-7-23
|
