The Pulse: What’s going on around Ohio June 16th to June 21st 2025!

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Upcoming things to sign up to get involved with or make your voice heard thru surveys and public comment!

  • Disability Rights Ohio Is doing their annual survey of needs click this link to take the survey.
  • Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities is asking people to take a survey on self direction for waiver participants. Click on this link to do the survey.
  • Tell us: What are your favorite ways to relax or practice self-care? Share your stories here.
    If you need to use the form differently, feel free to send attachments, pictures, or videos to nathan.turner@dodd.ohio.gov
  • The Ohio Medicaid Matters Coalition is looking for personal stories by people who could be impacted by Medicaid cuts if this is you please check out this link to learn how to submit your story. https://www.ohiomedicaidmatters.org
  • The Ohio State University (OSU) Nisonger Center is doing research on the health, mental health, and wellness of adults with intellectual disability (ID). We need to learn more so that we can improve services.
    This study includes online interviews with adults with ID and their chosen study partners. The study should take about 3 hours. For doing the study, each participant and their study partner will each receive $100.
    To SIGN UP: Call 1-833-678-7782
  • SHARE YOUR STORY, HELP FIGHT HUNGER! Poetry Is Life Publishing is compiling community poems and letters representing voices in our region from eight counties (Carroll, Holmes, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas, and Wayne) who have experienced hunger. What do you crave from your community? Food, love, family, friendship, hope, peace, equality. Have you experienced hunger? What was it like? Submit your poem, letter or story for the opportunity to be included in the book. A portion of book sales will benefit the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. The deadline to submit is June 30, 2025.
    For more information please reach out by email at poetryislifepublishing@gmail.com
  • 2025 Disability/Deaf and Abuse Survey
    This national survey seeks to enhance our understanding of the prevalence of abuse— including sexual abuse, physical assault, coercion, harassment, and exploitation—among individuals with disabilities, as well as those who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or Deaf-Blind.
    Your experience matters. The findings will help us develop research, interventions, and policy recommendations to advocate for strengthening protections against abuse and improving support for survivors. Click this link to take the survey.
  • Make your Voice Heard to share in a survey feedback about the PCA Match app through Public Consulting Group.
  • 5 Minutes. 3 Actions. 1 Voice for Disability Rights.
    Speak Up Now: Protect Disability Access Rights!
    https://nacdd.org/5-minutes-3-actions-1-voice-for-disability-rights/
    There are TWO public comment opportunities that need the attention of the disability community.
    🌟 Public Comment One: Protect Disability Access Rights! – The U.S. Department of Energy is trying to eliminate important disability protections. The department is trying to change part of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act that ensures new buildings are accessible to people with disabilities. This move could set a dangerous precedent. If they succeed, other federal agencies might try to do the same. This will weaken protections that millions rely on.
    🌟 Public Comment Two: Direct final rule on nondiscrimination – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) wants to remove 12 civil rights rules. Part of these 12 are disability access protections. They say the rules are “unnecessary,” “outdated,” or not supported by law. They are using a fast-track process called a “direct final rule.”
    This is urgent! If thousands do not make comments, the rule will take effect July 15, 2025.
    The deadline to submit your comment(s) is Monday, June 16th at 11:59 PM EDT.
    Take Action Now!
    It only takes a few seconds: https://nacdd.org/5-minutes-3-actions-1-voice-for-disability-rights/

Events around Ohio to check out week of June 16th 2025 to June 21 2025

Monday June 16th 2025

  • Disability Rights Education Legal Clinic, Monday, Jun 16 · 12:00pm-1:00pm Join us Monday, June 16th, for a Free Education Legal Clinic: Addressing Bullying & Harassment of special education students. Learn more and register to attend at lawyers4students.com/legalclinic
  • Building Personal Networks of Support(4) Week Workshop 4:00-5:00pm to Register for this workshop check out this link . This workshop is for self advocates and families. Description: BUILDING PERSONAL NETWORKS (BPN)
    Do you want to be more connected and supported, but aren’t sure where to start?
    Join us, roll up your sleeves, and let’s build your personal network together!
    WHAT IS BPN?
    BPN is about creating community.
    It is an opportunity to:
    Focus on relationships that foster connection and growth.
    Identify key individuals who can play supportive roles.
    Plan with your loved one at the center of the process.

Tuesday June 17th 2025

  • Ohio Tech Ambassadors Regional Tech Summit, Tuesday, Jun 17 · 11:00am-12:00pm Ambassador Regional Tech Summit
    10 a.m. to Noon Tuesday, June 17, at the Deer Park Branch Library. 4020 E. Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236. This event will feature tech ambassadors sharing how they use technology in the following categories: Tech for Independence, Tech for Advocacy, Tech for Employment, and Tech for Entertainment.
    Click here for more details. https://ohiotechambassadors.org
  • Protecting Medicaid from Cuts in Congress: Updates for Aging Advocates, Tuesday, Jun 17 · 2:00-3:00 PM click this link to learn more and register for the event.
  • Breaking Silences Advocacy Meeting 3pm contact Maria.Matzik@acils.com for more information.

Wednesday June 18th 2025

  • OSDA at We Thrive Together 11am https://wethrivetogether.org/upcoming-event
  • Safe Police Interactions: Guidance for People with Disabilities and Their Families, Wednesday, Jun 18 · 6:00-8:00pm Join us to understand what happens when someone with a disability meets a police officer. This presentation gives practical advice that both people with disabilities and their family members can use right away. You will learn:
    • What police officers do and what equipment they carry
    • How to make ID cards that explain your disability
    • What to do during traffic stops
    • How to make emergency calls
    • How to ask for specially trained officers
    • Your rights during police interactions
    • Ways to prevent problems
    use this link to register.
  • D.A.D.S./Pathways for Pops Night Out, Wednesday, Jun 18 · 6–9 PM Join us for our monthly Night Out combining our D.A.D.S. & Pathways for Pops groups. In June we meet at one of our favorite hangouts – Schnitz Ale Brewery, located at 5729 Pearl Rd. in Parma! Feel free to bring your dad, brother, uncle or friend that is a part of your child’s life….just be there!
    RSVP to matt@dsaneo.org
  • People First of Northeast Ohio, Wednesday, Jun 18 · 6:30–8 PM, Repeats every month on the third Wednesday People First is a self advocacy group for Adults with IDD (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) in NE Ohio. They care about having our voices heard, empowering one another, nothing about us without us, Education, Equality and Inclusion. They meet virtually. For more information contact amy.mordaunt@thearcofohio.org

Thursday June 19th 2025

  • Supported Decision Making of Ohio Meeting PR and Marketing Committee 12:00 -1:00pm contact amy.mordaunt@thearcofohio.org for more information to join

Friday June 20th 2025

  • Services For Independent Living, Connect And Conversation, Friday, Jun 20 · 11 AM–12 PM Connect with Conversation June Topic: Assistive Technology that helps with Independent Living
    June 20th from 11:00am-12:00pm
    RSVP to Maddi Steimle at 216-903-2469 or msteimle@sil-oh.org
  • FREE All-Abilities Sports Camp- Hall of Fame Area, Friday, Jun 20 at 5:45 PM –Saturday, Jun 21 at 2:00 PM Malone University, 2600 Cleveland Ave NW, Canton, OH 44709

Saturday June 21st 2025

  • FREE All-Abilities Sports Camp- Hall of Fame Area, Friday, Jun 20 at 5:45 PM –Saturday, Jun 21 at 2:00 PM Malone University, 2600 Cleveland Ave NW, Canton, OH 44709

Helpful Information by National, State and County Agencies and Organizations for People to Read

  • Planning an accessible outdoor adventure just got easier!
    The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has launched a new Accessible Trails Guide — your go-to resource for finding parks and outdoor spaces that meet your needs.
    In the guide, you’ll find:
    ✅ Trail safety tips
    ✅ Accessible trails, fishing, boating, and Storybook Trails
    ✅ Lodges, campgrounds, cabins, inclusive playgrounds, and more!
    Start exploring today: https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/outdoor/accessible-activities-facilities/accessible-trails
  • Did you know the American Printing House for the Blind has partnered with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio to provide six free Print/Braille books a year to children with low vision or blindness until the child’s sixth birthday? The Braille Tales program is open to all U.S. residents and parents of children with low vision can learn more about the program at the following website. https://ow.ly/YBhA50VTZAY
  • Are you a caregiver for an older Ohioan? Are you familiar with Adult Day services? Visit the new website http://AdultDayOhio.org to learn about how Adult Day services can support you and your loved one.
    Read: http://aging.ohio.gov/AdultDayOhio
  • Know Your Rights: Communication Disability Law
    People with a medically diagnosed communication disability can voluntarily enroll in a database linked to Ohio’s Law Enforcement Agencies Data System (LEADS). 
    This helps notify officers during traffic stops that someone in the vehicle may have difficulty communicating, promoting safer, more informed interactions. It’s free, optional, and designed to reduce misunderstandings. 
    Learn more about the Communication Disability Law and download the Communication Visor Card here.
  • Call for Nominations: Ohio Poet Laureate
    Nominations for Ohio Poet Laureate are now being accepted. The next Ohio Poet Laureate’s two-year term is scheduled to begin on January 1, 2026, and ends on December 31, 2027.

    The Ohio Poet Laureate has the opportunity to foster the art of poetry across the Buckeye State. This includes encouraging literacy and learning, addressing central issues related to the humanities and heritage, and encouraging the reading and writing of poetry across Ohio. 

    As part of the individual’s role, the Ohio Poet Laureate will be expected to undertake a significant cultural project, such as bringing poetry to people or to a region of the state that might otherwise be underserved in this regard. Additionally, The Ohio Poet Laureate will provide at least 20 public readings or other literacy-related events annually in urban, suburban, and rural settings throughout Ohio.

    The Ohio Poet Laureate is ultimately appointed by the Governor of Ohio, with recommendations provided by the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) as reviewed by OAC board members.

    Nomination requirements are available on the Ohio Arts Council’s website .
  • Veterans who need nursing home care but prefer living at home can enroll in the Veterans Directed Care Program at WRAAA. This program lets veterans hire personal direct-care workers, giving them more control over their long-term care. More details here: https://bit.ly/3XcvbMT
  • Updates to the Waiting List Assessment Rule
    Attention: All County Boards, Service and Support Administrators, Councils of Governments
    The DODD Medicaid Development and Administration (MDA) division has updated the Comprehensive Guide for Waiting List Assessmentto coordinate with updates to the waiting list assessment rule (OAC 5123-9-04). These updates will be effective July 1, 2025. 
     
    MDA held webinars in May to support assessors with completing the WLA on the new assessment platform. A recording of these webinars can be found on the current and immediate needs webpage. Click hereto access the recording.
     
    For questions, please email WLA@dodd.ohio.gov
  • Registration is now open for The Arc of Ohio 2025 Summer Conference!
    Friday, July 25, 2025
    Sponsorships have made it possible for very affordable registration.
    Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-arc-of-ohio-2025-summer-conference-tickets-1371627588039?aff=oddtdtcreator
    The Agenda was created before the annoucement of Director Hauck’s retirement. We hope to introduce the new director at this conference.
    The Arc of Ohio Summer Conference
    Friday, July 25, 2025
    Hollywood Casino Event Center
    200 Georgesville Rd.
    Columbus, Ohio 43228
    9:00 – 10:00 am Registration – Breakfast Included
    10:00 am Fedderal Initiatives and Their Impact on Ohioans – Medicaid to Education
    Katy Neas, CEO – The Arc of the United States
    The current CEO of The Arc of the US, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the US Department of Education and long-time federal lobbyist, will present the current state of what we can expect as Congress debates the future funding of Medicaid, Waivers and Special Education.
    11:00 am – Noon Ohio’s New State Budget – How does it affect Ohioans with Developmental Disabilities?
    Director- Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities
    A new state budget begins on July 1, 2025. The new DODD Director and staff will provide insight into what this budget holds in store for Ohioans with developmental disabilities and their families.
    Noon LUNCH – Included in Registration
    1:00- 2:00 pm Rules and What’s Ahead
    Allan Showalter, Deputy Director – Medicaid Administration & Development, Ohio Department of DD & Team
    The Ohio Department of DD is required to issue administrative rules to implement both Home & Community Based Waivers and Intermediate Care Facilities. New rules became effective on July 1st and other rules are still in development for this year and next. The speakers will discuss these and be available to answer questions.
    2:00 – 3:00 pm Ohio Rise (Resilience through Integrated Systems & Excellence)
    Aetna Ohio Rise Leadership Team
    Ohio RISE and the specialized managed care program is making major strides in supporting more youth and families in need. More Ohio children than ever are being supported through a program that coordinates community resources to provide the best possible care for kids facing complex mental and behavioral health needs. The Aetna Ohio Rise Leadership Team will provide an overview of the program and provide an opportunity for feedback of what is working and not working.
  • Ohio has announced its 2025 sales tax holiday, which will run for two weeks this year. https://nbc4i.co/43yipK1?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_NBC4
  • The Family Caregiver Support Program (FCSP) supports family and informal caregivers in caring for loved ones at home. You’re a family caregiver if you help care for an older relative, spouse, or loved one. For free information and referrals for in-home care, respite, adult day programs, and more, go to: https://bit.ly/3NN8Joa or give us a call at 216-586-3441.

This Month in Awareness

  • Pride Month
  • World Elder Abuse Day June 15th
  • Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month
  • National Migraine & Headache Awareness Month
  • Men’s Health Awareness Month
  • National Cancer Survivors Month
  • National Age Without Apology Month
  • PTSD Awareness Month


For more events check out our main website OhioAdvocacyHeartbeat.com

Opportunities to Make your Voice heard On Important Disability and Advocacy Issues

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Every week we put out the Pulse and it’s filled with opportunities to use your voice alongside the current events happening in Ohio. This week we found that we had an over flow of opportunities to speak up and use your voice. This is our midweek post letting people know of ways you can speak up on policy and other areas where opinions and public comment are needed.,

  • Disability Rights Ohio Is doing their annual survey of needs click this link to take the survey.
  • Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities is asking people to take a survey on self direction for waiver participants. Click on this link to do the survey.
  • Tell us: What are your favorite ways to relax or practice self-care? Share your stories here.
    If you need to use the form differently, feel free to send attachments, pictures, or videos to nathan.turner@dodd.ohio.gov
  • The Ohio Medicaid Matters Coalition is looking for personal stories by people who could be impacted by Medicaid cuts if this is you please check out this link to learn how to submit your story. https://www.ohiomedicaidmatters.org
  • The Ohio State University (OSU) Nisonger Center is doing research on the health, mental health, and wellness of adults with intellectual disability (ID). We need to learn more so that we can improve services.
    This study includes online interviews with adults with ID and their chosen study partners. The study should take about 3 hours. For doing the study, each participant and their study partner will each receive $100.
    To SIGN UP: Call 1-833-678-7782
  • SHARE YOUR STORY, HELP FIGHT HUNGER! Poetry Is Life Publishing is compiling community poems and letters representing voices in our region from eight counties (Carroll, Holmes, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas, and Wayne) who have experienced hunger. What do you crave from your community? Food, love, family, friendship, hope, peace, equality. Have you experienced hunger? What was it like? Submit your poem, letter or story for the opportunity to be included in the book. A portion of book sales will benefit the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. The deadline to submit is June 30, 2025.
    For more information please reach out by email at poetryislifepublishing@gmail.com
  • 2025 Disability/Deaf and Abuse Survey
    This national survey seeks to enhance our understanding of the prevalence of abuse— including sexual abuse, physical assault, coercion, harassment, and exploitation—among individuals with disabilities, as well as those who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or Deaf-Blind.
    Your experience matters. The findings will help us develop research, interventions, and policy recommendations to advocate for strengthening protections against abuse and improving support for survivors. Click this link to take the survey.
  • Make your Voice Heard to share in a survey feedback about the PCA Match app through Public Consulting Group.
  • 5 Minutes. 3 Actions. 1 Voice for Disability Rights.
    Speak Up Now: Protect Disability Access Rights!
    https://nacdd.org/5-minutes-3-actions-1-voice-for-disability-rights/
    There are TWO public comment opportunities that need the attention of the disability community.
    🌟 Public Comment One: Protect Disability Access Rights! – The U.S. Department of Energy is trying to eliminate important disability protections. The department is trying to change part of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act that ensures new buildings are accessible to people with disabilities. This move could set a dangerous precedent. If they succeed, other federal agencies might try to do the same. This will weaken protections that millions rely on.
    🌟 Public Comment Two: Direct final rule on nondiscrimination – The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) wants to remove 12 civil rights rules. Part of these 12 are disability access protections. They say the rules are “unnecessary,” “outdated,” or not supported by law. They are using a fast-track process called a “direct final rule.”
    This is urgent! If thousands do not make comments, the rule will take effect July 15, 2025.
    The deadline to submit your comment(s) is Monday, June 16th at 11:59 PM EDT.
    Take Action Now!
    It only takes a few seconds: https://nacdd.org/5-minutes-3-actions-1-voice-for-disability-rights/
  • Call for Nominations: Ohio Poet Laureate Nominations for Ohio Poet Laureate are now being accepted. The next Ohio Poet Laureate’s two-year term is scheduled to begin on January 1, 2026, and ends on December 31, 2027. The Ohio Poet Laureate has the opportunity to foster the art of poetry across the Buckeye State. This includes encouraging literacy and learning, addressing central missues related to the humanities and heritage, and encouraging the reading and writing of poetry across Ohio. As part of the individual’s role, the Ohio Poet Laureate will be expected to undertake a significant cultural project, such as bringing poetry to people or to a region of the state that might otherwise be underserved in this regard. Additionally, The Ohio Poet Laureate will provide at least 20 public readings or other literacy-related events annually in urban, suburban, and rural settings throughout Ohio. The Ohio Poet Laureate is ultimately appointed by the Governor of Ohio, with recommendations provided by the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) as reviewed by OAC board members. Nomination requirements are available on the Ohio Arts Council’s website .
     


For more events check out our main website OhioAdvocacyHeartbeat.com

To Update Or Not? A Way To Make A More Informed Choice By Dawn

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It seems like every day some piece of firmware or svtware needs updating. Whether it’s the operating system on our phones or computers, or an app or program. When that happens, we often hear and ask the million-dollar question. “Should I update, or not?” If I had a dollar for every time I’ve asked this question aloud or to myself, I think I’d be quite rich! For most people, updating isn’t a big deal. There may be changes in how things look, or work, and enhancements and bug fixes, and some bugs. While some bug bites are more severe than others, most of the time, the bug is found and squashed quickly, or, they may only fly around your head and annoy you. So, for the most part, the answer is black-white, and, a little more clear-cut, and, it’s an easy choice for people to make. 

However, for people with disabilities, things can get a little more complex. If our devices got infested with bugs, a bug bite could be at best annoying and easily dealt with and worked around, and, at worst, the effects can be severe. This could range from not being able to use apps or software, or, accessibility features, such as VoiceOver, and support for assistive tech such as braille displays being broken as well. Because of this, we have to use caution, and, oftentimes the word update makes us cringe. Some people might even consider that word to be on the same level as a swear word. So, we typically either don’t update until we’re forced to, or, we watch and wait to see what bugs people are getting bit by. This is the approach is the one I take, along with asking others. For Apple users, the best place to go to track bugs that are and aren’t related to accessibility, is AppleVis. Every year, their team tests beta software, and, they report on the new features and bugs that they got bit by. 

However, because their team is small, they couldn’t test every use case. Then, people can and do comment on the post, and, if they wish, people can subscribe to it, receiving notifications through email. At times, this can become… overwhelming. This is what I do, because it’s the best way for me to keep track of all of it. Plus, reports are scattered throughout the site such as in their forums where people can go to give and receive help. However, AppleVis has pulled the curtain back on something that will hopefully make it easier to make an informed choice. They will be launching a community bug tracking initiative to give the community an opportunity to talk about bugs they have been bitten by.

