Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and OOD Director Kevin L. Miller joined the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities Open House last month to celebrate local artists with disabilities who have brightened their central office space with murals. OOD congratulates these artists for their excellent work and well-deserved recognition! 🙌

Attention, Ohio! 📣 Don't forget - #TaxDay is approaching! As the April 15 deadline nears, we want to help ensure that Ohioans with disabilities have access to the resources and support you may need for a smooth tax season. As an individual with a disability, you may qualify for certain tax deductions, income exclusions, and credits. Check it out: ➡️ bit.ly/4hXAdDw If you need to file for a deadline extension, visit the IRS website here: ➡️ bit.ly/4jdRtWm

Some individuals with disabilities use trained service animals to access public spaces. Service animals work hard to support their handlers and are trained to perform tasks that enable people with disabilities to participate in different daily activities. Handlers and service animals deserve clean, safe, and accessible relief areas which are designed and designated for individuals with disabilities to attend to the needs of their service animals, enhancing their overall experience in public spaces and empowering them to stay longer at events. 🐾 This week in our newsletter, we're talking about how to create welcoming spaces for service animals and their humans. From best practices to must-have features and more, our #AccessibleOhio Service Animal Relief Areas webpage has the information you need to make sure your space is disability-inclusive. This resource also includes a quick reference guide offering essential dos and don'ts when interacting with individuals who use service animals. Check it out! ➡️ bit.ly/422ehBa #AllAboutAccessibility #ServiceAnimals

April is Autism Acceptance Month, and we're celebrating the importance of understanding and support for Ohioans with autism. Join us in watching this meaningful video featuring Connor Miller and Kevin L. Miller, OOD Director and Connor's dad. In the video, Connor opens up about his journey with autism and how it has shaped his life. In April and in every month, let's take time to listen, learn, and embrace the beauty and power of our differences. 💙 Connor and Kevin also discuss the Communication Disability Law, which provides a way for individuals with communication disabilities to voluntarily enroll in a database that alerts law enforcement during traffic stops. They explain how this option fosters safety, promotes understanding, and empowers individuals like Connor to navigate the world with greater confidence. Watch now and join the conversation on making positive impacts in each other's lives by supporting differences. #AutismAcceptanceMonth #AutismAwareness

Beauty should be accessible to all. That’s the motivating thought behind Aveda Institute Columbus and I Am Boundless, Inc.'s new initiative #BoundlesslyBeautiful, which aims to connect individuals with disabilities to accessible beauty services. This partnership promotes confidence, self-expression, and belonging in the disability community. Read more today! 💇 #DisabilityNews

20 MILLION books. That’s the positive impact Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Ohio has on early childhood literacy! 🎉 During National Library Month, we join First Lady Fran DeWine in recognizing the transformative and inspiring power of books, as well as the incredible work being done by Ohio’s Imagination Library to ensure children in our state have access to stories that motivate and educate. Join us in celebrating this milestone and check out this article to learn more! 📚 bit.ly/43Kx4DS #DisabilityNews #NationalLibraryMonth #OhioImaginationLibrary

Need resources about Deafness, DeafBlindness, and hearing loss? OOD and the Community Centers for the Deaf partnered to create a searchable database of resources for this low-incidence disability group. With 40 categories of information on topics like Deaf culture, domestic violence, employment, housing, sign language, substance use, youth services, and more, 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 here: ➡️ bit.ly/4ishcKH

Ohio is stronger when everyone has a seat at the table. OOD's mission is to empower individuals with disabilities to build meaningful careers and fully experience all our state has to offer helps ensure a thriving Ohio for all. Visit our website today to learn more about the services we offer and how we can help you on your career journey! ➡️ bit.ly/4bLQKJv #OODWorks #OhioTheHeartOfItAll

We're bringing OOD services straight to YOU this spring! 🙌 Our mobile services unit is making stops across Ohio to provide resources, assistance, and guidance right where you need them. Find us out and about: 📍 April 3 – Cincinnati Hearing Speech + Deaf Center Tax Day: 2825 Burnet Ave, Cincinnati, OH 📍 April 8 – Training Day with Springfield: Cliff Park High School, Springfield, OH 📍 April 10 – Future Ready Fair: Viking Village, Sharonville, OH We're committed to bringing accessibility and career support out to you. Stop by and see how we can help you this year! #OODWorks #MobileServicesUnit #CommunityOutreach

Save the date! We're hosting a can't-miss free webinar for employers: All About Service Animals. 🐾 The webinar will cover understanding what service animals are and are not, their role in the workplace, and best practices for interacting with them and their handlers with disability inclusion in mind. ➡️ bit.ly/4iLc2sS