Community integration for all people with developmental disabilities
Hamilton County  Developmental
Disabilities Services
March 2016



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As Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month comes to an end, we wanted to share a v ideo, "What Does the ADA Mean to Me?" from last summer's celebration on Fountain Square.

In the video, advocates talk about the important legislation during Cincinnati's celebration in July. Click the image below to watch.

It's officially been one year since we debuted our new blog, Employment Spotlight. Our goal is to highlight the abilities and contributions of people with disabilities to the workforce through employment success stories and creative ideas.

  We do this through employment successes like  Sharon's, who found a job she loves at 
Cheesecake Please Café, or David's, who recently celebrated working at Frisch's for 25 years . We also have people like Jillian Daugherty Mavriplis tell their employment stories in their own words.

Our blog is a place to highlight creative ideas and stories around Ohio, like Steven, whose family helped him create his own woodworking business, or Nature's Bin, a grocery store in Lakewood that has been committed to hiring people with disabilities for more than 40 years. 

We also share great job-related stories from around the country 
and world, including one about Blake, a teen with Down syndrome who started a mobile snow cone truck, or Sam, the dancing Starbucks barista with autism who was initially told he'd never be employable.  And those are just a few of the stories we've published so far this year.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this a wonderful first year with nearly 10,000 views, and, most importantly, the people willing to share their stories with us. You can subscribe to Employment Spotlight via email or follow the blog on WordPress. 


SAVE THE DATE!

It's time for the annual spaghetti dinner at the schools. Bobbie B. Fairfax School's is scheduled for 5-8 p.m. Friday, April 15. 

Margaret B. Rost School's is 5-8 p.m. Friday, May 6. 

More details about each are on the Fairfax Facebook page or the Rost Facebook page. 
March Madness
 

Just in time for the Final Four, Kidd Adult Center held its annual free throw contest. The winners get to attend the Reds Opening Day Parade. We'll post more pictures on our Facebook page soon!
Legislative Update

The Ohio Department of DD recently compiled an update on various bills being considered in the Ohio House and Ohio Senate. 

Topics include adoption assistance, autism treatment, mobility aid transportation, ABLE savings accounts and more.   Click here to read more in the department's newsletter, Pipeline .
Last chance to provide feedback about Reflections!
 
We've been gathering feedback from readers about our monthly newsletter to make it better in 2016.  Please click here to take our brief survey, which will be closed on April 8.
People for DD Services is hosting a fluid station at Mile 25 for the Flying Pig Marathon on Sunday, May 1. Follow the instructions below if you want to volunteer!

1) Click here to go to our online volunteer registration site

2) Find and select People for DD Services from the Group list

3) Complete Required Volunteer Information

4) Use dds as the group password when asked near the end of the form.

5) Click "Get Me Registered" to submit your information.

Questions? Email Lisa Danford

Congratulations! 



Paul Daugherty won an Ohio Public Images (OPI) Award of Excellence on March 10 for outstanding media coverage. Paul, pictured above with his wife, Kerry, and daughter, Jillian, frequently writes about Jillian, who has Down syndrome. The award presenters said Paul's writing is "energized, engaged and emotional," and his words reached more people than the other OPI entries combined. 

The presenters added his stories and his book, "An Uncomplicated Life," have accomplished so much to change perceptions about people with disabilities.



Also, the DD Awareness billboard and TV commercial campaign HCDDS worked on with Butler, Clermont and Warren counties won an OPI Award of Merit for outstanding collaborative efforts. Andy Schwertman, Hamilton County's billboard star pictured above with his parents and sister, accepted the award on behalf of the Southwestern Ohio Council of Governments (SWOCOG) team. 

Congratulations, everyone!
New commercials now airing on Local 12


Once again we partnered with the Boards of DD in Butler, Clermont and Warren counties for a new series of commercials. Ours features Nakiea Spaulding, who has worked at Cincinnati Children's for 15 years. Click here to watch it.
 
All the commercials are in rotation on Local 12 and will be airing throughout the year! 
Getting back the ability to do what 
he loves most: cycling

Ken Oster loves to ride bikes and has since he was a kid. He's an adventurous man who likes to travel despite his mobility difficulties caused by a childhood traumatic brain injury. 

Cycling enthusiast Ken Oster, right, with adventure athlete Jake Brown
Ken loves riding anywhere he can, be it in his Northside neighborhood or out touring the countryside with fellow cyclists. He liked cycling everywhere so much that he had this crazy idea to ride his bike all the way to Argentina.

"From about this time last year to early October, I put 900 miles on the road, riding my bike," Ken wrote in mid-March. "Honestly, that was when I felt most alive. It's been this way well over forty years, getting where I want to go on my own power."

But shortly before he planned to announce his multiple-continent ride, he crashed after hitting an unexpected hazard. Ken ended up in the hospital and had to have surgery to help heal multiple fractures in his face.

Ken riding his bike around last summer
Ken wrote that he "lost confidence that two wheels would keep me upright. That's what I miss most. I've always been more about momentum than balance. Now I'm not so sure."

After the accident, Ken wanted to increase his riding safety and found a trike design that can meet his specific needs. So, with help from Dom and Judi from Spun Bicycles, John from Cin-City Cycles, as well as his providers, Peter Smith and Laurie Ogle, they have a plan to build a custom trike to allow Ken to continue having the joy of riding in his life without as much risk as he faces with a normal two-wheeled bike.

They've set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for the custom trike, which you can find by clicking here. Stay updated on Ken's progress via the "Smile, Wave, Ride" Facebook page. 

Upcoming Events
  • Multiple Perspectives on Access, Inclusion and Disability annual conference.    April 12-14 in Columbus .  The conference is an  ongoing exploration of disability, a conversation including many voices and reflecting perspectives gained through experience and research; theory and practice, arts and sciences.   Click here for details.
  • Poets and Writers in Action. 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 15 at Crossroads Church in Oakley. Email Ann Myres with questions.
  • Incline to the Finish Line 5K. 9 a.m. Saturday, April 16 at St. Joseph Home in Evendale.  Click here for registration and other details. 
  • Parent Access Collaborative Meeting. 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 20 in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Learn about the state budget, scholarships, Medicaid, and the latest changes affecting the DD community such as proposed waiver amendment, private providers, CMS requirement concerning day hab and transportation services. Download the flier here.
  • Down Syndrome Research Conference. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 23. Indiana Wesleyan University in West Chester. Click here for details and registration information.
  • People First of Ohio Conference. April 28-30 in Wilmington. Click here for agenda and registration details.
  • Autism Expo. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 7 at the Sharonville Convention Center. Free to attend. Click here for details.