If you would like to read more about it, you can click the link below:

The initiative is expected to launch in the second week of June, just in time for Apple’s Worldride Developers Conference, where they announce upcoming software releases.

The spicifics are still being worked out, however, they are anticipating it looking as follows:

• The program will be open to anyone using either the IOS. or Mac-OS. betas.

• You will be required to submit reports of any and all bugs that are found to Apple through their Feedback app. This is so that Apple can be made aware of them, which will help make it easier to squash them. When you report a bug through the Feedback app, you will get a Feedback number, which you will provide when reporting a bug. No submissions will be accepted without a feedback number.

• Participants will fill out a form with the following information:

* The issue that was encountered

* The platform the issue was encountered on

* The steps to reproduce the issue

* The Apple feedback number

• The AppleVit team will see if their device(s) are infested with that bug, by attempting to reproduce the issue, and see if they get bitten. If they do, they will report the bug to Apple, and, keep track of it throughout the beta cycle. If the bug is still present in the Golden Master of the beta, which is the version that will be released to the consummers, then AppleVis will include it in its bug report, which lists and details new bugs, and, bugs that have been squashed.

• If they’re unable to reproduce an issue, they will not be able to track it internally, or put it in their bug report. However, people are welcome to post about issues and bugs they’re experiencing in the comments section, as well as in the forum, as has been done previously.

• If a user-submitted bug is included in the report, that user will get mentioned. However, you can remain anonymous if you wish.              

• Program participants will be featured in the final announcement release, however, you can choose to remain anonymous if you wish.

AppleVis has been publishing these bug reports since as least 2012, and, many blind Apple users, including myself, have and still do heavily rely on these to help us make the decision to update or wait. I have directed people to AppleVis in the past whenever they have asked that million-dollar question. However, because they’re an independent editorial organization, they have a small team. This means that testing eferts can only go so far. I will say though, that they have done an amazing job, and, they continue to. In 2022, they evolved their guidelines to allow for posting about beta software in their forums, and, created spaces in their forums for this. This is an excelent way to broaden the scope of testing, tracking and reporting of bugs, and will hopefully give a clearer picture of each release. This will in turn, help us better weigh the pros and cons, and, in general, make a more informed choice. Also, while some people may not either agree with me, or, not think or realize this, being a beta tester, tracking and reporting bugs is a form of advocacy. When you beta test an app or piece of software, as a person with a disability, you are using your assistive tech, such as a braille display, or, accessibility feature(s) such as VoiceOver. This is a very unique perspective that most developers, engineers, etc, don’t get every day, unless they use these features day in and day out. This means that they can track whether the bug is occurring for users of a Focus Braille Display from Vispero, or, a Brailliant BIX. series braille display from HumanWare. You’re educating them on how the disabled community uses their devices every day, and how they help us live our lives. Also, if multiple users are reporting getting bit by the same bug, then, it’s likely that the bug will get fixed. As the saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. In other words, this is a unique way to make your voice heard.

I hope that this will be expanded to include all of Apple’s softoware releases. Although I’m sure that will happen at some point in the future. I also hope that it gets opened up to users who are not beta testers as well. Because not everyone can be a beta tester for many reasons. For example, some people either don’t have a backup device, or, their device(s) are mission-critical, meaning they’re needed for school, work, or other reasons. I usually don’t beta test Apple software, however, I do and have beta tested several apps. However, this initiative is making me think about jumping in.

I want to hear from you! What are your thoughts on this initiative? Have you ever been a beta tester, and, if so, did you test an app or a software version? Are you still beta testing? If you have an Ios. device or a Mac, are you thinking about being a beta tester, and/or participating in this initiative? If you are a beta tester, what would you want both new beta testers, and people are are considering being beta testers to know either before or when they jump into the deep end of the pool so to speak? Feel free to share these and other thoughts in the comments section of this post!                                     

In the News Around Ohio

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Here are some news articles related to advocacy, disabilities and events in Ohio in the last 30 days.

Check out the Facebook group Disability News and Events Around Ohio for more news articles

The Pulse: What’s going on around Ohio June 9th to June 14th 2025!

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Upcoming things to sign up to get involved with or make your voice heard thru surveys and public comment!

  • Disability Rights Ohio Is doing their annual survey of needs click this link to take the survey.
  • Make your voice heard through public comment on Medicaid Proposed Rules in Federal Register Medicaid Program; Preserving Medicaid Funding for Vulnerable Populations-Closing a Health Care-Related Tax Loophole Proposed Rule click this link to read the rule and learn how to comment.
  • Make your Voice Heard to share in a survey feedback about the PCA Match app through Public Consulting Group.
  • The Ohio Medicaid Matters Coalition is looking for personal stories by people who could be impacted by Medicaid cuts if this is you please check out this link to learn how to submit your story. https://www.ohiomedicaidmatters.org
  • (ODM) is seeking public comment on nursing facility-based level of care residential setting. The comment period is open from May 20th, 2025 through June 19th, 2025. Follow this link for more information: https://medicaid.ohio.gov/about-us/notices/heightened-scrutiny-notice-05192025
  • The Ohio State University (OSU) Nisonger Center is doing research on the health, mental health, and wellness of adults with intellectual disability (ID). We need to learn more so that we can improve services.
    This study includes online interviews with adults with ID and their chosen study partners. The study should take about 3 hours. For doing the study, each participant and their study partner will each receive $100.
    To SIGN UP: Call 1-833-678-7782
  • The City of Dayton is creating strategies to be an “age friendly” city—a place where all ages can enjoy each day and live their best life. If you are 55 years of age or older, please take a few minutes to provide your honest, confidential, and anonymous answers to this questionnaire. Please complete the survey at AgeFriendlySurvey.com
  • SHARE YOUR STORY, HELP FIGHT HUNGER! Poetry Is Life Publishing is compiling community poems and letters representing voices in our region from eight counties (Carroll, Holmes, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas, and Wayne) who have experienced hunger. What do you crave from your community? Food, love, family, friendship, hope, peace, equality. Have you experienced hunger? What was it like? Submit your poem, letter or story for the opportunity to be included in the book. A portion of book sales will benefit the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank. The deadline to submit is June 30, 2025.
    For more information please reach out by email at poetryislifepublishing@gmail.com

Events around Ohio to check out week of June 9th 2025 to June 14th 2025

Monday June 9 2025

  • Nisonger Institute 9am-12pm check out this event through Facebook link here.
  • Coalition Of Human Needs (CHN.) Call With Sen. Moreno’s Legislative Correspondent On Reconciliation Cuts, Monday, Jun 9 · 1–1:30 PM The Coalition On Human Needs (CHN.) will be having a meeting with Senator Moreno’s Legislative Correspondent, Sophia Friguletto, and, said the more Ohio voices that are on the call, the better.
    You can click here to read the statement from CHN.
  • Building Personal Networks of Support(4) Week Workshop 4:00-5:00pm to Register for this workshop check out this link . This workshop is for self advocates and families. Description: BUILDING PERSONAL NETWORKS (BPN)
    Do you want to be more connected and supported, but aren’t sure where to start?
    Join us, roll up your sleeves, and let’s build your personal network together!
    WHAT IS BPN?
    BPN is about creating community.
    It is an opportunity to:
    Focus on relationships that foster connection and growth.
    Identify key individuals who can play supportive roles.
    Plan with your loved one at the center of the process.

Tuesday June 10th 2025

  • Wood County DD Twin Tech Open House, Tuesday, Jun 10 · 10 AM–12 PM Wood Lane – Wood County Board of Developmental Disabilities
    1921 E Gypsy Lane Rd, Bowling Green, OH 43402, USA
  • National Caregiver Support Collaborative (NCSC) Training Opportunity: Introducing New Resources to Elevate Family Caregiver Programs, Tuesday, Jun 10 · 12:30–1:30 PM click on this link to register.
  • Understanding Alzheimer’s & Dementia, Tuesday, Jun 10 · 3–4 PM Defiance Public Library Defiance, Ohio.
  • Breaking Silences Advocacy Meeting 3pm contact Maria.Matzik@acils.com for more information.
  • Parent Webinar: Down syndrome-Autism Connection, Tuesday, Jun 10 · 7–7 PM Topic: Down Syndrome – Autism Connection Parent Webinar
    Time: Jun 10, 2025 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
    RSVP to Lcifra-bean@dsaneo.org or join using the link for event

Wednesday June 11th 2025

Thursday June 12th 2025

  • Supported Decision Making of Ohio Meeting PR and Marketing Committee 12:00 -1:00pm contact amy.mordaunt@thearcofohio.org for more information to join

Friday June 13th 2025

  • AFTACON in Cincinnati, Ohio
  • The Warren County Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Ohio, Thursday, Jun 12 · 9 AM–1 PM 400 Anderson St
    Franklin, OH 45005, USA The Warren County Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Ohio will be Thursday, June 12, 2025 at 9 am at the Franklin Police Department (400 Anderson St, Franklin, OH 45005) and end at the Austin Landing Kroger (10101 Landing Way, Miamisburg, OH 45342)!
    Donate or sign up here
    Questions? Contact Kennon Coleman kcoleman@warrencountyohio.gov
  • Transitions LLC in Barberton, Ohio is hosting a Family Game night at 5pm check out this eventbrite link to learn more.

Saturday June 14th 2025

  • Ohio Special Olympics, Friday, Jun 13 –Sunday, Jun 15 Special Olympics Ohio will be hosting the 2025 Summer Games in and around The Ohio State University June 13-15, 2025. There are many volunteer opportunities available! Volunteers must be 14+ years old (unless otherwise noted). Everyone will be given a volunteer t-shirt and anyone who signs up for a full day will have lunch provided. More details will be provided as the date approacheS
    https://lucasdd.org/events/2612/2025-06-13/special-olympics-ohio-state-games
  • HOUSING
    EMPOWERMENT & RESOURCE AFFAIR JUNE 14, 2025
    11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
    WALNUT HILLS BRANCH LIBRARY
    2533 Kemper Ln, Cincinnati, OH 45206 • Get housing resources and assistance, empowerment, and info for legal assistance with housing.

Helpful Information by National, State and County Agencies and Organizations for People to Read

  • Planning an accessible outdoor adventure just got easier!
    The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has launched a new Accessible Trails Guide — your go-to resource for finding parks and outdoor spaces that meet your needs.
    In the guide, you’ll find:
    ✅ Trail safety tips
    ✅ Accessible trails, fishing, boating, and Storybook Trails
    ✅ Lodges, campgrounds, cabins, inclusive playgrounds, and more!
    Start exploring today: https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/outdoor/accessible-activities-facilities/accessible-trails
  • Did you know the American Printing House for the Blind has partnered with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio to provide six free Print/Braille books a year to children with low vision or blindness until the child’s sixth birthday? The Braille Tales program is open to all U.S. residents and parents of children with low vision can learn more about the program at the following website. https://ow.ly/YBhA50VTZAY
  • Are you a caregiver for an older Ohioan? Are you familiar with Adult Day services? Visit the new website http://AdultDayOhio.org to learn about how Adult Day services can support you and your loved one.
    Read: http://aging.ohio.gov/AdultDayOhio
  • Call for Nominations: Ohio Poet Laureate
    Nominations for Ohio Poet Laureate are now being accepted. The next Ohio Poet Laureate’s two-year term is scheduled to begin on January 1, 2026, and ends on December 31, 2027.

    The Ohio Poet Laureate has the opportunity to foster the art of poetry across the Buckeye State. This includes encouraging literacy and learning, addressing central issues related to the humanities and heritage, and encouraging the reading and writing of poetry across Ohio. 

    As part of the individual’s role, the Ohio Poet Laureate will be expected to undertake a significant cultural project, such as bringing poetry to people or to a region of the state that might otherwise be underserved in this regard. Additionally, The Ohio Poet Laureate will provide at least 20 public readings or other literacy-related events annually in urban, suburban, and rural settings throughout Ohio.

    The Ohio Poet Laureate is ultimately appointed by the Governor of Ohio, with recommendations provided by the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) as reviewed by OAC board members.

    Nomination requirements are available on the Ohio Arts Council’s website .

Free Things to do for fun around Ohio this month.

This Month in Awareness

  • Pride Month
  • World Elder Abuse Day June 15th
  • Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month
  • National Migraine & Headache Awareness Month
  • Men’s Health Awareness Month
  • National Cancer Survivors Month
  • National Age Without Apology Month
  • PTSD Awareness Month
  • World Heart Rhythm Week June 3rd-June 9th 2025
  • World Day for Assisted Technology June 4th
  • Tourette’s Awareness Day June 7th
  • Transverse Myelitis Day June 7th


For more events check out our main website OhioAdvocacyHeartbeat.com

The Pulse: What’s going on around Ohio June 2nd to June 7th 2025!

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Upcoming things to sign up to get involved with or make your voice heard thru surveys and public comment!

  • Disability Rights Ohio Is doing their annual survey of needs click this link to take the survey.
  • Make your voice heard through public comment on Medicaid Proposed Rules in Federal Register Medicaid Program; Preserving Medicaid Funding for Vulnerable Populations-Closing a Health Care-Related Tax Loophole Proposed Rule click this link to read the rule and learn how to comment.
  • Make your Voice Heard to share in a survey feedback about the PCA Match app through Public Consulting Group.
  • The Ohio Medicaid Matters Coalition is looking for personal stories by people who could be impacted by Medicaid cuts if this is you please check out this link to learn how to submit your story. https://www.ohiomedicaidmatters.org
  • (ODM) is seeking public comment on nursing facility-based level of care residential setting. The comment period is open from May 20th, 2025 through June 19th, 2025. Follow this link for more information: https://medicaid.ohio.gov/about-us/notices/heightened-scrutiny-notice-05192025

Events around Ohio to check out week of June 2nd 2025 to June 7th 2025

Monday June 2 2025

  • We Thrive Together Wellness: Creative Wellness 11:00am-12:00pm click this link to join. 
  • Accessibility Vs Usability: Making Voting Work for Voters, Monday, Jun 2 · 1–2 PM What’s the difference between accessibility and usability—and why does it matter for voters?
    Join Michelle Bishop, Whitney Quesenbery (Center for Civic Design), and Diane Golden (U.S. Election Assistance Commission ) at our Annual Conference to explore how we can make elections work for everyone. This must-attend session dives into legal standards, practical applications, and how voter-centered design improves access for all.
    📅 Don’t miss it—register today!
  • Building Personal Networks of Support(4) Week Workshop 4:00-5:00pm to Register for this workshop check out this link . This workshop is for self advocates and families. Description: BUILDING PERSONAL NETWORKS (BPN)
    Do you want to be more connected and supported, but aren’t sure where to start?
    Join us, roll up your sleeves, and let’s build your personal network together!
    WHAT IS BPN?
    BPN is about creating community.
    It is an opportunity to:
    Focus on relationships that foster connection and growth.
    Identify key individuals who can play supportive roles.
    Plan with your loved one at the center of the process.

Tuesday June 3rd 2025

  • Breaking Silences Advocacy Meeting 3pm contact Maria.Matzik@acils.com for more information.
  • Neighbors in Action Advocacy Group 4-5pm check out this link to learn more.

Wednesday June 4th 2025

  • OSDA at We Thrive Together 11am https://wethrivetogether.org/upcoming-event
  • Promoting Social Connection Among Veterans
    Wednesday, June 4⋅1:00 – 2:00pm click this link to register.
  • Ohio Olmsted Taskforce 1:00-3:00pm
  • Disability Rights Ohio Weekly Budget Debriefs will be from 3 to 4 PM. Disability Rights Ohio will give weekly updates on the Ohio Budget for people with disabilities and families. If you’re interested in attending, email Brittanie Maddox at:
    bmaddox@disabilityrightsohio.org

Thursday June 5th 2025

  • Supported Decision Making of Ohio Meeting PR and Marketing Committee 12:00 -1:00pm contact amy.mordaunt@thearcofohio.org for more information to join

Friday June 6th 2025

  • ADA Seminar: The Future of Community Integration, Friday, Jun 6 · 9 AM–3 PM at the Toledo Museum of Art. ADA SEMINAR
    THE FUTURE OF COMMUNITY INTEGRATION
    Join us for a conversation about the future of disability in our community, and help us celebrate the Community Partnership Award recipient, the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments (TMACOG).KEYNOTE Pamela Molina
    World Federation of the Deaf
    SPEAKER Dr. Kim Nielsen
    The Ability Center
    Endowed Chair of Disability Studies, University of Toledo
    PANELIST
    Valerie Fatica -City of Toledo
    PANELIST Jan Dougherty -Ohio APSE
    $25 per ticket
  • P.A.L.S. Big Screen Sensory Friendly Movie
    Friday, June 6⋅11:00am – 1:00pm Parma-Snow Branch, 2121 Snow Rd, Parma, OH 44134
  • All-Abilities Social Hour
    Friday, June 6⋅12:30 – 1:30pm Odom Boulevard Branch Library, 600 Vernon Odom Blvd Akron, Ohio

Saturday June 7th 2025

  • Step Into Autism 10:00am in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio check out the event though this Facebook link about the event.
  • CABVI’s Fun Fest
    Saturday, June 7⋅11:00am – 3:00pm Washington Park Cincinnati, Ohio





Helpful Information by National, State and County Agencies and Organizations for People to Read

  • Planning an accessible outdoor adventure just got easier!
    The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has launched a new Accessible Trails Guide — your go-to resource for finding parks and outdoor spaces that meet your needs.
    In the guide, you’ll find:
    ✅ Trail safety tips
    ✅ Accessible trails, fishing, boating, and Storybook Trails
    ✅ Lodges, campgrounds, cabins, inclusive playgrounds, and more!
    Start exploring today: https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/outdoor/accessible-activities-facilities/accessible-trails
  • Did you know the American Printing House for the Blind has partnered with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio to provide six free Print/Braille books a year to children with low vision or blindness until the child’s sixth birthday? The Braille Tales program is open to all U.S. residents and parents of children with low vision can learn more about the program at the following website. https://ow.ly/YBhA50VTZAY

This Month in Awareness

  • Pride Month
  • Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month
  • National Migraine & Headache Awareness Month
  • Men’s Health Awareness Month
  • National Cancer Survivors Month
  • National Age Without Apology Month
  • PTSD Awareness Month
  • World Heart Rhythm Week June 3rd-June 9th 2025
  • World Day for Assisted Technology June 4th
  • Tourette’s Awareness Day June 7th
  • Transverse Myelitis Day June 7th


For more events check out our main website OhioAdvocacyHeartbeat.com

The Pulse: What’s going on around Ohio May 26th to May 31st 2025!

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Upcoming things to sign up to get involved with or make your voice heard thru surveys and public comment!

  • Become an Advocate! The YAC allows for you to grow your advocacy skills and gain first-hand experience in creating change. Strength in advocacy is in numbers; so come make a difference with us!
    Find out more! Contact April at 216.731.1529 or ashaw@sil-oh.org here is a link to learn more about the youth council.
  • Are you caring for a child or young adult with special needs in Montgomery County? We want to hear from YOU!
    In partnership with the Strong Families Safe Communities Grant, Montgomery County is conducting a confidential survey to better understand what respite care services caregivers need most. Respite care is short-term care that gives caregivers a break.
    📝 Your input will help improve services and support for families.
    The survey takes just 10–15 minutes and includes questions about:
    Your family and caregiving experience
    Your child(ren) with special needs
    The type of respite care that would help you most
    💬 Take the survey by June 9.
  • Make your voice heard through public comment on Medicaid Proposed Rules in Federal Register Medicaid Program; Preserving Medicaid Funding for Vulnerable Populations-Closing a Health Care-Related Tax Loophole Proposed Rule click this link to read the rule and learn how to comment.

