Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities

Don’t miss out: Establishing Families as Partners in the Secondary Transition Planning Process Training Learning Series! This winter, we invite professionals supporting transition youth to this series to gain: -Better family engagement strategies -Important resources for valuing and centering families -Support open and respectful conversation skills for smooth transitions to adulthood There will be two training sessions held through February-March 2025. Don’t miss this chance to improve family partnerships. Visit Establishing Families as Partners in Secondary Transition on ohioemploymentfirst.org for more information, and email ItStartsWithFamilies@dodd.ohio.gov to register.

January is National Mentoring Month! Every year, OOD partners with the Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council and other local Centers for Independent Living across Ohio to host summer Youth Leadership Forums. These training programs are usually a week long, and are a great opportunity for high school students with disabilities who are interested in becoming one of Ohio's future leaders. Keep an eye out for the announcement of 2025 dates later this year, and keep encouraging the teens in your life to reach their full potential by utilizing the resources available. Ohio's next generation of leaders will do great things! 🙌 #NationalMentoringMonth #MentoringMonth

Did you know? Walmart has a pilot program in place to assist shoppers who are blind or have low vision! The store pairs customers with the Aira app, which connects them to a trained visual interpreter while shopping in stores or online. #DisabilityNews

Did you know today is World Braille Day? We're honoring the birth of Louis Braille, who created the Braille system we use today in 1824 at age 15. Celebrated since 2019, World Braille Day strives to raise awareness of the importance of Braille as a means of communication for people who are blind or have low vision. Braille opens doorways to education, independence, and opportunity for individuals with disabilities. Fun fact: today is also National Trivia Day! Do you know the answer to the following trivia question? Let us know your guess below and check back Monday when we'll post the answer here in the comments. 👇 #WorldBrailleDay #LouisBraille #NationalTriviaDay #Trivia

Consistent employment helps Ohioans stay on a positive path in recovery. Our OOD Jobs for Recovery partnership assists Ohioans with disabilities who participate in specialized court dockets in finding, keeping, or advancing their careers. Learn more. ➡️ bit.ly/3ZZwpfa #OODJobsForRecovery

Did you know January is Winter Safety Month? Keep these tips in mind during the colder months to stay safe and warm: ❄️ Layer your clothing. Dressing in multiple layers with hats, gloves, and thermal wear will help protect against frostbite. ❄️ Don't forget to check your heating systems. Make sure your furnace, space heaters, and fireplaces are in safe working condition before using them. ❄️ Be prepared for emergencies! Keep a kit in your home and car with necessities like blankets, flashlights, and water in case of power outages or snow delays. #WinterSafetyMonth #WinterSafety #WinterTips #SafetyTips

Happy New Year! 🎇 Wishing you health, happiness, and success in the new year. Share your career resolutions in the comments below to spread some inspiration. 👇 And remember - our offices are closed today in observance. #HappyNewYear #NewYear #HappyNewYear2025

As we say goodbye to 2024, we want to take a moment to say a heartfelt thank you to our community of participants and their families, our employer partners, and providers. Your support, dedication, and collaboration made this a year to celebrate! 🎉    We're especially proud of our participants for the strides you've made in finding, keeping, and advancing your careers. Your hard work is an inspiration to everyone, and we want to take a moment to highlight some of the successes you've seen this past year.    🌟 Spencer Morneweck found success through honing his skills in computer design and engineering at a local career center and continued his career readiness through a two-year program at the Ohio School for the Deaf. He now applies his expertise in working with machines at Swagelok.    🌟 Kelsi Weaver found success through her hard work and determination at Ohio University-Eastern Campus, assisted by the OhioC2C (Ohio College2Careers) program. She now works as  a Support Administrator at the Clearwater Council of Governments.    You can read the full story behind these participant journeys in our newsletters from 2024! ➡️ bit.ly/3ZV2CED    And to follow along with our participants in the new year, sign up for our newsletter alerts and other email updates. ➡️ bit.ly/3VInrAI    We can't wait to see what 2025 brings! Have a happy New Year's Eve.    #HappyNewYearsEve #NewYearsEve #HappyNewYear 

Meet Davis Raff, Career and Credential Consultant within the Division of Employer and Innovation Services at OOD! ❤️ As a Career and Credential Consultant, Davis helps individuals with disabilities learn more about earning short-term credentials, stackable credentials, apprenticeships, and other programs that help them earn a higher wage. "My favorite part about working at OOD is helping someone change their life by providing the resources or information I have gathered to help them find a career and not just a job." #MeetTheTeam #EmployeeSpotlight #BehindTheScenes

The Joyful Café is a series of local coffee shops in Wooster, Ohio, created by two families who wanted to honor a member with Down syndrome and give more opportunities to individuals with disabilities. The café now has 12 employees working at the Wayne County Public Library, Healthpoint, and Western Reserve Group locations. ☕ "Our mission is to be joyful and spread joy to everyone that comes in," employee Savanna Whitney said. "I feel like each of us does a pretty good job of that. I think it brightens everyone's day because coffee makes everyone smile." #DisabilityNews