Hundreds gathered at Southern State Community College in Hillsboro on Friday, March 7 for the 2025 Five-County Transition Expo hosted by OOD, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Region 14 State Support Team, Highland County OhioMeansJobs, and other partners.
More than 175 students attended the expo from 16 school districts and one vocational school in Adams, Brown, Clinton, Fayette, and Highland counties.
The expo featured participation from more than 20 employers, local education programs, and other community partners who were available to equip students with vital information aimed at helping them transition smoothly into employment or pursue further education after high school.
Students also participated in educational sessions about networking with employers, building a resume, applying for jobs, and dressing for success. A panel of graduates from participating schools shared their stories about post-high school success and answered questions from students.
Watch our transition expo video to see the highlights and hear insights from those who attended.
 Join us on April 17, 2025, from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m., as we host the “All About Service Animals” webinar. We will discuss what a service animal is and how they are utilized in the workplace and community spaces. Best practices will be shared for interacting with service animals and their handlers in inclusive ways.
Presenters
Tanya K. Vela, OTR/L, ADAC, OOD Accessible Ohio Specialist
Missy O’Brien, Career Development Specialist
Registration
This event is hosted through Microsoft Teams Webinar. Pre-registration is required to attend. Please visit the registration site to complete a brief form. Once you have completed the registration form, you will receive an email that includes the link to join the event and add it to your calendar.
Accommodation Requests
The State of Ohio is a disability inclusion state; therefore, we promote access to our events (e.g., meetings, trainings, job fairs). To request a reasonable accommodation due to a disability, please call Chris Glover, Employer Services Liaison, at 614-842-3659, or send an email to OOD.HiringAbility@ood.ohio.gov by April 10, 2025.
Credit Hours
This 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.
 |
|
HR Certification Institute’s® official seal confirms that OOD meets the criteria for pre-approved recertification credit(s) for any of HRCI’s eight credentials, including SPHR® and PHR®. (www.HRCI.org)
|
 |
|
OOD is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for the SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP®.
|
 OOD is pleased to announce a call for vendors for the Second Annual Accessible Ohio Conference and Expo on August 14, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio. You may learn more about the Accessible Ohio program by visiting the Accessible Ohio webpage. The anticipated attendees for the one-day event include recreation, travel, and tourist destinations, government and community entities, employers, individuals with disabilities, and family members.
We invite you to submit information about your service or product to be considered as a vendor during the event. We welcome vendors related to the areas of accessibility and disability inclusion and will consider all submissions. Please complete the Call for Vendor Application by April 21, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. Vendors selected will be notified by email within 14 days.
If you have questions, please email AccessibleOhioExpo@ood.ohio.gov.
 The OOD Council meeting on January 15, 2025.
The OOD Council will conduct an in-person meeting for OOD Council members and the public on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, beginning at 10:00 a.m.
The meeting will take place at OOD’s central office at 150 E. Campus View Blvd., Columbus, Ohio 43235. In-person meeting attendees who are blind or have low vision can use Aira to connect, for free, to a remote agent via a smart device. The agent can locate users through GPS, help access visual information (which is especially helpful for navigating a large, unfamiliar area), and direct them to places of interest.
A call-in number is available for members of the public who cannot attend the in-person meeting. The OOD Council meetings webpage has additional meeting information and the call-in number.
Public comments or correspondence should be submitted to info@OOD.Ohio.gov by the close of business on Friday, April 11, 2025.
 OOD and the Community Centers for the Deaf (CCDs) partnered to create a searchable database of resources for this low-incidence disability group. With 40 categories of information (e.g., Deaf Culture, Domestic Violence, Employment, Housing, Sign Language, Substance Use, and Youth Services), the public can search for resources based on their location, resource type, or name of an organization. Families and professionals can go to one place to find the resources and information they need at the CCD search webpage.
Resources are updated monthly. If you would like to add a resource, please email info@OOD.Ohio.Gov.
Disabled Veteran Leans on Superhero Dog with “Batman” Markings for Support, Companionship
WFIN, 3-24-25
It Happened in Crawford: Alena Fox's Journey from Food Service to Mental Health Advocate
Telegraph Forum, 3-21-25
Guernsey Eagles vs Badges Game Puts Spotlight on Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
Cambridge Daily Jeffersonian, 3-21-25
Universal Changing Table Installed at MCBDD in Troy
This Local Life Magazine, 3-21-25
Marion County Board of Developmental Disabilities appoints Brooke Olson to Board
Marion County Now, 3-21-25
[Watch] Empowering Lives: Celebrating Vocational Rehabilitation
Loveland Magazine, 3-21-25
|