Events around Ohio to check out week of May 26th 2025 to May 31 2025

Monday May 26 2025

Happy Memorial Day!

All Public and Government Offices, County Boards and Area on Aging Offices Closed.

Tuesday May 27 2025

  • Breaking Silences Advocacy Meeting 3pm contact Maria.Matzik@acils.com for more information.
  • ASPE State Policy Coffee Talk, Tuesday, May 27 · 3–4 PM, Repeats every month on the last Tuesday Join ASPE on March 25 from 3:00-4:00pm for State Policy Coffee Talk! ☕
    They will be discussing the latest developments in state policy and their impact on our community. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and engage in meaningful conversations.
    See you there!
    Click this link to register
  • Taking the leap into adult healthcare is a big step for families and young adults with disabilities. Planning ahead is the key. Join Ohio F2F to learn how to make this move easier.
    Navigating the Move to Adult Healthcare Tuesday, May 27, 2025
    Time: 6:30-8pm
    Register here to receive the Zoom link
    Questions? Contact: Amy.Clawson@cchmc.org
  • Southwest Ohio Advocacy Group 6:00pm -8:00pm at Down Syndrome Society of Cincinnati

Wednesday May 28 2025

Thursday May 29 2025

  • Supported Decision Making of Ohio Meeting PR and Marketing Committee 12:00 -1:00pm contact amy.mordaunt@thearcofohio.org for more information to join

Friday May 30 2025

  • Disability Rights Ohio Weekly Budget Debriefs will be from 3 to 4 PM. Disability Rights Ohio will give weekly updates on the Ohio Budget for people with disabilities and families. If you’re interested in attending, email Brittanie Maddox at:
    bmaddox@disabilityrightsohio.org

Saturday May 31 2025

  • Cleveland Sight Center 2025 White Cane Walk, Saturday, May 31 · 10:00AM–1:00PM Event schedule
    May 31 10:00 AM EDT – Check-In Opens
    May 31 10:30 AM EDT – Program
    May 31 10:45 AM EDT – Walk Kick-Off
    May 31 1:00 PM EDT – Event Ends
    See all event details at https://raceroster.com/events/2025/100902/2025-white-cane-walk
  • Stepping Into Awareness, Saturday, May 31 · 1:00-7:00 pm 4633 Montgomery Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45212

Helpful Information by National, State and County Agencies and Organizations for People to Read

  • Planning an accessible outdoor adventure just got easier!
    The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has launched a new Accessible Trails Guide — your go-to resource for finding parks and outdoor spaces that meet your needs.
    In the guide, you’ll find:
    ✅ Trail safety tips
    ✅ Accessible trails, fishing, boating, and Storybook Trails
    ✅ Lodges, campgrounds, cabins, inclusive playgrounds, and more!
    Start exploring today: https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/outdoor/accessible-activities-facilities/accessible-trails
  • If you or a loved one is facing a mental health or addiction crisis, you’re not alone. Call, text, or chat 988 to connect with a trained specialist ready to listen and offer free, confidential support 24/7.
    988 is a direct connection to compassionate, accessible care and support for anyone experiencing mental health-related distress.
    Learn more and find easy-to-read resources: https://dodd.ohio.gov/about-us/our-programs/988+Resourcesk
  • Did you know the American Printing House for the Blind has partnered with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio to provide six free Print/Braille books a year to children with low vision or blindness until the child’s sixth birthday? The Braille Tales program is open to all U.S. residents and parents of children with low vision can learn more about the program at the following website. https://ow.ly/YBhA50VTZAY
  • In honor of #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, explore DODD’s Wellness Project, a collection of resources for EVERYONE, featuring tools for mindfulness, relaxation, and mental health support. Check out the information through this link put out by Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.


For more events check out our main website OhioAdvocacyHeartbeat.com

In the News Around Ohio

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Here are some news articles related to advocacy, disabilities and events in Ohio in the last 30 days.

Check out the Facebook group Disability News and Events Around Ohio for more news articles

The Pulse: What’s going on around Ohio May 19th to May 24th 2025!

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Upcoming things to sign up to get involved with or make your voice heard thru surveys and public comment!

  • Please Share Share Share !!!
    Join us in creating a documentary-style video series that showcases the everyday lives and diverse contributions of people with disabilities. This project aims to challenge misconceptions, highlight inclusion in action, and amplify authentic voices from the disability community.
    Our goal is to create compelling, authentic content that helps reshape public perceptions by emphasizing that people with disabilities are integral, contributing members of our communities in every aspect of life.
    We’re seeking self-advocates who are comfortable sharing their experiences on camera to help create this important educational resource. Calling All
    Disability Self-Advocates!
    Join our video project to help educate others and make a difference. We value real voices and different perspectives. This is a paid opportunity.
    Interested? Call or Text us today!
    419-901-0688
  • Become an Advocate! The YAC allows for you to grow your advocacy skills and gain first-hand experience in creating change. Strength in advocacy is in numbers; so come make a difference with us!
    Find out more! Contact April at 216.731.1529 or ashaw@sil-oh.org here is a link to learn more about the youth council
  • The 2025 National Health And Disability Survey is out now! this is for anyone who lives with a disability or chronic health condition. If you choose, you can enter for a chance to win one of 15 $100 gift cards! Drawings will be held weekly. You can also choose to be notified when the survey is availabble next year. Take this opportunity to stake your voice heard!
    You can access the survey by clicking this link to do the survey.
    If you any questions, please reach out:
       Phone:  1 (855) 556-6328
       Email:   healthsurvey@ku.edu
  • Are you the family member of a child or adult with a disability in the Cincinnati area? Would you like to take your advocacy skills to the next level?
    Consider applying to the LEND Program!
    The application deadline for the 2025-2026 academic year is June 20.
    For questions and application information, contact Sarah at lendtraining@cchmc.org
  • The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW) would like to invite you to participate in a short, 25 question survey about your involvement in your student’s education. Research suggests that parental involvement is a key predictor of positive educational outcomes. You may be eligible to participate if your child has an IEP and receives special education services. The purpose of collecting this information is to improve services for students with disabilities across Ohio. If you are eligible to participate and you enroll in the study, you will be entered in a drawing for a $50 gift card. Your chance of winning a gift card is approximately 2.0%. Please click on the link to find out more about the survey and if you are eligible.
  • ADA PARC: Help Us Measure The Impact of the ADA – 35 Years Later
    This July 26th marks the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. While progress has been made, the need to understand the ADA’s ongoing impact—and the barriers that still exist— is more urgent than ever.
    We invite you to take part in a brief, anonymous survey to help us assess how far we’ve come and how far we still need to go. The survey results will be used to inform and guide technical assistance and policy recommendations related to the ADA.
  • The National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities, in partnership with the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council, is conducting a Giving Voices to LGBTQ+ People with Disabilities Study
    This study aims to contribute to knowledge about people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and more (LGBTQ+) in Ohio by collecting information about their experiences in a survey, interviews, and focus groups. This study will investigate what helps and what gets in the way of LGBTQ+ people with IDD receiving services, including their experiences accessing services and treatment by service providers. Check out this link for the survey.

Events around Ohio to check out week of May 19th 2025 to May 24th 2025

Monday May 19th 2025

  • We Thrive Together will be hosting a workshop on environmental wellness from 11 AM. to 12:00 PM. To join, click the link below:
    Join Event
  • We Thrive Together will be hosting a workshop on criticism in relationships from 3:00-4:00PM. You can join by clicking the link below:
    Join Event
  • We Thrive Together will also host an advanced virtual event training from 6-7 PM. You can click the link below to join:
    Join Event
  • Want to learn more about the John Romer Advocacy Award? Join us for one of our virtual sessions: 1 p.m. Tuesday, May 13, or 11:30 a.m. Monday, May 19.
    Register at HamiltonDDSOhio.gov/award

Tuesday May 20th 2025

  • Statewide Behavior Support Workshop, Tuesday, May 20 · 10:30 AM–12:00 PM Licking County Board Of Developmental Disabilities
    116 N 22nd St, Newark, OH 43055
  • Breaking Silences Advocacy Meeting 3pm contact Maria.Matzik@acils.com for more information.

Wednesday May 21 2025

  • OSDA at We Thrive Together 11am https://wethrivetogether.org/upcoming-events
  • People First of Ohio 6:00pm-8:00pm People First is a self advocacy group for Adults with IDD (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) in NE Ohio. They care about having our voices heard, empowering one another, nothing about us without us, Education, Equality and Inclusion. They meet virtually. For more information contact amy.mordaunt@thearcofohio.org

Thursday May 22 2025

  • Supported Decision Making of Ohio Meeting PR and Marketing Committee 11:00-12:00 contact amy.mordaunt@thearcofohio.org for more information to join
  • Allen County Board of Developmental Disabilities is hosting the Caregiver Connection from 1:00-2:00pm in Lima, Ohio. Join us for Caregiver Connection this Thursday! Leann Unverferth from Area Agency on Aging will be at the session to discuss transportation concerns.

Friday May 23 2025

  • Disability Rights Ohio Weekly Budget Debriefs will be from 3 to 4 PM. Disability Rights Ohio will give weekly updates on the Ohio Budget for people with disabilities and families. If you’re interested in attending, email Brittanie Maddox at:
    bmaddox@disabilityrightsohio.org

Saturday May 24 2025

  • No Known Events

Helpful Information by National, State and County Agencies and Organizations for People to Read

  • Planning an accessible outdoor adventure just got easier!
    The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has launched a new Accessible Trails Guide — your go-to resource for finding parks and outdoor spaces that meet your needs.
    In the guide, you’ll find:
    ✅ Trail safety tips
    ✅ Accessible trails, fishing, boating, and Storybook Trails
    ✅ Lodges, campgrounds, cabins, inclusive playgrounds, and more!
    Start exploring today: https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/outdoor/accessible-activities-facilities/accessible-trails
  • If you or a loved one is facing a mental health or addiction crisis, you’re not alone. Call, text, or chat 988 to connect with a trained specialist ready to listen and offer free, confidential support 24/7.
    988 is a direct connection to compassionate, accessible care and support for anyone experiencing mental health-related distress.
    Learn more and find easy-to-read resources: https://dodd.ohio.gov/about-us/our-programs/988+Resourcesk
  • This was shared by Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities Kings Island ‘s accessibility guide has changed and we want to make sure you have all the details before visiting this summer! One of the major changes is the accessibility card! Individuals will now have to get prior approval from a third-party system that requires a doctor’s note. To make sure your prepared, please take a look at the Kings Island accessibility guide: http://www.visitkingsisland.com/accessibility
  • In honor of #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, explore DODD’s Wellness Project, a collection of resources for EVERYONE, featuring tools for mindfulness, relaxation, and mental health support. Check out the information through this link put out by Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.
  • Ohio Family to Family on Navigating the IEP process can be overwhelming—here is a roadmap to help you become informed.

This Week in Awareness


May:
• Mental Health Awareness Month
• National Arthritis Awareness Month
• Disability Insurance Awareness Month
• ALSOS. Awareness Month
• National Stroke Awareness Month
• National Military Service Appreciation Month
• Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month
• Jewish American Heritage Month
• Better Speech–Language-Hearing Month

• Lupus Awareness Month
• Pediatric Stroke Awareness Month
• Lyme Disease Awareness Month
• Mobility Awareness Month
• Older Americads Month
• Celiac Awareness Month
• Huntington’s Disease Awareness Month
• Ehler’s-Danlos Syndrome Awareness Month
• National Ostioperosis Awareness And Prevention Month
• Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Month
• Neurofabromotis Awareness Month
• Williams Syndrome Awareness Month

For more events check out our main website OhioAdvocacyHeartbeat.com

Leave a reply 
Thoughts On New Accessibility Features Coming To Apple by Dawn 
Thoughts On New Accessibility Features Coming To Apple


Anyone who knows me knows that three of my passions are advocacy, accessibility, and technology. Anyone who has sat with me at the various advocacy tables knows that accessibility is something that I fiercely advocate for. They also know how much I rely on my Apple devices, in my personal and professional life. In fact, my Iphone and Ipad are 2 of the devices I use to write my blogs. I use Apple products in my personal life too for things such as web browsing, and listening to and reading books for instance. With all of this in mind, I wanted to take some time to share my thoughts on a recent announcement that Apple shared about upcoming accessibility features on several of its prroducts.


To honor and observe Global Accessibility Awareness Day or GAAD. various tech companies, assistive tech companies, and other companies/businesses, agencies, disability and advocacy organizations, etc will do or announce different accessibility-related things, features, and so forth. Apple is no exception. In fact, Apple has made it a tradition over the last few years to make announcements about different upcoming accessibility-related features for its various products on Global Accessibility Awareness Day. This year was no different, with Apple giving us a sneak peek at some upcoming accessibiity features that will be released later this year. This year, Iphones and Ipads, Apple Watches, Macs, and the Apple Vision Pro, Apple's virtual reality headset, will all get some accessibility love. In turn, various segments of the disability population will get some accessibility love from Apple, including people that are visually impaired, deaf/hard-of-hearing individuals, individuals with mobility challenges, people with reading disabilities such as dyslexia, and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities will also get some accessibility love from Apple.
This announcement was jam-packed with features and enhancements, including accessibility nutrition labels, updates to Apple's Live Caption feature, enhancements for people with mobility challenges, several enhancements for people with visual impairments, and more! If you'd like to read the full article talking about these accessibibility features on AppleVis, you can click the link below:



https://applevis.com/blog/apple-previews-new-accessibility-features-coming-later-year-accessibility-nutrition-labels



First, here is a short list of some of the features and updates:


• For deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, sound regogonition will gain the ability to recigonize when your name is being called.
• Accessibility Reader, which will improve the legibility of text by allowing for customization of fonts and spacing, and colors, and integration with the Magnifier app.
• The ability to control your Iphone and Ipad with head movements.
• Personal Voice will sound more natural, and the creation process will be faster.
• Accessibility nutrition labels in the App Store, which are similar to the privacy nutrition labels introduced in 2020.


Now, I want to take a deeper dive into some of these features, and, give my thoughts on them as well.



Accessibility Reader


This feature is a reading mode that seeks to improve the legibility of text, and will allow for the customization of colors, spacing and fonts. This feature will be available system-wide, on IOS. and Ipad-OS. Mac-OS. and Vision-OS. and, as a bonus, it will integrate with the Magnifier app, which will allow you to read text in your physical environment. This feature will be useful to people with vision impairments, and people with reading disabilities such as dyslexia.

As a totally blind person, I don't think this feature will be useful to me. Also, if I didn't explain this one well, I do appologize, because I'm looking at this from a blindness perspective. With that being said, I can see this being useful for things such as reading an electronic document that's in an unreadable font, or, maybe even having an easier time reading a package. While this feature may not fit my spicific use case, I'm sure there will be plenty of other individuals who will benefit from this.




Magnifier's Power Will Be... Well... Magnified


The magnifier app for Mac will allow you to use either your phone's camera, or another camera hooked up to your Mac to zoom in on your surroundings. If you have to attend or be a panelist on a Zoom meeting for instance, you can have multiple sessions going on at once, using your Mac's camera for the meeting, and also having the ability to read your presentation, or look at your notes on your phone.

While this feature wouldn't have any benefits for me as a blind person, I think that low-vision individuals will be making use of it. They surely will be able to find many scenarios, situations, etc where this would be useful, more than I could.




A Bird's Eye View Through Apple's Eyes


Apple's virtual reality headset, and its operating system will be getting some new accessibility enhancements as well. However, the most notable one, and the one that sticks out to me at least, is the new "Trusted Apps" API. or automatic programming interface that apps such as Be My Eyes will be able to take advantage of, and offer visual person-to-person interpretation.

This type of technology is still in its infanccy, and, so far, has not been made accessible to people with disabilities, especially the blind and low-vision community. These devices and their capabilities have not been really considered of much if any use to the disabled community. However, Apple is pushing the envelope, by offering a real-world example of how this can be used. I could think of several scenarios where this would be helpful beyond words. For instance, let's say that you need to go shopping, and, you are craving cereal, more spicfically, Honey Combs. From here, you could use a service such as Be My Eyes, on your headset, and all you'd need to do is turn your head from left to right. Apple has opened a door that has until now, remained locked and closed. I hope that other companies will also walk through that door, and start exploring the possibble and potential benefits of these devices for the disabled community.




"Are you talking to me?" 

One enhancement that the dead/hard-of-hearing community will get, is that sound recofonition, which is a feature that was introduced a couple years ago, that identifies certain sounds such as the smoke alarm, will now be able to detect when someone's calling your name. This will definitely help in crowded or noisey spaces, where it can be hard to isolate sounds.





Your Phone Can Read Your Mind... Sort Of


Your phone will be able to track your head movements, and, you will be able to control your Ipad or Iphone with head movements. This will be great for those with mobility impairments. I think one task this will prove useful is checking your email.
Sometimes, managing your email inbox can seem like a full-time job. According to Venngage, the averafe person receives 121 emails per day, and the number continues to rise! If you're an advocate, or, if you have and/or manage multiple accounts, this number can be even higher! If you have mobility challenges, when you check your email, you could nod your head to open and read the ones you need or are interested in, and shake your head to delete the rest. I'm going to be very honest, the more I think about this particular use-case, the more I smile!




   



Braille Notetakers In A New Form


One other notable feature is the Braille Access mode, which seeks to emulate a BrailleNote. In this mode, you will be able to take notes, do calculations using the Nemith Braille Code, and, most notably, read documents in Braille Ready Format, or BRF.
For context, a BrailleNote is like a laptop, the chief difference is that it has braille on it instead of print.

I'm chomping at the bit to get my hands on this for two reasons. First, I got my first BrailleNote when I was 7 years old, and in second grade, and, I used them in my school and home lives. I browsed the web, sent and received emails, read books, and did homework, and so much more. Braille was and still is a crucial part of my life, and, it was an equally important part of my education. Sadly, my BrailleNose was taken away from me 2 weeks before my high school graduation, and, my quality of life suffered. To add to this, these devices are between 8-9 grand. This means that these procucts are unaffordable for people and families like me and mine. I think that if this mode was available at that time, things would have been a little better.
While I have a Brailliant BI. 40X now, sometimes I still miss my BrailleNote, especially for notetaking.
Another reason I can't wait to sink my teeth into this feature, is to see how it does with reading files in Braille Ready Format, or BRF. because, I had a recent experience that was not pleasant. A family member ordered me some braille ebooks in BRF. format, and, I was reading one very recently on my Brailliant. Unfortunately, the book cut off midway through, and in the midst of a sentence! Right now, the only way to read BRF. files on the Iphone or Ipad, is to use the bard. Mobile app from the National Library Service For The Blind And Print Disabled. The problem with that, is that the app does not backtranslate. That means that if you're reading a file that's in BRF. format, then, you have to switch your braille input and output tables to eight-dot braille. This can be problematic for a lot of reasons, the main one being that it changes how your braille display works, very drastically, including your ability to type.




Not All Apples Are Good For You Or Your Device


The last feature I'm going to cover here is the introduction for Accessibility Nutrition Labels for the App Store. In 2020, Apple introduced privacy nutrition labels to the App Store. These labels are submitted by the app developers, and gave information such as what data the developer and the app collect and why. The accessibility nutrition labels are similar to this.
These labels will be submitted by the app developer, and have information about what accessibility features are supported by and tested for their apps. These labels will be voluntary at first, to give developers ample time to evaluate their app's accessibility, and will become a requirement in the future.


For a long time, this is something that a lot of people have said is much-needed. I did and still do agree with them. However, there were challenges and different factors that always had to be considered, that made the logistics of this tricky. First, everybody's access needs are different. For instance, I need to be able to use an app with my screenreader, whereas someone else may need magnicfication software, or they need to use switch control to operate their devices, and use apps. So, if an app works with switch control, but, doesn't work with Voiceover, then, it's inaccessible.
Another tricky part of this, is that some developer's definitions of accessibility are very different, and contrast or conflict with what a user's definition of accessibility is. For instance, some companies and developers will make a mixture of large text, and dyslexic font and maybe some basic magnification, and sprinkle it over their app(s) and call it done. To me, that's just doing enough to make it look good, and definitely not what accessibility is!
There's also developers who either don't know about accessibility, or how to make their app accessible, or, they think that something's accessible when it isn't, and others who may want to make their apps accessible, but, have no idea where to start. For these types of situations, education, understanding, patience, grace, and advocacy, among other things can go a long way.
Of course, sadly, there are some developers who don't care, and have no entention of caring. In that case, all we can do is keep advocating, and do our best to find alternative solutions.

However, I think that this will be a good thing, because, it will get the conversation started, and, open the door for developers to learn about app accessibilility, and maybe even engage with and learn from their users. This will benefit everyone because, the developer will be open to new markets, that means more money in their pocket, more downloads, and people will be talking about and recommending their app. They will also be helping to build a more inclusive and accessible world for people with disabilities, and who knows, they could even become allies!

I think this will benefit users as well for several reasons. First, it will help us make more informed decisions about where and how we spend our money. For me, I've always used caution when purchasing apps, or subscriptions to services, both because of limited resources, and because getting a refund is not guaranteed, and hard to get. A lot of times, I have tried looking for demos and walkthroughs of apps. This way, I could make sure it was going to be accessible before pulling out my wallet. However, demos are not always available, or, if they are, they're done through a sighted users lens. The only other options that I and other users had, was to ask if an app was accessible on forums, email listservs, and Facebook groups. That was and still is a crap shoot, because, there's no guaransee that in those places have used or even heard of that app.
Another reason I think that this is a much-needed and welcome improvement, is that this could add to or compliment something similar to this. AppleVis, which is a site for blind and low-vision users of Apple products has an app directory section on their page. This directory contains apps for IOS. devices, Macs, Apple Watches, and Apple TV. and, each directory can be sorted/browsed through by app name, category, device, and latest entries. Each app has several sections dedicated to accessibility. There's a place to say how accessible the app is, say how clearly voiceover reads page elements, button labeling, and a space to leave accessibility comments. Every time I hear about a new app, or I'm thinking about downloading or purchasing an app, the first place I go to is AppleVis. I'll admit, that I try to visit AppleVis to see what new apps have been submitted to the IOS. app directory. To my knowledge, this is the only thing I've found that's similar to the accessibility nutrition labels. They will be a great help to me, and if an app isn't listed in the AppreVis directory, I'll still be able to have some sense of how accessibile an app is.



Final Thoughts

At the time of this writing, there's no information about availablility, and spicfic dates/timeframes on when feasures will be released, or which devices they will be available on. I hope that at least some of these features, especially the Braille Access Mode will be available on recent but older devices. I want to hear from all of you. What feature are you looking forward to the most? How do you think it will be useful to you? What is your favorite, or do you have more than one? What feature are you hoping Apple will implement at some point? Whas do you think of these features in general?
Which feature (or features) do you think are my favorite? Hint: one of them has to do with braille.

The Pulse: What’s going on around Ohio May 12th to May 17th 2025!

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Upcoming things to sign up to get involved with or make your voice heard thru surveys and public comment!

  • The 2025 National Health And Disability Survey is out now! this is for anyone who lives with a disability or chronic health condition. If you choose, you can enter for a chance to win one of 15 $100 gift cards! Drawings will be held weekly. You can also choose to be notified when the survey is availabble next year. Take this opportunity to stake your voice heard!
    You can access the survey by clicking this link to do the survey.
    If you any questions, please reach out:
       Phone:  1 (855) 556-6328
       Email:   healthsurvey@ku.edu
  • The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW) would like to invite you to participate in a short, 25 question survey about your involvement in your student’s education. Research suggests that parental involvement is a key predictor of positive educational outcomes. You may be eligible to participate if your child has an IEP and receives special education services. The purpose of collecting this information is to improve services for students with disabilities across Ohio. If you are eligible to participate and you enroll in the study, you will be entered in a drawing for a $50 gift card. Your chance of winning a gift card is approximately 2.0%. Please click on the link to find out more about the survey and if you are eligible.
  • Access Center for Independent Living (ACIL) is looking for people in Champaign, Clark, Preble, Miami or Montgomery Counties to fill out their Needs Assessment Survey to help them find needs of the people with disabilities in their community.
  • The Home and Community-Based Services Policy section at the Ohio Department of Medicaid is proposing to amend Ohio Administrative Code 5160-32-02 Electronic visit verification (EVV) data collection and 5160-32-03 Alternate electronic visit verification (EVV) vendor.
    These rules set forth data collection requirements for providers regarding electronic visit verification (EVV). The proposed change to these rules removes the term “agency” in describing the types of providers the rules apply to.
    View the proposed changes here. https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/medicaid.ohio.gov/Providers/EVV/5160-32_EVV_Proposed.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
    Submit your feedback to HCBSPolicy@medicaid.ohio.gov by May 12, 2025.
  • ADA PARC: Help Us Measure The Impact of the ADA – 35 Years Later
    This July 26th marks the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. While progress has been made, the need to understand the ADA’s ongoing impact—and the barriers that still exist— is more urgent than ever.
    We invite you to take part in a brief, anonymous survey to help us assess how far we’ve come and how far we still need to go. The survey results will be used to inform and guide technical assistance and policy recommendations related to the ADA.

Events around Ohio to check out week of May 5th 2025 to May 10th 2025

Monday May 12th 2025

  • Preparing for an Emergency:
    An Information Session for Individuals with Disabilities and their Caregivers, Monday, May 12 · 10 AM–12 PM Preparing for an Emergency:
    An Information Session for Individuals with Disabilities and their Caregivers
    Join us for this interactive session on how to best prepare for an emergency.
    Prepare for impacts of disasters
    Create an emergency plan with the assistance of a caregiver
    Create an emergency plan specific to an individual’s needs
    Understand the necessary steps for sheltering in place, community sheltering, and evacuation
    Monday, May 12, 2025 10am to 12noon
    Training Location: EasterSeals Redwood Ohio
    2901 Gilbert Avenue, Cincinnati, 45206
    To register: Jenise Brassell, Independent Living Specialist,
    E: Jenise@IndependenceAlliance.org P: 513-246-0319

Tuesday May 13 2025

  • Community Integration and Employment Updates, Tuesday, May 13 · 10 AM–12 PM at Pioneer Center in Chillicothe, Ohio.
  • BENEFITS FOR INDIVIDUALS: SS, SSI, JFS, PAYEE INFORMATION AND TIPS Event by Clearwater Council on Governments Tuesday May 13th 12:00pm-1:00pm Register though the link here.
  • MCBDD Resource Fair 10:00-2:00pm at 3575 Maple Ave
    Zanesville, OH 43701, USA
  • Breaking Silences Advocacy Meeting 3pm contact Maria.Matzik@acils.com for more information.

Wednesday May 14th 2025

  • OSDA at We Thrive Together 11am https://wethrivetogether.org/upcoming-events
  • Supported Decision Making Network of Ohio Meeting, Wednesday, May 14 · 12–1:30 PM, Repeats every month on the second Wednesday This is for anyone who is interested in knowing more about supported decision making. https://www.sdmno.org
  • Region 4 DD Community Talks Chillicothe, Ohio Join the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities at their regional Community Talk on May 14th at the Adena PACCAR Center. Click this link to register for the event.
  • Special Education Virtual Townhall 7:00pm-8:00pm DescriptionChaos, cuts, and disruption in D.C. are already harming Ohio kids. Special education programs are on the federal chopping block, and the Ohio House plans to shortchange special education in the state budget. Parents, educators, and advocates are ready to take action. Join Policy Matters Ohio for a virtual town hall to learn what you can do to stand up for special education in Ohio. Check out their event through this Facebook link.

Thursday May 15th 2025

  • Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council Meeting, Thursday, May 15 · 2–4 PM Embassy Suites by Hilton Columbus Airport
    2886 Airport Dr, Columbus, OH 43219, USA Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council for more information check out this website https://ohiosilc.diligent.community/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Org=Cal&Id=72
  • WCBDD & Envision Toileting 101, Thursday, May 15 · 6–7:30 PM Join us for a virtual Learning Event for Parents and caregivers via live Teams video presentation to get an in-depth look at the multiple components involved in toileting!
    May 15 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.
    Register here by May 9

Friday May 16th 2025

  • Disability Rights Ohio Weekly Budget Debriefs will be from 3 to 4 PM. Disability Rights Ohio will give weekly updates on the Ohio Budget for people with disabilities and families. If you’re interested in attending, email Brittanie Maddox at:
    bmaddox@disabilityrightsohio.org

Saturday May 17th 2025

  • Community Healthy Living Expo, Saturday, May 17 · 11 AM–3 PM Collinwood Recreation Center
    16300 Lakeshore Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44110, USA

Helpful Information by National, State and County Agencies and Organizations for People to Read

  • Planning an accessible outdoor adventure just got easier!
    The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has launched a new Accessible Trails Guide — your go-to resource for finding parks and outdoor spaces that meet your needs.
    In the guide, you’ll find:
    ✅ Trail safety tips
    ✅ Accessible trails, fishing, boating, and Storybook Trails
    ✅ Lodges, campgrounds, cabins, inclusive playgrounds, and more!
    Start exploring today: https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/outdoor/accessible-activities-facilities/accessible-trails
  • If you or a loved one is facing a mental health or addiction crisis, you’re not alone. Call, text, or chat 988 to connect with a trained specialist ready to listen and offer free, confidential support 24/7.
    988 is a direct connection to compassionate, accessible care and support for anyone experiencing mental health-related distress.
    Learn more and find easy-to-read resources: https://dodd.ohio.gov/about-us/our-programs/988+Resources
  • This was shared by Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities Kings Island ‘s accessibility guide has changed and we want to make sure you have all the details before visiting this summer! One of the major changes is the accessibility card! Individuals will now have to get prior approval from a third-party system that requires a doctor’s note. To make sure your prepared, please take a look at the Kings Island accessibility guide: http://www.visitkingsisland.com/accessibility
  • In honor of #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, explore DODD’s Wellness Project, a collection of resources for EVERYONE, featuring tools for mindfulness, relaxation, and mental health support. Check out the information through this link put out by Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.
  • Ohio Family to Family on Navigating the IEP process can be overwhelming—here is a roadmap to help you become informed.

This Week in Awareness


May:
• Mental Health Awareness Month
• National Arthritis Awareness Month
• Disability Insurance Awareness Month
• ALSOS. Awareness Month
• National Stroke Awareness Month
• National Military Service Appreciation Month
• Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month
• Jewish American Heritage Month
• Better Speech–Language-Hearing Month
• Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month
• Brain Tumor Awareness Month
• Cystic Fibrosis Awares Month
• Public Service Recognition Week
• Guide Dog Month
• Hepatitis Awareness Month
• Hepatitis Awareness Month
• Lupus Awareness Month
• Pediatric Stroke Awareness Month
• Lyme Disease Awareness Month
• Mobility Awareness Month
• Older Americads Month
• Celiac Awareness Month
• Huntington’s Disease Awareness Month
• Ehler’s-Danlos Syndrome Awareness Month
• High Blood Pressure Awareness And Education Month
• Inherited Retinal Disease Genetic Sesting Month
• Health Vision Awareness Month
• Myositis Awareness Month
• National Ostioperosis Awareness And Prevention Month
• Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Month
• Neurofabromotis Awareness Month
• Williams Syndrome Awareness Month

For more events check out our main website OhioAdvocacyHeartbeat.com

In the News Around Ohio

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Here are some news articles related to advocacy, disabilities and events in Ohio in the last 30 days.

The Pulse: What’s going on around Ohio May 5th to May 10th 2025!

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Upcoming things to sign up to get involved with or make your voice heard thru surveys and public comment!

  • The 2025 National Health And Disability Survey is out now! this is for anyone who lives with a disability or chronic health condition. If you choose, you can enter for a chance to win one of 15 $100 gift cards! Drawings will be held weekly. You can also choose to be notified when the survey is availabble next year. Take this opportunity to stake your voice heard!
    You can access the survey by clicking this link to do the survey.
    If you any questions, please reach out:
       Phone:  1 (855) 556-6328
       Email:   healthsurvey@ku.edu
  • The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW) would like to invite you to participate in a short, 25 question survey about your involvement in your student’s education. Research suggests that parental involvement is a key predictor of positive educational outcomes. You may be eligible to participate if your child has an IEP and receives special education services. The purpose of collecting this information is to improve services for students with disabilities across Ohio. If you are eligible to participate and you enroll in the study, you will be entered in a drawing for a $50 gift card. Your chance of winning a gift card is approximately 2.0%. Please click on the link to find out more about the survey and if you are eligible.
  • Access Center for Independent Living (ACIL) is looking for people in Champaign, Clark, Preble, Miami or Montgomery Counties to fill out their Needs Assessment Survey to help them find needs of the people with disabilities in their community.
  • The Home and Community-Based Services Policy section at the Ohio Department of Medicaid is proposing to amend Ohio Administrative Code 5160-32-02 Electronic visit verification (EVV) data collection and 5160-32-03 Alternate electronic visit verification (EVV) vendor.
    These rules set forth data collection requirements for providers regarding electronic visit verification (EVV). The proposed change to these rules removes the term “agency” in describing the types of providers the rules apply to.
    View the proposed changes here. https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/medicaid.ohio.gov/Providers/EVV/5160-32_EVV_Proposed.pdf?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery
    Submit your feedback to HCBSPolicy@medicaid.ohio.gov by May 12, 2025.

Events around Ohio to check out week of May 5th 2025 to May 10th 2025

Monday May 5th 2025

  • Join BCBDD Community Outreach Advocate, Courtney Hineman, and Family Engagement Coordinator for the Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services, Sean Bostic, for a University of Cincinnati Regional Autism Advisory Council 3-Part Training Series focused on supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the workplace on Monday, May 5 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m! Register now to see Courtney speak virtually on Monday:
    UC IDD Education Center
  • We Thrive Together Relationship: Trust/Lying Discussion 3:00-4:00pm check out this link to join
  • Adulting 101: Making Friends and Staying Connected Over The Summer 5:30pm-8:30pm Link to register
    Adulting 101 Workshops are a fun way for teens and young adults to learn about and practice various life skills that are important to being an adult. This month we will be learning about staying connect with friends and family who we don’t see everyday. This event will involve working on practice conversations, getting connected to the ACTeens GroupMe, Speed Friending, making signs of affirmation and more!
    For questions, contact Jordan Slutsky, Teen Services Coordinator, at jslutsky@abilitycenter.org

Tuesday May 6th 2025

National Nurses Day!

  • Breaking Silences Advocacy Meeting 3pm contact Maria.Matzik@acils.com for more information.

Wednesday May 7th 2025

  • OSDA at We Thrive Together 11am https://wethrivetogether.org/upcoming-events
  • Ohio Olmsted Taskforce 1-3pm The Ohio Olmstead Task Force (OOTF) is a statewide grassroots coalition of Ohioans with disabilities of all ages, family members, advocates and organizations advocating for the right to live, work and participate in their communities. Formed in 2002, OOTF supports the Supreme Court decision that held unnecessary institutionalization is discrimination against people with disabilities.
    For more information or how to access meetings email ohioolmstead@gmail.com

Thursday May 8th 2025

  • OACBDD Spring Conference Please check out this link for more information on The Ohio Association of County Boards of DD Conference https://www.oacbdd.org/main/save-the-date/
  • OSDA Creative Changemakers, Thursday, May 8 · 4:30–5:30 PM, Repeats every month on the second Thursday contact clareschloemer.osda@gmail.com for more information on how to join.
  • Ohio Family to Family Information Session: Transition out of Early Intervention:
    What Families Need to Know, Thursday, May 8 · 7–8:30 PM To Register click this link

Friday May 9th 2025

  • OACBDD Spring Conference Please check out this link for more information on The Ohio Association of County Boards of DD Conference https://www.oacbdd.org/main/save-the-date/
  • Disability Rights Ohio Weekly Budget Debriefs will be from 3 to 4 PM. Disability Rights Ohio will give weekly updates on the Ohio Budget for people with disabilities and families. If you’re interested in attending, email Brittanie Maddox at:
    bmaddox@disabilityrightsohio.org

Saturday May 10th 2025

  • Ross County Sibs 10:00am – 1:00pm Register your child for our May Sibshop gathering on Saturday, May 10th at The Landrum Youth Empowerment Center. Contact krsmith@rossdd.org
  • Holmes County Developmental Disabilities Annual Spring Festival and Auction read more about it here

Helpful Information by National, State and County Agencies and Organizations for People to Read

  • Planning an accessible outdoor adventure just got easier!
    The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has launched a new Accessible Trails Guide — your go-to resource for finding parks and outdoor spaces that meet your needs.
    In the guide, you’ll find:
    ✅ Trail safety tips
    ✅ Accessible trails, fishing, boating, and Storybook Trails
    ✅ Lodges, campgrounds, cabins, inclusive playgrounds, and more!
    Start exploring today: https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/outdoor/accessible-activities-facilities/accessible-trails
  • If you or a loved one is facing a mental health or addiction crisis, you’re not alone. Call, text, or chat 988 to connect with a trained specialist ready to listen and offer free, confidential support 24/7.
    988 is a direct connection to compassionate, accessible care and support for anyone experiencing mental health-related distress.
    Learn more and find easy-to-read resources: https://dodd.ohio.gov/about-us/our-programs/988+Resources
  • This was shared by Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities Kings Island ‘s accessibility guide has changed and we want to make sure you have all the details before visiting this summer! One of the major changes is the accessibility card! Individuals will now have to get prior approval from a third-party system that requires a doctor’s note. To make sure your prepared, please take a look at the Kings Island accessibility guide: http://www.visitkingsisland.com/accessibility
  • In honor of #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, explore DODD’s Wellness Project, a collection of resources for EVERYONE, featuring tools for mindfulness, relaxation, and mental health support. Check out the information through this link put out by Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.
  • Ohio Family to Family on Navigating the IEP process can be overwhelming—here is a roadmap to help you become informed.
  • The Long-Term Care Ombudsman program (LTCOP) advocates for individuals residing in nursing facilities and residential care communities, such as assisted living facilities and board and care homes. They resolve problems that impact residents’ rights, quality of life, and quality of care, and work to improve policies at the local, state, and national levels. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman program is the only federal program mandated to advocate with, and for residents of long-term care facilities. Learn more in our new fact sheet:https://theconsumervoice.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ombudsman-Fact-Sheet.pdf
  • Qualifying older adults can now apply for the 2025 edition of the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program!
    Learn more: https://aging.ohio.gov/sfmnp2025
    Sign up: https://portal.homegrownbenefits.com/apply/ohio

This Week in Awareness


May:
• Mental Health Awareness Month
• National Arthritis Awareness Month
• Disability Insurance Awareness Month
• ALSOS. Awareness Month
• National Stroke Awareness Month
• National Military Service Appreciation Month
• Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month
• Jewish American Heritage Month
• Better Speech–Language-Hearing Month
• Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month
• Brain Tumor Awareness Month
• Cystic Fibrosis Awares Month
• Public Service Recognition Week
• Guide Dog Month
• Hepatitis Awareness Month
• Hepatitis Awareness Month
• Lupus Awareness Month
• Pediatric Stroke Awareness Month
• Lyme Disease Awareness Month
• Mobility Awareness Month
• Older Americads Month
• Celiac Awareness Month
• Huntington’s Disease Awareness Month
• Ehler’s-Danlos Syndrome Awareness Month
• High Blood Pressure Awareness And Education Month
• Inherited Retinal Disease Genetic Sesting Month
• Health Vision Awareness Month
• Myositis Awareness Month
• National Ostioperosis Awareness And Prevention Month
• Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Month
• Neurofabromotis Awareness Month
• Williams Syndrome Awareness Month

For more events check out our main website OhioAdvocacyHeartbeat.com

Building a Supported Decision Making Team by Alicia

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Supported Decision Making has become a big topic in Ohio recently. Some people are curious about it and are asking what is it and how can it help people with disabilities? Some people have seen that it is an alternative to guardianship and have also wondered how it can help someone.

Supported Decision Making is something that empowers people with disabilities to make their own decisions and choices in life with the support of others. It is a way for people with disabilities to make informed decisions while understanding the pros and cons of a decision or different perspectives. It allows a person to make the best choice possible. This allows for person centered planning and involvement in directing a persons own care.

Here are a few resources to help you understand What Supported Decision Making is and isn’t.

Supported Decision Making has been super important to be able to self direction my care. I have a Supported Decision Making Team. Anyone can have people help them make decisions. I am sure that a lot of people are already using this tool without knowing it.

Sometimes people will poll their friends or consult family or others to help them decide common every day matters like what kind of car they should buy or even maybe a family dinner that is being planned.

Ultimately the person buying car decides the final final product. This is the same for people who use supported decision making ultimately they decide the choices for their life.

In April of 2024, I started my Supported Decision Making Team. When it came to choosing my team , I wanted to have a variety of people. It was important for me to build a team verses have one single person because of high complexity of my disabilities and needs. It is important to know you can chose just one person. It doesn’t need to be a team of people like I chose to do.

Some things that I took into consideration was my needs and the background of friends and others I knew in my community. My Supportive Decision Making team is diverse. It is important to know that people who support you do not have to live in the same community or even the same state as you do.

My Supportive Decision Making team meets on Zoom. I have people on my team who live in other parts of Ohio and also someone who lives in another state.

When I chose my team I thought about needing a person that was disabled, a person understood my home care services, someone was an ally but understood complex medical needs and rare diseases and someone who had nursing background. It was important for me to chose people who were my friends for a long time and people who have known me a short time.

At first the people I approached didn’t feel qualified for such an under taking what they didn’t know was they had all the qualifications I needed. The most important thing to me was finding people who would listen and then share their wisdom but ultimately let me decide.

I am a complex person and I am not afraid to admit it. I got a lot of rare diseases and also some more difficult things that I need support on than others.

Sometimes people see me as a strong advocate and they often miss my more intense needs for support. Building my team was about finding people who saw me and supported me through my challenges and who saw my abilities.

I formed a team of five women and we have had a long year. My team has helped me in a number of ways. They have supported me to make many decisions including day to day decisions. It is important to know that supportive decision making isn’t just for the harder decisions that need more thinking it also for the every day decisions.

I want to share some ways that my SDM team have helped me on some big decisions. Then I also like to share how my SDM team operates on every day decisions .

I have consulted my SDM team about helping me make decisions to coordinate a move to a new apartment with choosing a moving service to also decisions around coordinating movers.

My SDM team also has helped me with decisions around making food choices and selecting recipes to make with my direct support staff on a weekly basis. People often have this assumption that if you are in the advocacy space you don’t need support or someone is super high functioning that isn’t always accurate that’s why people shouldn’t judge a book by its cover or a persons abilities or needs by what’s spaces and places they are connected to. Everyone has needs and also needs support. To learn more about my story watch this video to understand a more detailed part of my story.

Supported Decision Making has been life changing. It saved me from guardianship and had helped me take back my life and to make informed decisions on my everyday needs. I have learned problem solving skills, how to work thru conflict and how to ask questions and direct my care.

There are people who have used it along side of guardianship to give people with disabilities choices and help them to make the best choice with support.

I have also seen people who considered guardianship decide to read up and look at supported decision making and decide it was a better option and chose to let the person drive own care with guidance and support. I think that it is important to read about supported decisions making and learn what your options are to help people live their best lives.

I believe that people with disabilities are capable of making choices when given the right supports to do so. Everyone has their own journey and this is a simple tool than can be help many people because it helps with person centered planning and helps people direct their care and make decisions with support that help them live their best lives..

The Pulse: What’s going on around Ohio April 27th to May 2nd 2025!

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Upcoming things to sign up to get involved with or make your voice heard thru surveys and public comment!

  • Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness(PAIMI) Program
    Public Forum On May 6th, 2025, representatives from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) will visit Disability Rights Ohio, the Protection & Advocacy System for the State of Ohio.
    SAMHSA/CMHS invites you to send comments about the
    PAIMI Program services and activities conducted by the Disability Rights Ohio.
    Please send your comments to SAMHSA/CMHS by email to PAIMI@samhsa.hhs.gov or mail to the PAIMI Program Coordinator, SAMHSA/CMHS, 5600 Fishers Lane, Suite 14E25D,
    Rockville, Maryland 20857
  • The 2025 National Health And Disability Survey is out now! this is for anyone who lives with a disability or chronic health condition. If you choose, you can enter for a chance to win one of 15 $100 gift cards! Drawings will be held weekly. You can also choose to be notified when the survey is availabble next year. Take this opportunity to stake your voice heard!
    You can access the survey by clicking this link to do the survey.
    If you any questions, please reach out:
       Phone:  1 (855) 556-6328
       Email:   healthsurvey@ku.edu

Events around Ohio to check out week of April 27th 2025 to May 3rd 2025

Monday April 28th

  • We Thrive Together is hosting a workshop on social wellness from 11 AM. to noon. If you wish to attend, you can click the link for this event.

Tuesday April 29th 2025

  • We Thrive Together will be hosting a tech talk about LinkedIn from 11 AM. to noon. You can click the link below to join:
    Join Event
  • APSE. is hosting a State Policy Coffee Talk from 3-4 PM.

    Join ASPE on April 29 from 3:00-4:00pm for State Policy Coffee Talk! ☕

    They will be discussing the latest developments in state policy and their impact on our community. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and engage in meaningful conversations.

    See you there!Register through link

    #StatePolicy #CoffeeChat #CommunityEngagement #PolicyDiscussion
  • Breaking Silences Advocacy Meeting 3pm contact Maria.Matzik@acils.com for more information.

Wednesday April 30th

  • OSDA at We Thrive Together 11am https://wethrivetogether.org/upcoming-events
  • There will be a a MyCare And Self-Direction SubCommittee Breaking Silences Advocacy Committee meeting from 3-4 PM. on Zoom. If you’d like more information on Breaking Silences, you can contact Maria Matzik at: Maria.Matzik@acils.com

Thursday May 1

  • The United States Access Board will have a general meeting from 1:30 PM. to 3 PM. This meeting will be open to the public, and you can attend on ZoomGov, dial in, in-person, or listen to the livestream. To learn more, you can click the link below:

    U.S. Access Board Meeting on April 30

    If you need more information, or, you have additional questions, you can contact Rose Marie Bunales at:

    events@access-board.gov

Friday May 2nd 2025

  • We Thrive Together is hosting a tech talk about selling items online using Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and eBay from 11 AM. to noon. You can join by clicking this link:
    Join Event
  • Disability Rights Ohio Weekly Budget Debriefs will be from 3 to 4 PM. Disability Rights Ohio will give weekly updates on the Ohio Budget for people with disabilities and families. If you’re interested in attending, email Brittanie Maddox at:
    bmaddox@disabilityrightsohio.org

Saturday May 3rd 2025

No known events

Helpful Information by National, State and County Agencies and Organizations for People to Read

  • Artists with Disabilities Access Program: The Artists with Disabilities Access Program (ADAP) provides funding that gives individual artists with disabilities the resources they need to further their artistic development. Creative expression by artists of all abilities is essential to building dynamic and diverse communities throughout Ohio. ADAP awards help artists with disabilities advance their artistic practices, making Ohio a more accessible and inclusive place to build an artistic career. 
    Application Deadline: May 1, 2025
  • This was shared by Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities Kings Island ‘s accessibility guide has changed and we want to make sure you have all the details before visiting this summer! One of the major changes is the accessibility card! Individuals will now have to get prior approval from a third-party system that requires a doctor’s note. To make sure your prepared, please take a look at the Kings Island accessibility guide: http://www.visitkingsisland.com/accessibility

This Week in Awareness


May:
• Mental Health Awareness Month
• National Arthritis Awareness Month
• Disability Insurance Awareness Month
• ALSOS. Awareness Month
• National Stroke Awareness Month
• Syringomyelia Awareness Month
• Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month
• Better Sleep Month
• Better Speech–Language-Hearing Month
• Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month
• Brain Tumor Awareness Month
• Cystic Fibrosis Awares Month
• Foot Health Month
• Guide Dog Month
• Hepatitis Awareness Month
• Hepatitis Awareness Month
• Lupus Awareness Month
• Huntington’s Disease Awareness Month
• Lyme Disease Awareness Month
• Mobility Awareness Month
• Older Americads Month
• Celiac Awareness Month
• Huntington’s Disease Awareness Month
• Ehler’s-Danlos Syndrome Awareness Month
• High Blood Pressure Awareness And Education Month
• Inherited Retinal Disease Genetic Sesting Month
• Health Vision Awareness Month
• Myositis Awareness Month
• National Ostioperosis Awareness And Prevention Month
• Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Month
• Neurofabromotis Awareness Month
• Williams Syndrome Awareness Month 




 

For more events check out our main website OhioAdvocacyHeartbeat.com

The Pulse: What’s going on around Ohio April 14th to April 19th 2025!

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Upcoming things to sign up to get involved with or make your voice heard thru surveys and public comment!

  • Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness(PAIMI) Program
    Public Forum On May 6th, 2025, representatives from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) will visit Disability Rights Ohio, the Protection & Advocacy System for the State of Ohio.
    SAMHSA/CMHS invites you to send comments about the
    PAIMI Program services and activities conducted by the Disability Rights Ohio.
    Please send your comments to SAMHSA/CMHS by email to PAIMI@samhsa.hhs.gov or mail to the PAIMI Program Coordinator, SAMHSA/CMHS, 5600 Fishers Lane, Suite 14E25D,
    Rockville, Maryland 20857
  • April is National Poetry Month, and, we’re looking for Ohio advocates to submit poems about advocacy that are 100 words or less! If you wish to submit a poem, send it to:
    ohioadvocacyheartbeat@gmail.com
  • The 2025 National Health And Disability Survey is out now! this is for anyone who lives with a disability or chronic health condition. If you choose, you can enter for a chance to win one of 15 $100 gift cards! Drawings will be held weekly. You can also choose to be notified when the survey is availabble next year. Take this opportunity to stake your voice heard!
    You can access the survey by clicking this link to do the survey.
    If you any questions, please reach out:
       Phone:  1 (855) 556-6328
       Email:   healthsurvey@ku.edu

Events around Ohio to check out week of April 6th 2025 to April 12th 2025

Monday April 14th

  • We Thrive Together: Spiritual Wellness class 11:00am-12:00pm click this link to join.
  • We Thrive Together: Healthy Relationship Qualities Class 3:00-4:00pm click this link to join.

Tuesday April 15th 2025

Happy Tax Day!

  • Breaking Silences Advocacy Meeting 3pm contact Maria.Matzik@acils.com for more information.

Wednesday April 16th

  • OSDA at We Thrive Together 11am https://wethrivetogether.org/upcoming-events
  • The Pacific ADA Center is having a webinar on ‘Your Rights as a Person with a Disability Under the ADA in Health Care Register here at this link.
  • People First of Northeast Ohio, Wednesday, Apr 16 · 6:30–8 PM, Repeats every month on the third Wednesday People First is a self advocacy group for Adults with IDD (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) in NE Ohio. They care about having our voices heard, empowering one another, nothing about us without us, Education, Equality and Inclusion. They meet virtually. For more information contact amy.mordaunt@thearcofohio.org

Thursday April 17th

  • OOD: Service Animals Webinar In this webinar, we will discuss what a service animal is and how they are utilized in the workplace community. Best practices will be shared for interacting with service animals and their handlers in inclusive ways.
    Register through this link
  • Workshop: Accessible Electronic Communication in Healthcare, Thursday, Apr 17 · 2:30–3:30 PM ADA National Network is hosting a free webinar on ‘Accessible Electronic Communication in Healthcare Settings’ on April 17, 2025 at 2:30 p.m. EST. Register here:
  • Your Students Rights and Services at Risk: Changing the Landscape 1:00pm-2:00pm Join Matt Cohen on Zoom, Thursday, April 17th at 12:00 p.m. Central Time, as he discusses changes in US Department of Education Federal funding, laws, and enforcement that have already happened or are being considered, the impact, and what can be done about it at the national level for your child.
    Register through Zoom link.

Friday April 19th 2025

  • Disability Rights Ohio Weekly Budget Debriefs will be from 3 to 4 PM. Disability Rights Ohio will give weekly updates on the Ohio Budget for people with disabilities and families. If you’re interested in attending, email Brittanie Maddox at:
    bmaddox@disabilityrightsohio.org

Saturday April 19th 2025

  • Ohio Deaf Association Board Meeting, Saturday, Apr 19 · 10:00 AM–2:00PM Ohio Deaf Association Board Meeting
    10am-2pm https://www.facebook.com/share/1EmBWAomgx/?mibextid=wwXIfr
  • Adapted CrossFit in Cincinnati
  • Ohio Miss Amazing Pageant, Saturday, Apr 19 · 4:00-5:00pm at Barberton High School Barberton, Ohio $10 at the door.

Helpful Information by National, State and County Agencies and Organizations for People to Read

  • Artists with Disabilities Access Program: The Artists with Disabilities Access Program (ADAP) provides funding that gives individual artists with disabilities the resources they need to further their artistic development. Creative expression by artists of all abilities is essential to building dynamic and diverse communities throughout Ohio. ADAP awards help artists with disabilities advance their artistic practices, making Ohio a more accessible and inclusive place to build an artistic career. 
    Application Deadline: May 1, 2025
  • This was shared by Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities Kings Island ‘s accessibility guide has changed and we want to make sure you have all the details before visiting this summer! One of the major changes is the accessibility card! Individuals will now have to get prior approval from a third-party system that requires a doctor’s note. To make sure your prepared, please take a look at the Kings Island accessibility guide: http://www.visitkingsisland.com/accessibility

This Week in Awareness

  • Stress Awareness Month
  • Autism Awareness Month
  • National Poetry Month
  • National Minority Health Month
  • Sjogrens Awareness Month

For more events check out our main website OhioAdvocacyHeartbeat.com

The Pulse: What’s going on around Ohio April 6th to April 12th 2025!

Leave a reply

Upcoming things to sign up to get involved with or make your voice heard thru surveys and public comment!

  • Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness(PAIMI) Program
    Public Forum On May 6th, 2025, representatives from the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) will visit Disability Rights Ohio, the Protection & Advocacy System for the State of Ohio.
    SAMHSA/CMHS invites you to send comments about the
    PAIMI Program services and activities conducted by the Disability Rights Ohio.
    Please send your comments to SAMHSA/CMHS by email to PAIMI@samhsa.hhs.gov or mail to the PAIMI Program Coordinator, SAMHSA/CMHS, 5600 Fishers Lane, Suite 14E25D,
    Rockville, Maryland 20857
  • April is National Poetry Month, and, we’re looking for Ohio advocates to submit poems about advocacy that are 100 words or less! If you wish to submit a poem, send it to:
    ohioadvocacyheartbeat@gmail.com
  • The 2025 National Health And Disability Survey is out now! this is for anyone who lives with a disability or chronic health condition. If you choose, you can enter for a chance to win one of 15 $100 gift cards! Drawings will be held weekly. You can also choose to be notified when the survey is availabble next year. Take this opportunity to stake your voice heard!
    You can access the survey by clicking this link to do the survey.
    If you any questions, please reach out:
       Phone:  1 (855) 556-6328
       Email:   healthsurvey@ku.edu

Events around Ohio to check out week of April 6th 2025 to April 12th 2025

Monday April 7th

World Health Day!

  • We Thrive Together: Emotional Wellness Workshop from 11:00am-12:00pm check out this link to join.
  • We Thrive Together: Relationships Empathy Chat 3:00-4:00pm check out this link to join.
  • Adulting 101: Discussion on Social Security Benefits with Lucas County Board of DD (ages 13 and up – parents also welcome!), Monday, 5:30–8:30 PM at The Ability Center of Greater Toledo 5605 Monroe St, Sylvania, OH 43560, USA
  • There will be a meeting with the Breaking Silences Accommodations committee on April 7, 2025 from 3-5 PM. If you’d like to attend, please email Maria Matzik at:
    Maria.Matzik@acils.com

Tuesday April 8th 2025

  • The Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP), the state of Ohio’s official Medicare resource, is hosting a free “Welcome to Medicare” virtual educational event on April 8 from 11 a.m. to noon. The event is for Ohioans new to Medicare or those who need a Medicare refresher. Register today: https://bit.ly/4i1EWnR
  • The Disability Employment Tchnical Assistance Center will be hosting a webinar STABLE accounts on April 8, 2025 from 3 to 4:30 PM. The National Able Resource Center will give an overview of STABLE accounts, which allow people with disability to save and invest money without it affecting their benefits. The webinar will cover ellegibility requirements, contribution limits, and how funds can be used. The webinar will then talk about how Kansas increased adoption of STABLE accounts for people with disabilities, serving as a model for other states, and, an individual will talk about how she uses her STABLE. account to live independently in the community.
    Registration is required, and, attendees can list accommodation needs on the registation form. ASL. interpretation, Live Captioning, and Spanish Machine Translation will be available. To register, click this link:
    Webinar Registration – Zoom
  • Breaking Silences Advocacy Committee will have a meeting from 3:30 to 4:30 PM. Zoom. If you would like to attend, email Maria Matzik at: Maria.Matzik@acils.com
  • We Thrive Together: Life Skills Class on Washing Clothes to join click this link it is from 4:00-5:00pm.
  • Community Town Hall: Mental Health and Substance Use Services, Tuesday, Apr 8 · 5–6:30 PM at Huron County Community Library
    33 Pleasant St, Wakeman, OH 44889, USA
  • Breaking Barriers:
    Communication in the Criminal Justice System for Individuals with Disabilities
    Tuesday, April 8, 6-7:30 p.m.
    Madeira Library in Cincinnati
    Join us for an interactive workshop where we will explore:
    How communication impacts individuals with disabilities
    Strategies for improving communication when interacting with the criminal justice system
    Practical solutions to enhance accessibility and reduce barriers
    Presented by University of Cincinnati and The Arc.
    For Adults.

Wednesday April 9th 2025

  • OSDA at We Thrive Together 11am https://wethrivetogether.org/upcoming-events
  • Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Webinar Series Future Planning, Wednesday, Apr 2 · 11:30 AM–12:30 PM Speaker: Derek Graham please register this this link
  • Supported Decision Making Network of Ohio has a 12:00-1:30pm monthly meeting. Check out there website for more information.

Thursday April 10th

  • OSDA Creative Changemakers, Thursday, Apr 10 · 4:30–5:30 PM, Repeats every month on the second Thursday contact clareschloemer.osda@gmail.com for more information on how to join.

Friday April 11th 2025

  • Disability Rights Ohio Weekly Budget Debriefs will be from 3 to 4 PM. Disability Rights Ohio will give weekly updates on the Ohio Budget for people with disabilities and families. If you’re interested in attending, email Brittanie Maddox at:
    bmaddox@disabilityrightsohio.org

Saturday April 12th 2025

  • No Known Events

Helpful Information by National, State and County Agencies and Organizations for People to Read

  • Artists with Disabilities Access Program: The Artists with Disabilities Access Program (ADAP) provides funding that gives individual artists with disabilities the resources they need to further their artistic development. Creative expression by artists of all abilities is essential to building dynamic and diverse communities throughout Ohio. ADAP awards help artists with disabilities advance their artistic practices, making Ohio a more accessible and inclusive place to build an artistic career. 
    Application Deadline: May 1, 2025
  • This was shared by Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities Kings Island ‘s accessibility guide has changed and we want to make sure you have all the details before visiting this summer! One of the major changes is the accessibility card! Individuals will now have to get prior approval from a third-party system that requires a doctor’s note. To make sure your prepared, please take a look at the Kings Island accessibility guide: http://www.visitkingsisland.com/accessibility

This Week in Awareness

  • April 8th, Cushing Disease Awareness Day
  • Stress Awareness Month
  • Autism Awareness Month
  • National Poetry Month
  • National Minority Health Month
  • World Autism Awareness Day
  • Sjogrens Awareness Month

For more events check out our main website OhioAdvocacyHeartbeat.com

The Real Truth about Social Security and the Closures and Phone Systems.

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The importance of fact checking in today’s times is very critical so people don’t spread misinformation and create panic.. I myself have been on person to read something and share without checking. I want to set the record straight on a few things that are important.

It is really important to look through the .GOV sites to check out things people share with you. I understand there are a number of challenges with The Social Security Administration and I have experienced them. I also have duty to find up to date information and share what is most accurate.

For example some people have been sharing about Social Security closing some offices in different states. The Social Security Administration put out a memorandum about this to set the facts straight. For anyone wants information about day to day closings be state they also have some really great information on this as well.

Also been rumors that Social Security cut phone lines for people to verify information and to access services. While the SSA has made some changes they haven’t eliminated phone service. Here’s the scoop. The Social Security Administration actually has said they will no longer let people verify information around direct deposit over the phone. This is to prevent fraud. They also have added security for online accounts by adding two factor identification.

In a blog from March 26th, 2025 the SSA writes this

“If someone needs to change their bank account information on SSA’s record, they will need to either:

  • Use two-factor authentication with SSA’s “my Social Security” service; or
  • Visit a local Social Security office to prove their identity.

These methods align with most major banks.

All other SSA telephone services remain unchanged.”

You can read the blog yourself through this link .

The Pulse: What’s going on around Ohio March 31st to April 5th 2025!

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Upcoming things to sign up to get involved with or make your voice heard thru surveys and public comment!

  • We Thrive Together a virtual social club is offering a coloring contest here is the link to learn more.
  • Northeast Ohio Medical University is looking for people with disabilities to participate research study on gynecology services and how to improve them. If interested please click link here.

Events around Ohio to check out week of March 17th 2025 to March 22nd 2025

Monday March 31st 2025

  • Autism Society of Greater Akron Information &
    Education and Medicaid Policy Changes Listening Session, Monday, Mar 31 · 6:30–8 PM to Register for event click on this link .

Tuesday April 1st 2025

  • Policy With Coffee | Driven by Change: Transportation & Community Impact, Tuesday, Apr 1 · 8:30–9:30 AM in Cincinnati, Ohio.
  • Salt Talks: Stable Accounts Vs Special Needs Trusts, Tuesday, Apr 1 · 6:00- 7:30 PM check out facebook event page

Wednesday April 2nd 2025

World Autism Awareness Day!

  • Eastern Cuyahoga County Resource Fair, Wednesday, Apr 2 in Highland Hills, Ohio check out this link for more information.
  • OSDA at We Thrive Together 11am https://wethrivetogether.org/upcoming-events
  • Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Webinar Series Future Planning, Wednesday, Apr 2 · 11:30 AM–12:30 PM Speaker: Derek Graham please register this this link
  • Ohio Olmsted Taskforce Meeting 1pm contact Ohioolmstead@gmail.com for more information and for zoom lin

Thursday April 3rd 2025

  • Inclusive Storytelling, Thursday, Apr 3 · 10:00-11:00 AM at Kings Road Branch of Toledo Public Library

Friday April 4 2025

  • No Known Events

Saturday April 5th 2025

  • Special Needs Community Resource Fair, Saturday, Apr 5 · 10:00 AM–2:00 PM at 6900 Market Ave N
    Canton, OH 44721, USA

Helpful Information by National, State and County Agencies and Organizations for People to Read

  • Artists with Disabilities Access Program: The Artists with Disabilities Access Program (ADAP) provides funding that gives individual artists with disabilities the resources they need to further their artistic development. Creative expression by artists of all abilities is essential to building dynamic and diverse communities throughout Ohio. ADAP awards help artists with disabilities advance their artistic practices, making Ohio a more accessible and inclusive place to build an artistic career. 
    Application Deadline: May 1, 2025
  • This was shared by Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities Kings Island ‘s accessibility guide has changed and we want to make sure you have all the details before visiting this summer! One of the major changes is the accessibility card! Individuals will now have to get prior approval from a third-party system that requires a doctor’s note. To make sure your prepared, please take a look at the Kings Island accessibility guide: http://www.visitkingsisland.com/accessibility

This Week in Awareness

  • Autism Awareness Month
  • National Poetry Month
  • National Minority Health Month
  • World Autism Awareness Day
  • Sjogrens Awareness Month

For more events check out our main website OhioAdvocacyHeartbeat.com

Saturday Advocacy Wins to Share!

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Each week we want to highlight advocacy wins of the week on our page that we see happening around Ohio. An advocacy win is something good that happens in the world of advocacy or self advocacy. If you want to share something that happened in the world of advocacy in Ohio please email us we will include it in our weekly wins in Advocacy Post next week.

  • Several advocacy groups in Ohio advocated to change the rules around paid family caregivers for minors. They got a victory which allows parents/family members to only have to search for a new provider once every year instead every four months.
  • Ohio Advocate Dawn shared a success about being able to get accommodations for a friend who was trying to get services through Opportunities for Ohioans with disabilities.
  • A women in Huron County, Ohio shared about advocating for genetic testing and getting insurance to cover it.

The Pulse: What’s going on around Ohio March 24th to 29th 2025!

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Upcoming things to sign up to get involved with or make your voice heard thru surveys and public comment!

  • Please take 5-10 minutes to fill out the Regional Transportation Public Input Survey. Your feedback and input is valuable and important. This survey will help identify the transportation needs and barriers you face every day within your county and across county lines. Access to jobs, medical care and every day essentials continues to be a struggle for many people across Ohio. Your feedback will help address how we work toward filling those gaps and unmet needs.
    RCRPC is charged with developing a Regional Coordinated Transportation Plan for Region 5, an 8 county region that includes; Ashland, Crawford, Huron, Knox, Marion, Morrow, Richland and Seneca county. The Regional Coordinated Plan will focus on increasing transportation efficiency, coordination and collaboration from county to county. If you live, work or travel in/to/from any of these counties, use public transportation or work with individuals who use public transportation, we want your feedback!
    To access this survey, please click the link below. The survey will remain open until April 1. Please share!
    https://forms.gle/gFYZRZ5Cpx8KD6ct8
  • Sign up to be part of Worlds Longest Virtual Aktion Club through We Thrive Together https://wethrivetogether.org/aktion-club/?gf_protect_submission
  • We Thrive Together a virtual social club is offering a coloring contest here is the link to learn more.
  • Northeast Ohio Medical University is looking for people with disabilities to participate research study on gynecology services and how to improve them. If interested please click link here.
  • Ohio Department of Transportation ATTN: We are now accepting public comments on the draft 2026-2029 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The Draft STIP is available for review and comment online from March 11 to April 11. Help improve Ohio and let your voice be heard today!
    https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/programs/stip/26-29
  • Down Syndrome Association of Greater Cincinnati is always looking for new and innovative ways to fulfill their mission. They are looking for feedback
    www.dsagc.com/survey

Events around Ohio to check out week of March 17th 2025 to March 22nd 2025

Monday March 24th 2025

  • We Thrive Together Discussion on Anxiety and Depression 11:00am-12:00pm join thru this link check out their website for more events.
  • We Thrive Together Discussion on Relationships: Self Confidence 3:00pm-4:00pmto join click Link
  • Ohio Advocacy Heartbeat Meeting 4-5pm join by clicking this link to our zoom.

Tuesday March 25th 2025

  • The Budget Is a Moral Document Advocacy Day, Tuesday, Mar 25 · 8:45 AM–3 PM at Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio.
  • We Thrive Together Tech Talk: Wood County DD Technology for Fall Prevention 11:00am-12:00pm click this link to join.
  • DODD Community Talks 1:00pm-4:00pm to Register click on this link the event is at Butler County ESC Butler County Educational Service Center
    400 N Erie Hwy Ste A.
    Hamilton, OH 45011
  • Medicaid on the Chopping Block: Advocacy Updates, Tuesday, Mar 25 · 3–4 PM To register for the event click this link .
  • Arc of Ohio Legislative Reception, Tuesday, Mar 25 · 4:30–6 PM at Columbus Statehouse Columbus, Ohio.

Wednesday March 26th 2025

Thursday March 27th

  • DD Awareness Proclamation Richland County check out more at this link this is from 9:30am-10:30am
  • DD Awareness Rally in Ravenna, Ohio. 10:00am-11:00am
  • We Thrive Together Tech Talk on Smart Home Security Cameras, Ring, Nest, Wyze join through this link it’s from 11:00am-12:00pm
  • Area on Aging District 7 Advisory Council Meeting 1:00-3:00pm 1 Acy Ave Jackson, OH 45640, USA. For more information:
    1.800.582.7277
    info@aaa7.org
  • Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Fest 6:00pm-8:00pm The annual Developmental Disability Awareness Fest at the Athens Community Center will be on Thursday, March 27, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.  The Athens County Community Singers will start the evening with a performance.  Join us for an evening celebrating community partners and friends!  If you would like to showcase your services,
    Flyer for reference Disability Awareness Fest 2025.pdf

Friday March 28th 2025

  • Addiction and Policy Forum in Chillicothe, Ohio check out this link for more details.
  • Disability Rights Ohio Budget Review 3:00pm please contact Brittanie Maddox at DRO for more information bmaddox@disabilityrightsohio.org

Saturday March 29th 2025

No Known Events

Helpful Information by National, State and County Agencies and Organizations for People to Read

  • Ohio Department of Aging Put out an Adult Day Care guide please check out this link to read it.
  • Artists with Disabilities Access Program: The Artists with Disabilities Access Program (ADAP) provides funding that gives individual artists with disabilities the resources they need to further their artistic development. Creative expression by artists of all abilities is essential to building dynamic and diverse communities throughout Ohio. ADAP awards help artists with disabilities advance their artistic practices, making Ohio a more accessible and inclusive place to build an artistic career. 
    Application Deadline: May 1, 2025
  • Administration on Community Living has put out information on Nutrition for older adults check out the link to this information.
  • Center for Family Involvement has made a post about accessibility in social media please check it out thru the link here.
  • Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging will transition from operating within the City of Columbus’ Department of Recreation and Parks to a stand-alone Regional Council of Governments by 2026. This shift will enable COAAA to better serve its consumers — older adults and people with disabilities — within its eight-county region while expanding services and launching new programs.
    Learn more in today’s news release: https://bit.ly/3Fuz60M
  • OSU Nisonger put out a video series on Smart Homes on this YouTube link for people learn about Smart Homes and Independence.
  • This was shared by Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities Kings Island ‘s accessibility guide has changed and we want to make sure you have all the details before visiting this summer! One of the major changes is the accessibility card! Individuals will now have to get prior approval from a third-party system that requires a doctor’s note. To make sure your prepared, please take a look at the Kings Island accessibility guide: http://www.visitkingsisland.com/accessibility

This Week in Awareness

  • March is DD Awareness Month wear Orange one day to show awareness and make social media post.
  • It is Women’s History Month

For more events check out our main website OhioAdvocacyHeartbeat.com

Saturday Advocacy Wins to Share!

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Each week we want to highlight advocacy wins of the week on our page that we see happening around Ohio. An advocacy win is something good that happens in the world of advocacy or self advocacy. If you want to share something that happened in the world of advocacy in Ohio please email us we will include it in our weekly wins in Advocacy Post next week.

  • The American Heart Association Shared about how they had a successful lobbying and advocacy day at the Columbus Statehouse check out their Facebook post online.
  • Ohio Domestic Violence Network shared their advocacy successes on there Facebook post
  • HR37 to designate March as Multiple System Atrophy Awareness Month was approved by Ohio House of Representatives.
  • In Hamilton County a local organization helped make adapted skate devices to help people with disabilities be able to skate with support.

The Pulse: What’s going on around Ohio March 17 to 22nd 2025!

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Upcoming things to sign up to get involved with or make your voice heard thru surveys and public comment!

  • Medicaid Waivers Posted for Public Comment
    Attention: Providers, Self-Advocates, Families 
    The SELF (Self Empowered Life Funding) waiver renewal and the Level 1 and Individual Options waiver amendments proposed for adoption on July 1, 2025, are a result of stakeholder engagement between the Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD), the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM), people receiving services and families, advocates, and associations. DODD is seeking your input on these amendments; summary documents, the proposed amendments, and information on how to submit your comments can be found at: 
     
    https://dodd.ohio.gov/waivers-and-services/Waiver+Amendments/Waiver+Amendments+2025 
     
    As part of the waiver amendment process, the public can comment on the proposed amendments. The public comment period is March 4, 2025, to April 3, 2025. Comments must be received by midnight on April 3, 2025.
  • Please take 5-10 minutes to fill out the Regional Transportation Public Input Survey. Your feedback and input is valuable and important. This survey will help identify the transportation needs and barriers you face every day within your county and across county lines. Access to jobs, medical care and every day essentials continues to be a struggle for many people across Ohio. Your feedback will help address how we work toward filling those gaps and unmet needs.
    RCRPC is charged with developing a Regional Coordinated Transportation Plan for Region 5, an 8 county region that includes; Ashland, Crawford, Huron, Knox, Marion, Morrow, Richland and Seneca county. The Regional Coordinated Plan will focus on increasing transportation efficiency, coordination and collaboration from county to county. If you live, work or travel in/to/from any of these counties, use public transportation or work with individuals who use public transportation, we want your feedback!
    To access this survey, please click the link below. The survey will remain open until April 1. Please share!
    https://forms.gle/gFYZRZ5Cpx8KD6ct8
  • The Breaking Silences Advocacy Committee created a survey to understand the experiences and get personal stories of people with disabilities who have accessibility issues with online meetings. The goal is to use the stories to create a training program for businesses to help make meetings more accessible for everyone. All responses will be anonymous and no one outside of the Breaking Silences Training Materials Workgroup will see the results. Please fill out form linked here .
  • Sign up to be part of Worlds Longest Virtual Aktion Club through We Thrive Together https://wethrivetogether.org/aktion-club/?gf_protect_submission
  • We Thrive Together a virtual social club is offering a coloring contest here is the link to learn more.
  • Northeast Ohio Medical University is looking for people with disabilities to participate research study on gynecology services and how to improve them. If interested please click link here.
  • Ohio Department of Transportation ATTN: We are now accepting public comments on the draft 2026-2029 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The Draft STIP is available for review and comment online from March 11 to April 11. Help improve Ohio and let your voice be heard today!
    https://www.transportation.ohio.gov/programs/stip/26-29

Events around Ohio to check out week of March 17th 2025 to March 22nd 2025

Monday March 17th 2025

  • Happy St Patrick’s Day
  • Assistive Technology Resource Fair in Lancaster, Ohio hosted by Fairfield County DD. 10:00am- 2:00pm
  • Disability Rights Ohio Legal Clinic for parents of children with disabilities. The topic is- Attendance, Truancy, and Discipline: What Parents Need to Know.
    You can learn more and register to attend at lawyers4students.com/legalclinic
  • Charting the Life Course 1 page Learning Event with Self Advocates 12-1pm register through this link provided.
  • Wellness Managing Stress Workshop on We Thrive Together from 11:00am-12:00pm
  • Relationships Group: Courage on We Thrive Together from 3:00-4:00pm
  • Virtual Training: Creating and Signing into Accounts on We Thrive Together from 6:00pm to 7:00 pm

Tuesday March 18th 2025

  • What is Occupational Therapy? 10:30am in Jackson County Senior Center in Jackson, Ohio hosted by AAA7
  • Tech Talk: Wood County Board of DD Assistive Tech for Elopement on We Thrive Together from 11:00am to 12:00 pm
  • Family University Blind/Visually Impaired/DeafBlind Zoom Meeting on March 18 at 6:30 to 7:30pm
    Join us as we learn from Rachel Schulz, a member of the Center for Excellence, who will discuss
    Universal Design for Learning, (UDL), why it’s important, is your child receiving UDL, and why UDL is helpful for students. Part two of the session will include Dr. Al LaBarre sharing on chapter 7 of the book, “All About IEPs- Special Factors.” Register today: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEucO-rrDMpHNYYXswBA_nG7nOTYPPiE5NQ#/registration
  • Don’t miss out on the upcoming Fair Housing Accessibility First training! The next virtual session is on Tuesday, March 18 at 10:00 am & 2:00 pm, and will cover the Fair Housing Act Requirement 2: Accessible Public and Common-Use Areas. https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/accessibility_first_training_calendar

Wednesday March 19th 2025

  • Utilizing ADA Tools Program by Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities 10:00am -11:00am. In this webinar, we will discuss how the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design, the ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities, and the Guide to the ADA Accessibility Standards can assist you along your accessibility journey.
    To register please use this link https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/feb0fbee-de68-4868-ad11-562414aa54f8@50f8fcc4-94d8-4f07-84eb-36ed57c7c8a2
  • OSDA at We Thrive Together 11am https://wethrivetogether.org/upcoming-events/
  • DD Community Talks Cuyahoga County 1:00pm-4:00pm 4415 Northfield Rd., Warrensville Heights, OH 44128 Register through this link https://reg.planetreg.com/E102214835173214
  • DD Community Talks Region 6 1:00pm-4:00pm 4325 S Green Rd, Highland Hills, OH 44128 Event Details
    Join us for the DD Community Talks – an exciting in-person event series held across Ohio! Hosted by the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities. These events provide an opportunity for people with disabilities, families, and community members to network, share experiences, and explore resources to support disability services in their regions.
    Agenda
    • 30 mins: Check-in/Networking
    • 30 mins: DODD Presentation
    • 90 mins: Table Talks
    • 20 mins: Wrap up & Next Steps
    Let’s connect for the disability community!
    Registration Link https://reg.planetreg.com/E102214835173214
  • Portage County Awards Ceremony for Direct Support Professional of Month 5-6pm in Portage County, Ohio.
  • Lucas County Board of DD Inclusion Resource Fair 5:30pm to 7:30pm in Toledo, Ohio. https://facebook.com/events/s/inclusion-resource-fair/631894382844884/
  • People First of Northeast Ohio meets 6:30pm to 8:00pm People First is a self advocacy group for Adults with IDD (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) in NE Ohio. They care about having our voices heard, empowering one another, nothing about us without us, Education, Equality and Inclusion. They meet virtually. For more information contact amy.mordaunt@thearcofohio.org

Thursday March 20th

  • OSDA Regional Meeting. At the Happy Day Services Building
    2500 Brady Lake Rd, Ravenna, OH 44266, USA Information: Registration required : email events@portagedd.org or call 330-296-2839 ext. 3148
  • Montgomery County Parents and Advocates Advisory Council 5:30pm-8:00pm Online Video Meeting https://www.mcbdds.org/Calendar.aspx?EID=7420&month=3&year=2025&day=24&calType=0
    MCBDDS hosts an online Parents & Advocates Advisory Council (PAAC) meeting regularly to provide people with developmental disabilities who receive services, their family members and guardians the opportunity to discuss issues of interest with MCBDDS leadership on a regular basis.

Friday March 21st 2025

  • Ohio Women’s Veterans Forum 11:00am-12:00pm for more information https://x.com/ohiovets/status/1897008087984378099?s=46
  • Threats to Medicaid Webinar 10:30-11:30 am Description Medicaid is a critical safety net in Ohio, providing essential health coverage to millions of Ohioans—including low-income families, older adults, and people with disabilities. As a joint federal-state partnership, Medicaid helps ensure that Ohioans can access primary care, prescription medications, and long-term services while stabilizing the state’s health care system by reducing uncompensated care costs. From proposed work requirements to possible funding reductions, Ohio’s Medicaid program could change drastically. Join Medicaid Policy Fellow Brandy Davis on March 21 at 10:30 to explore the threats to Medicaid.
    To Register https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rHtp8U_1RMO9C0eKScKeqw#/registration
  • World Down Syndrome Day! Wear Cool socks and post photos on social media!
  • Disability Rights Ohio Budget Review 3:00pm please contact Brittanie Maddox at DRO for more information bmaddox@disabilityrightsohio.org

Saturday March 22nd 2025

No Known Events

Helpful Information by National, State and County Agencies and Organizations for People to Read

  • Ohio Department of Aging Put out an Adult Day Care guide please check out this link to read it.
  • Artists with Disabilities Access Program: The Artists with Disabilities Access Program (ADAP) provides funding that gives individual artists with disabilities the resources they need to further their artistic development. Creative expression by artists of all abilities is essential to building dynamic and diverse communities throughout Ohio. ADAP awards help artists with disabilities advance their artistic practices, making Ohio a more accessible and inclusive place to build an artistic career. 
    Application Deadline: May 1, 2025
  • Administration on Community Living has put out information on Nutrition for older adults check out the link to this information.
  • Center for Family Involvement has made a post about accessibility in social media please check it out thru the link here.
  • Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging will transition from operating within the City of Columbus’ Department of Recreation and Parks to a stand-alone Regional Council of Governments by 2026. This shift will enable COAAA to better serve its consumers — older adults and people with disabilities — within its eight-county region while expanding services and launching new programs.
    Learn more in today’s news release: https://bit.ly/3Fuz60M
  • OSU Nisonger put out a video series on Smart Homes on this YouTube link for people learn about Smart Homes and Independence.
  • Upcoming Ace! Information Session!
    Ace! is a program to help The Ohio State University students with autism or similar communication difficulties confidently navigate the college experience. This is done by coordinating services that foster self-determination, social communication, and campus connections. Ace! staff will assist students in achieving academic, social, and post-graduate goals at The Ohio State University.
    When – March 17th, 2025 at 7pm
    Where – In-person at the Nisonger Center OR virtually via Zoom (please fill out interest form)
    Questions? Email – aceprogram@osumc.edu
    Interest Form – https://bit.ly/3FnwsK7
    Visit our website here. https://bit.ly/4iFCUKJ
  • OSU Nisonger did a talk on Insomnia with Youth with Autism please check out video here of the talk.
  • This was shared by Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities Kings Island ‘s accessibility guide has changed and we want to make sure you have all the details before visiting this summer! One of the major changes is the accessibility card! Individuals will now have to get prior approval from a third-party system that requires a doctor’s note. To make sure your prepared, please take a look at the Kings Island accessibility guide: http://www.visitkingsisland.com/accessibility

This Week in Awareness

  • World Down Syndrome Day on Friday wear cool socks and post to social media
  • March is DD Awareness Month wear Orange one day to show awareness and make social media post.
  • It is Women’s History Month

For more events check out our main website OhioAdvocacyHeartbeat.com

Saturday Weekly Advocacy Wins to Share!

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Each week we want to highlight advocacy wins of the week on our page that we see happening around Ohio. An advocacy win is something good that happens in the world of advocacy or self advocacy. If you want to share something that happened in the world of advocacy in Ohio please email us we will include it in our weekly wins in Advocacy Post next week.

  • The Dayton Institute of Art and Montgomery County Board of Developmental Disabilities partnered to add a changing table to the Dayton Institute of Art. check out the Facebook post about it.
  • A couple weeks ago, one of the cofounders of Ohio Advocacy Heartbeat Dawn asked for the state budget information in an accessible format and she received that . We want to give a shout out to the Ohio Legislative Service Commission Wendy Zhan and thank her for taking time to make sure that accommodations were available.
  • Quiet hours are expanding in 2025!
    The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is proud to enhance our commitment to inclusion and sensory accessibility by now offering Quiet Hours the first Sunday of every month throughout the year starting March 2, 2025! For the first four hours of operation, guests will be able to enjoy a calmer, more sensory-friendly environment with reduced sounds, music, and visual stimuli.
    During Quiet Hours, the following options are also available:
    🎧 Sensory kits for rent with a refundable deposit
    🎢 Select attractions with reduced noise and visuals (seasonally available)
    In addition to Quiet Hours, the Zoo will also offer a few sensory-friendly events throughout the year, including:
    🔹Sensory-Friendly Easter Bunny Experience – April 13, 2025
    🔹Zoombezi Bay Quiet After Hours – August 22, 2025
    🔹Blind, Deaf, and DeafBlind Accessibility Day – September 7, 2025
    🔹Sensory-Friendly Light Stroll – November 18, 2025
    🔹Sensory-Friendly Santa Experience – December 7, 2025
    To plan a more sensory-friendly experience anytime of the year, visit https://www.columbuszoo.org/accessibility
  • The State of Ohio published an ADA Coordinators Directory with listings for each agencies ADA Director. https://das.ohio.gov/employee-relations/office-of-opportunity-and-accessibility/ada-coordinators-directory
  • We Thrive Together has secured a sponsor to build World’s Largest Virtual Acktion Club to check out their vision check out this link to participate.

Voting With A Disability In Ohio by Dawn

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Voting In Ohio: What Ohioans With Disabilities, And The People Who Support Them Need to Know


It's a new year, and, that means a lot of new things, beginnings etc. Some of those new things and beginnings are a new legislative cycle, a new budget season, and, along with that, the start of a new election season. In fact, there's an election coming up in Ohio on May 6th. With that in mind, I thought it would be a good idea to write about voting in Ohio, and give some good information for Ohioans with disabilities, and the people that support them, such as family members.

I attended a presentation today on Advocacy Wednesday with OSDA. on We Thrive Together where Brett Harbage, the ADA. Cordinator for The Ohio Secretary Of Ate's Office, talked about voting for people with disabilities. I want to give you some of his insights, knowledge, and tips, as well as my experience, along with some tips and resources that I've found helpful when voting as a person with a disability. However, I also want to hear from you! What has your experience been as a disabled Ohio voter, and, did you vote in-person, or absentee? Also, what tips and resources do you have that you think might be helpful?


Advocacy Wednesday With OSDA. is a weekly virtual presentation on We Thrive Together, with a different topic every week. If you'd like to attend, or access past recordings of presentations, you can go to:


www.wethrivetogether.org




This week, Brett Harbage, the ADA. Cordinator for the Ohio Secretary Of State's Office stopped by, to talk about voting in Ohio for people with disabilities. He covered various aspects, including, registration, what to expect on Election Day, and, the various options that Ohioans have for voting. First, I'll start with the key takeaways:

1. Both the Boards Of Elections, and the Secretary Of State have rights and responsibilities to make voting accessible for people with disabilities. However, voters also have rights and responsibilities.
2. There's several options for registering to vote in Ohio, including the ability to do it online.
3. There's also several options for casting your vote in Ohio, including absentee voting.


With that in mind, let's get into more detail about different aspects of voting in Ohio as a person with a disability.

Rights And Responsibilities Of Board Of Elections, And Secretary Of State


In Ohio, all 88 counties have a board of elections. They, along with the Secretary Of State's Office, have the responsibility to make sure that disabled Ohioans have what they need to vote as independently as possible. For example, making sure polling locations are accessible, and that pollworkers are trained on how to use accessible voting machines. This could also mean resolving issues if and when they occur. However, as voters we have rights and responsibilities as well.


Your Rights And Responsibilities As A Voter


As a voter, we have various rights and responsibilities. This includes:


1. Know and remember deadlines.
Knowing and remembering deadlines is very important as a voter. For instance, you must be registered 30 days prior to the election. For instance, if you wanted to vote in the election on May 6th, you'll need to have your voter registration application in by April 7th.
That will be here before you know it, so, be sure to have a reminder for that date, such as creating an all-day event in your calendar app.


2. Double-check and make sure you're registered, and that the information is up-to-date.
It's crucial to check and make sure you're registered to vote, and, that your information is up-to-date. Life happens, and as such, that could mean some information may have changed. You may have moved, or, you may have gotten married and changed your name. That means you will have to update your information, so that it's accurate and updated when you cast your ballot.


3. Know what your options are.
You have several options for casting your ballot. You can vote absentee, take advantage of early voting, or, you can go to your polling location and cast your ballot, or take advantage of curbside voting. Make sure you know where your Board Of Elections office is, and/or your polling location! It's also important that you know what your options are for registering to vote. You can pick up an application at your local license bureau, request for an application to be mailed to you by your board of elections. Some libraries may also have voter registration forms, and, you can also register online. Yes, you read that right. You can register to vote from the comfort of your couch, bed, no matter where you are. You can also update your information online. We'll get into more detail about all of that later.  


4. Educate yourself on the issues and candidates.
This election will be a primary and special election. That means that you will be choosing the candidates that will be on the ballot for the November 4th election, as well as voting on issues that are spicfic to your town, city, municipality, county, etc. This is one reason why it's very important to keep your voter information updated. It's important to know who you're voting for, and what your voting on.

There's several ways you can do your research. It's always good to do research on all candidates and issues. When I go to vote, it's a several day process. Because I dive deep into researching the candidates, and issues. I will use everything from non-partisan sites such as On The Issues, which talks about some candidates stand on a wide variety of issues such as crime. I will also sometimes use Ballotpedia for biographies on candidates, however, I'll sometimes go to their social media (mainly Facebook) pages. I also sometimes look at newspaper articles, depending on the content. Also, I let past experience speak for itself too.
I also listen to any debates or interviews that I can. I'd also try and see if you can find audio interviews on The Sound Of Ideas, which is an NPR. program. You can go to:


https://www.ideastream.org/

 
 
 
One time, during mid-term elections, I found interviews of candidates that were running for state office in my district, and listened to them.
Also, another thing that might be helpful especially for the local issues and candidates, is if there's a Meet The Candidates Night being broadcasted. There's 2 local radio stations that cover my area. The city I live in has a local radio station, and there's also a radio station that covers my county. Meet the candidates nights have been broadcasted on both of those in the past, and, I'll listen to them. During those programs, the facilitators/moderators will ask questions and give each candidate a set time limit to respond. Sometimes, the candidates responses to the questions, and how they are, and if they show up, have factored into my decision.
 
 
Here's an example of what I type into Google when doing research on a candidate:
 
John Smith Ballotpedia
 
 
Or, let's say that I want to know John Smith's stance on an issue, here's what I would type into Google:
 
John Smith crime OnTheIssues
 
You can also put:
 
www.ontheissues.org




If you are under guardianship, you still have the right to vote, unless a probate court judge has spicifically stated that you can't. However, it is a rarity for this to happen.

He also talked about all the options you have when you cast your ballot. I'll give you a run-down of your options, and how to access them.


1. Voting at your polling location on Election Day
You can go to the polling location on Election Day from 6 AM. to 7:30 PM. and cast your ballot. There, you will have an accessible voting machine, or a paper ballot for instance. You can bring someone with you to help you vote. For instance, I bring mom to help me vote, and, we just tell them that she's here to help me vote. Make sure you bring proper identification, and name your address, and you can sign your name.

2. You can take advantage of early voting.
You can also vote early, before Election Day. Early voting starts the day after the voter registration deadline. So, for instance, it will start on April 8th, for the May 6th election. There are state hours, and, during the last 2 weeks, there will be evening and weekend hours for you to vote early.
This is the option that I usually take advantage of, for a number of reasons. 
I can go to my board of elections office and vote! I know that not only will they have the accessible voting machine there, but, they will also have someone there that's trained on how to use it, and, set it up. This means that I can vote independently. I just need someone to drive me to and from the election office, and take me to the scanner to put my ballot in, and take me to the accessible voting machine, help me find the headphones, and, fill out and date the paperwork. Plus, I can take my time, and, in my experience, there's never been a line, and, we don't have to wait!


3. Curbside voting
You can go to your polling location, and, there are designated parking spots for curbside voting. These spots are usually marked with signage. Just pull in, and, call them, and let them know you need to vote curbside. You can also call ahead, and, 2 pollworkers, one from each party, will come out to your vehicle, and bring your ballot to you.

5. You can request an absentee ballot.
You can apply to get an absentee ballot sent to you in the mail. You can apply online. Once you get your ballot, you, or someone you trust can fill it out, and either bring it to a drop-off box, or drop it in the mail, and send it back to the Board Of Elections Office in your county.
You can also request an accessible absentee ballot, that you can fill out on your computer. However, be aware that you will have to print it out, and mail it to your board of elections office.


He also talked about what to expect on Election Day. For instance, there may be accessible parking at your polling location, and, you may see campaigners. You will need to present your identification, and give your full name and address. If you don't have an ID. you can go to your license bureau and get one for free. There may also be a line as well. You will also need to sign your name.


While I hope that you don't run into issues casting your ballot, I know that it does happen. If you have any issues, you can ask for the manager for the polling location. If you are still having issues, you can call your Board Of Elections Office. If you are still having issues, you can call the Secretary Of State's Office, and ask to speak with the ADA. Corddinator. You can also send him an email at:


bharbage@ohiosos.gov


I've had a great experience with my county board of elections. In fact, ironically enough, when I spoke up about my experience, Mr. Harbage agreed, and, had just gotten off the phone with the director of our board of elections office!


Lastly, I want to give you some resources that I think might be helpful for people.


1. The Vote Ohio web site


This web site is Ohio's hub for all things voting. You can update your registration, register to vote, request an absentee ballot, and, so much more! They even have sections for voters with disabilities, and, hospitalized voters. You can also view the 2025 elections schedule there as well. If you'd like to go and check it out, you can go to:


https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/


2. An app to help you read your ballot, and find your polling location.

There's an app for Ohio voters that's free, called Ohio Voter Info, and, it's available on the apple App Store, and, google Play. When you install the app, you put in your name, and select the county from the spinner to set it up. From there, you can find your polling place, and, your sample ballot. To do this, find and activate the view sample ballot button. From there, you can choose from a list of sample ballots. Once you have the one you want, you will also find a button that lets you view an accessible ballot. Keep in mind that the ballot for this upcoming election may or may not be up yet. However, I was able to view a ballot from a past election. If your county is not listed, you can contact your County Board of elections office and request that they have their information be added to the app. You can even choose what party ballot you want as well as your municipality. This app does work with VoiceOver, but, there are some unlabeled buttons, and, getting it to work can be a little finicky, but, it is doable. If you'd like to download this app, you click on one of the following links.
To get it from the App Store, click here:


https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ohio-voter-info/id1062335875


To get it on Google Play, you can click here:


https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.triadgsi.dev.ohiovotes&hl=en_US



I know it can be overwhelming, but, once you do it the first time, it will get easier each time you do it. Remember, don't be afraid to ask for help. Let's go out there, and put in our 2¢ worth!

   
     

					

		
		
	

							
	
							
	

				

			
						

				The Pulse: What’s Going On Around Ohio March 10th to March 15th 2025
			

										

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Upcoming things to sign up to get involved with or make your voice heard thru surveys. 





    

  • The Ohio Arts Council (OAC) is accepting grant applications for several grant opportunities, including those within the Artists with Disabilities Access Program (ADAP). This year, Art Possible Ohio will provide technical assistance to OAC for the ADAP grant! This funding gives artists with disabilities the resources they need to continue their artistic development 🎨 The application deadline is May 1 For more information visit: https://oac.ohio.gov/grants/10-grant-opportunities/40-artists-with-disabilities-access-program 
    • 




  • Hey Dads! Check out this survey from Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities! Your input could help inform state level decisions for support for children with developmental disabilities:
    From the department about the survey
    “The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities continues to build on a collaboration among state agencies, communities, and other networks to ensure fathers of children with developmental disabilities are supported, engaged, and empowered. As work moves forward, we want to know: What are fathers’ current perspectives? What are fathers’ experiences in systems that support their child with developmental disabilities? What do fathers want? What do fathers need? How do systems and organizations best support fathers of children with developmental disabilities? 
    If you are an Ohio father of a child or children of any age with a developmental disability, please take the short A Dad’s Perspective survey to share your experiences.
    The 2025 A Dad’s Perspective survey will be open until March 31.”
    https://loom.ly/b_ImpfE
    • 




  • DODD seeking feedback on Ohio ISP Plans https://dodd.ohio.gov/compliance/oisp/resources/ohioisp+feedback 
    • 




  • Please take 5-10 minutes to fill out the Regional Transportation Public Input Survey. Your feedback and input is valuable and important. This survey will help identify the transportation needs and barriers you face every day within your county and across county lines. Access to jobs, medical care and every day essentials continues to be a struggle for many people across Ohio. Your feedback will help address how we work toward filling those gaps and unmet needs.
    RCRPC is charged with developing a Regional Coordinated Transportation Plan for Region 5, an 8 county region that includes; Ashland, Crawford, Huron, Knox, Marion, Morrow, Richland and Seneca county. The Regional Coordinated Plan will focus on increasing transportation efficiency, coordination and collaboration from county to county. If you live, work or travel in/to/from any of these counties, use public transportation or work with individuals who use public transportation, we want your feedback!
    To access this survey, please click the link below. The survey will remain open until April 1. Please share! https://forms.gle/gFYZRZ5Cpx8KD6ct8https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfst5dVwiWEUf10AwJ8d1W0kfgdunAD67XBMstUy61Oku-hBg/viewform?
    • 




  • Help improve vehicle accessibility! 🚗♿️
    If you have a disability, are 18+, and drive or travel in passenger vehicles, take this 15-minute usability survey to help make vehicle interfaces more user-friendly. Send an email to UVIDSurvey@umich.edu to participate! #AccessibleDriving
    • 




  • Ohio Advocacy Heartbeat is still doing research on nutrition access for people with disabilities in Ohio. Please check out link to their survey. 
    • 
















Upcoming Events and Meetings March 10-15th 2025.





Monday March 10th, 2025





    

  • Brain Injury Awareness Day at Ohio StateHouse Columbus, Ohio. 
    • 




  • Accessibility 2025 Listening Session 6-8pm at Columbus Public Library 
    • 











Tuesday March 11th, 2025





    

  • L.E.A.P. Advocacy Meeting 10am-11am it is at Reed Memorial Library, Jenkins Room – 167 E Main Street, Ravenna contact Ericl@portagedd.org for more information.
    • 




  • Developmental Disabilities Job and Resource Event Fair, Tuesday, Mar 11 · 11 AM–1 PM 6465 Center St
    Mentor, OH 44060,
    • 




  • Montgomery County Board of Developmental Disabilities Agency Provider Think Tank, Tuesday, Mar 11 · 11 AM–12 PM at 4045 Salem Ave
    Dayton, OH 45416, USA
    • 




  • Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities Developmental Disabilities Month Open House, Tuesday, Mar 11 · 1–2 PM.  Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities at 
    801 Drake Rd, Lebanon, OH 45036.
    • 




  • Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month Open House, Tuesday, Mar 11 · 6–7 PM at Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities
    801 Drake Rd, Lebanon, OH 45036. 
    • 











Wednesday March 12th, 2025














Thursday March 13th, 2025





    

  • OSDA Creative Changemakers 4:30-5:30pm Its a group of peers/self-advocates who meet once a month to hang out and talk about issues facing people with disabilities in Ohio This group supported by the Ohio Self-Determination Association. Change Makers was created by and is run by people with disabilities because they wanted to extend their advocacy conversations beyond the COOL meetings. Please Contact one of the emails listed clareschloemer.osda@gmail.com
    nrichards@clearwatercog.org
    osda2011@gmail.com
    • 




  • Move for Life Mobility Fair & Reelabilities Festival 6:00-8:15pm Cuyahoga DD’s Cuyahoga DD Move For Life Mobility Fair and Reel Abilities Film Festival has been rescheduled for Thursday, March 13, 2025, 6-8pm at our Big Creek Center, 6149 W 130th Street, Parma OH 44130. We will follow the same format as planned. 6-7 pm Move for Life Mobility Fair 7-8pm ReelAbilities Film Festival, “Facing the Falls” and post-film discussion Refreshments (pizza, chips, cookies, and water) served. https://www.facebook.com/share/1BLYEP7iS2/?mibextid=wwXIfr 
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Friday March 14th. 2025














Saturday March 15th, 2025





    

  • No Known Events 
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From The Lips And Thoughts Of An Advocate: What We Want To Say by Dawn





From The Lips And Thoughts Of An Advocate: What We Want To Say


As advocates, we hear and see a lot of heavy and beyond painful stuff. This is on top of the stuff we deal with in our day-to-day lives. Recently, I've heard a lot of heartbreaking and gut-wrenching stories, desperate pleas for help, and so much more from people. I've heard a lot in my 2 almost 3 years as a disability rights advocate. From the person whose worried because their Medicaid is at risk because of redeterminations being done during Appendix K. unwinding, to the person whose in desperate need of care providers, and everything in between. Sometimes after a day of conference calls, meetings, phone calls, etc, it weighs on us. For me, sometimes, it brings me to tears, makes me angry, and it makes my heart ache, squeeze, and break. That's putting it mildly! Especially when you hear and see the callousness, and the unwillingness to help or care, and so much more, including the inability to fix it on a call, or meeting. At night, when I go to sleep, it all weighs on my mind and heart, and, there's no off switch. So, I bury myself in work, listen to music, or do any other number of things to distract myself. Maybe I'll talk to someone about it, but, oftentimes,  Then, I get up and go back into the trenches the next day. But, there's so much I want to say, and, so much I wish I could do. So, I dedicate this piece to everyone needing help, everyone whose story I heard, whether it was theirs or their child's or family member's story, and everyone I've helped, and wish I could or could've helped, or done more for. This is what I want you all to know.

I want you to know that your story, situation, etc, will stick with me. I'll never forget your name, voice, story, situation, outcome, etc. It replays in my head every day, on loop. I hear your pain, desperation, and so much more, even after the day is done, the call is over, etc. Each story, call, or whatever it is, leaves a mark. One that won't go away, and that I won't forget.

I want you to know that you're not just another case, at least not to me. You have a name, a life, a unique story, and set of circumstances, and so much more. I don't and will never treat anyone as "just a case" I'll go above and beyond the call of duty. I will take your story, situation, circumstances, and everything else into account when looking for resources, or referring you to agencies or organizations. I won't just refer you to anyone or anywhere. I'll either refer you to agencies/organizations I trust, or that I have contacts in. I'll only refer you to people that I trust, and know will do right by you. Not only that, but, I'll keep an eye on you. Whether that means reaching out to follow up, or, just listening, or, even asking someone I know that will have a connection. I will sit on the phone with you as you make the calls, or I'll make the first call, and sit on the phone with you. I will even work in off-hours, and/or weekends to help find resources, or whatever.
If there's an issue, I want to hear about it, because, I want to and will do my best to get it resolved. I will celebrate your highs, victories, and more good things and happenings with and for you. However, I will also give you my ear to listen, and my shoulder to cry when you're at your lowest, have hit rock bottom.

Can every situation be fixed on a conference call, or meeting? No, and, I'll be the first to accknowledge that. But, please know that I want to follow up with you afterward, and do what I can. But, also know that I'm sending tons of empathy, sympay, compassion, hugs, and so much more your way.

There's so much more I want to say, and, I might consider elaborating on it, and writing another post about this. However, I want to hear from you! What would you want to say?

					

		
		
	

							
	

				

			
						

				The Pulse: What’s Happening in Ohio March 3rd to March 7th, 2025.
			

										

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The Pulse March 3rd to 8th, 2025










Upcoming things to sign up to get involved with or make your voice heard thru surveys. 














Advocacy & Disability Related Events week of March 3-7th around Ohio.  





Monday March 3rd














Tuesday March 4th














Wednesday March 5th





    

  • Tuscarwras County DD Awareness Month Proclamation Signing 10-11 am in New Philadelphia, Ohio 
    • 




  • Ohio Self Determination Association at We Thrive Together at 11 am For more information please go to https://wethrivetogether.org/upcoming-events/&nbsp
    • 




  • Ohio Olmsted Taskforce Monthly Meeting 1pm for more information check out this link . 
    • 











Thursday March 6th 





    

  • Supported Decision Making Network of Ohio Padlet Meeting 11am
    • 











Friday March 7th





    

  • National Council on Disability March – Washington DC
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  • Jackson County Board of Developmental Disabilities is holding a DD Awareness Month event from 10-2pm in Jackson, Ohio.
    • 




  • Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities March on Court Street 10:30 am Athen, Ohio.
    • 




  • DD Walk for Awareness in Chillicothe, Ohio from 10:30am-2pm 
    • 




  • Disability Rights Ohio Budget Debrief at 3pm. contact Brittanie Maddox -Community Engagement and Advocacy Specialist bmaddox@disabilityrightsohio.org
    • 











Saturday March 8th





    

  • No Known Events 
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March holds a lot of Awareness Month Campaigns





    

  • Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
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  • Trisomy Awareness Month 
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  • National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month
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  • Multiple System Atrophy Awareness Month
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  • World Down Syndrome Awareness Day
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Our full calendar is on our home page OhioAdvocacyHeartbeat.com 

					

		
		
	

							
	

				

			
						

				Rare Disease Day and the Electronic Health Record by Sarah
			

										

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Today is Rare Disease Day. There are over 300 Million people living with a rare disease.





A rare disease is when a disease affects fewer than 1 in every 2,000 people. 72% of rare diseases are genetic based diseases. 





Sometimes healthcare access can be more difficult for people with rare diseases and that’s why it’s important to raise awareness about the variety of conditions out there. 





A Lot of people with rare diseases struggle to access the right supports and also often those with rare diseases don’t fit the direct mold of care offered by the different social services programs out there. There needs to more advocacy around person centered care so people with rare diseases can get the best care possible.





It is difficult for some people who also go undiagnosed for a long time. Access to genetic testing is more available in todays times then it was in the last century.  Coverage of testing for Medicare and Medicaid is improving but still needs to be additional advocacy to assure that more tests are covered. Genetic Testing is expensive. We are always discovering new genetic conditions and also more research is being done. 





There is a lot more advocacy for funding for research and opportunities for people to share their stories. 





There are laws been put in place to stop discrimination with healthcare and employment around genetic information like the Genetic Information Non Discrimination Act (GINA) this law basically bans health insurance companies from discriminating against people who have pre existing genetics conditions found thru genetic testing. It also provides additional HIPAA protections for people.





This law really makes sure that people who have genetic conditions are protected against discrimination. To know 72% of rare diseases are genetic it is great that there are protections in place. 










On Rare Disease Day it is also important to talk about access to healthcare. Even though there are laws like GINA in place there is also discrimination in healthcare that isn’t always obvious. Sometimes people face challenges in accessing care that don’t get discussed to often. 





With the push for one central EHR System this Electronic Health Record, many people are facing discrimination through dealing with misdiagnosis while waiting to get a proper diagnosis so for some their health information is old, outdated and creates challenges to get appropriate treatment because their diagnosis list isn’t updated and old inaccurate diagnosis still exist. 





It isn’t easy to ask for amendment or change to a health record. Some people as gas lighted by doctors while seeking treatment for the amount of diagnosis they have or treated like their conditions are mental health related and this leads to people not getting adequate treatment and care. 





The EHR system was designed to connect the dots in care and help people see health records from every where to piece together records scattered across multiple health systems. 





For some people with Rare Diseases this system is nuisance or a hinderance to get their records corrected without someone else entering in old inaccurate information. For some it helps to connect the dots and some doctors now refuse to take old records forgetting that before the EHR that there are valid health records.





There must be continued advocacy for care coordination and person centered care for people with rare diseases. We need to make it more accessible to amend health records to get inaccurate information removed and the correct information updated. 





The ability to have up to date health information at our fingertips is important part of care coordination so if stops medical waste and people from going thru unnecessary procedures or treatment. 





Raising awareness about rare diseases also helps doctors understand how people live with the conditions they have and how to improve outcomes for those living with a rare disease. 











					

		
		
	

							
	

				

			
						

				Events around Ohio for Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month in March!
			

										

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March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. We wanted to create a post to share about some of the events happening around Ohio this month to raise awareness and celebrate people with Developmental Disabilities. 










March 1





Seneca County Board of Developmental Disabilities DD Awareness Month Luncheon at the Seneca County Opportunity Center 





https://senecacountyohio.gov/opportunity-center-kicks-off-dd-awareness-month/amp/





March 2





March 3





Summit County Board of Developmental Disabilities is asking people to wear Orange for Inclusion Day. To find out more about what they are doing check out this link










March 4th





Driving Towards Access Ohio DD Day at the Ohio Statehouse In Columbus, Ohio. 










Marion County Board of Developmental Disabilities is doing an Inclusion Day called This is Me: More than DD. They are asking people to wear Orange and share stories. Check out more at this link










March 5th





DD Awareness Month Proclamation Month Signing 10-11am with Tuscarawas County Board of Developmental Disabilities at Courthouse at 25 E High Ave
New Philadelphia, OH 44663, USA





March 7th 





Jackson County Board of Developmental Disabilities is holding a DD Awareness Month event from 10-2pm in Jackson, Ohio. 





Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities is holding a March on Court Street for Developmental Disabilities Event at 10am this is link to the flyer for more information. 





Ross County Board of Developmental Disabilities is holding a DD Awareness Month Walk at 10am check out this link for more information.










March 9th 





Sandy Valley Baptist Church in Magnolia, Ohio is having Disability Awareness Day at their 11am Service. https://facebook.com/events/s/disabilities-awareness-sunday/655146487182478/










March 10th 





Brain Injury Awareness Advocacy Day at the Ohio Statehouse.










March 11th 





Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities Services will be hosting an Open House for the community for Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month 





The annual Open House event aims to showcase the many achievements of people served by
WCBDD, as well as inform the community about the services and supports WCBDD provides to individuals with disabilities.
Open House will be hosted on March 11, 2025, at the Warren C.
Young Center, located at 801 Drake
Road in Lebanon.
The first session will take place at 1 p.m., and the second session will begin at 6pm for more information check out this link to find out more. 





March 14th 





The Celebrity Basketball game is on March 14 at 7 p.m. at Heidelberg University’s Seiberling Gymnasium. Teams of community members and Seneca Arrows Special Olympics athletes will take to the court for this annual tradition. The event is open to the public for anyone to come and cheer them on. 










March 21st 





Rock Your Socks for World Down Syndrome Day! Show your socks on social media. 










March 27th 





Portage County Board of Developmental Disabilities is hosting a DD Awareness Rally in Ravenna, Ohio. 










Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Festival 6-8pm in Athens, Ohio. This is a flyer about the event to read more. 










In some counties they are doing a month long celebration of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.










In Butler County, their website has this cool way to share how you raise awareness. 





DD Awareness Wear Orange Campaign





Taking photo entries until Monday, March 31





Developmental Disability (DD) Awareness Month is a nationwide movement that raises awareness about inclusion of people with developmental disabilities in all aspects of community life, and the barriers that people with disabilities still face. Although DD Awareness Month doesn’t begin until March, we thought why not start celebrating now with the “Wear Orange” social media campaign! Orange is the national color for DD Awareness month because it symbolizes both energy and positivity. From now until Monday, March 31 we will be accepting photos of those in the community who are wearing orange in support of DD Awareness Month! To participate in this campaign, please send a photo or photos of you and/or individuals you support in the DD community with the name of those in the photo/s and why DD Awareness Month is important to Cassie Mattia at cqmattia@butlerdd.org . 











					

		
		
	

							
	

				

			
						

				The Pulse: What’s Happening in Ohio February 24th 2025 to March 1st, 2025?
			

										

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The Pulse February 24th to March 1st, 2025





Upcoming things to sign up to get involved with or make your voice heard thru surveys. 





Sign Up to Register for Cleveland Sight Center 2025 White Cane Walk 





Sign up to hear the Medicaid Director share about the Ohio Budget for Medicaid. The event is February 26th at 1pm. https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5155801782813463647





IncludeAbility. Supports and Services Assessment Survey Link





https://wooster.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bpyHMu3AeQJyzOe





Council on Aging Southwest Ohio





2025 Survey: A Dads Perspective Supporting Fathers of Children with a Developmental Disability https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2025FatherSurvey?





Ohio Advocacy Heartbeat is doing a study on Nutrition Access for People with Disabilities in Ohio to help a disability advocate with some advocacy goals around #Nutrition4All so if you can help please do this survey. https://forms.gle/KJL7savupnGCdsAT7?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1vJKQBJDx4H7Jf0_OZP9k6D4rvj4SeQQcEDWDWAj0Z2BVq329d6ZWMBj8_aem_XC-01t_K3Ivj7p8xr88NHA















Advocacy & Disability Related Events week of February 10th-15th 2025 around Ohio. 










February 24th 2025- March 2nd, 2025 is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. 





Monday February 24th 





Bus Rapid Transit Open House in Cincinnati 3-7pm 





Avondale Town Center





3529 Reading Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA










Tuesday February 25th





Montgomery County Independent Provider Meeting 4:30-5:30pm 





8114 N Main St Dayton, OH 45415, USA










Southwest Ohio Advocacy Group 





6-8pm at 4623 Wesley Ave





Cincinnati, OH 45212, USA










Wednesday February 26th





Ohio Self Determination Association at We Thrive Together at 11 am 





For more information please go to https://wethrivetogether.org/upcoming-events/&nbsp





Ohio Medicaid Budget Webinar





1-2pm 





Ohio Medicaid Director Corcoran will go over the budget. Requires advance registration and download of go to webinar app 





https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5155801782813463647





Medicaid Buy In and Workability Workshop 1-2pm





https://bit.ly/3EMPc5u










Thursday February 27th





Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee 





9-10am in Columbus, Ohio





Statewide Independent Living Council meets in Columbus, Ohio from 2-4pm 





For more information and the meeting agenda please check out this website. 





https://ohiosilc.diligent.community/Portal/Default.aspx










Friday February 28th





Services for Independent Living





Hosts Brad Lomax: The Disabled Black Panther Who Fought for Section 504





Date & Time Feb 28, 2025 03:00 PM  in Black History Month, come learn about Brad Lomax, a member of the disability community and the Black Panther Party, who showed that communities share similar obstacles and a need for change.





https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/nO41kJ-PQeKAFuzVBTdCYw?#/registration





Disability Rights Ohio Budget Debrief at 3pm. contact 





Brittanie Maddox -Community Engagement and Advocacy Specialist





 bmaddox@disabilityrightsohio.org










Rare Disease Day – All Day 





Saturday February 22nd

					

		
		
	

							
	

				

			
						

				The Pulse: What’s Happening In Ohio February 17th 2025 to February 22nd 2025
			

										

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The Pulse February 17th to February 22nd  2025





Sign Up to Register for Cleveland Sight Center 2025 White Cane Walk 





https://raceroster.com/events/2025/100902/2025-white-cane-walk?





Sign up to hear the Medicaid Director share about the Ohio Budget for Medicaid. The event is February 26th at 1pm. Register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5155801782813463647 















Advocacy & Disability Related Events week of February 10th-15th 2025 around Ohio. 





Monday February 17th





Presidents Day All Public Offices are Closed 





Tuesday February 18th





Wednesday February 19th 





Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities Web Accessibility 





This event is hosted through Microsoft Teams Webinar. Pre-registration is required to attend. To register, please visit the registration site and complete a brief form. https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/cef3bb5c-a6f7-4bce-8784-c79fc70f63ae@50f8fcc4-94d8-4f07-84eb-36ed57c7c8a2





Ohio Self Determination Association at We Thrive Together at 11 am 





For more information please go to https://wethrivetogether.org/upcoming-events/&nbsp





The Grassroots Project will be a hosting a webinar on tools and tips for commenting on 1915c Waivers. It on February 19, 2025 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EST. Please Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gLe17fxkQRW92ksYQPDuNg#/registration 





People First of Ohio Meeting 6:30-8pm





People First is a self advocacy group for Adults with IDD (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) in NE Ohio. They care about having our voices heard, empowering one another, nothing about us without us, Education, Equality and Inclusion. They meet virtually. For more information contact amy.mordaunt@thearcofohio.org





Thursday February 20th 





Statewide Independent Living Council meets in Columbus, Ohio from 2-4pm 





For more information and the meeting agenda please check out this website. 










Friday February 21st 





Disability Rights Ohio Budget Debrief at 3pm. contact 





Brittanie Maddox





Community Engagement and Advocacy Specialist





 bmaddox@disabilityrightsohio.org





Saturday February 22nd

					

		
		
	

							
	

				

			
						

				The 2025 Budget: One little-known Way To Survive The Storm by Dawn
			

										

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The 2025 Budget: One little-known Way To Survive The Storm


The beginning of the year is a time for many things to happen, such as goal setting, transitions, and so much more. This year is no different. Once again, it's time for budget season in Ohio, where we will be transitioning to the 2026-2027 fiscal year. This means writing and/or submitting testimony, attending many calls and meetings, and really ramping up advocacy efforts. It can also mean being volnerable, and sharing personal experiences and stories. On top of that, each budget cycle is different. Things such as self-care, and seeking support when needed are great tools to have in your advocacy toolbox. However, there is another way you can save your sanity, and, it's one of those lifehacks in advocacy that either isn't talked about, or, if it is, this particular aspect of it isn't.

That life hack is called ADA Accommodations , more specifically , getting a copy of the budget in a format that's accessible to you. Yes, you read that right. You have the right to make a request for ADA. accommodations for the budget bill... or, any piece of legislation for that matter, as well as any documents or materials such as written testimony. Don't worry, it's not as painful as you might think it will be. We'll cover the process, the response, and my experience. But, first, I'll give you a crash course on why you may need to ask for accommodations for the budget bill or any other bill, and any associated material such as documents, and written testimony.

 But, before we get into that, here's some things to keep in mind. First, the main operating budget bill has been introduced this week, which leads to the second thing. The sooner you request the accommodation(s) you need, the better, because they need time to process your request, get it into an alternative format, among other things. This way, you can be up-to-date with everything that's going on, and take action, whether that means submitting testimony, reaching out to legislators and representatives and senators, or something else. Also, everyone has different needs, abilities, and use-cases and daily set-ups, and, that's ok! That just means that we'll all need different accommodations, and, there's no one-size-fits-all approach to this. Now, let's get into the ADA Accommodations request process.

Let's start out with the reason(s) why I asked for accommodations, and why you might want to as well. For starters, the bills are posted on the My Ohio Legislature web site, which is not accessible for screenreaders users such as myself. Then, if you do manage to find the bill you want, for instance, the budget bill, guess what format it will be in? If you guessed PDF. then, you are correct. While the PDF. file extension stands for portable digital format, or picture digital format, for people with disabilities, especially screenreader users, such as myself, PDF. can and does stand for a myriad of other things. Some of which may not be appropriate to put in a blog post. For me, PDF. stands for picture digital frustration, among other things.
But, all kidding and jokes aside, PDF. files in my experience, do not play nice with screenreaders or braille devices. Or, if they were made to be accessible, typically, people didn't do it correctly, or, there were other elements in it such as images that either made it inaccessible, or the elements themselves were inaccessible, or, it wouldn't work on the device someone uses. I could tell you many horror stories about dealing with PDF. documents, and, I'm sure a lot of you have your own bad experiences. Then, there's the file size. To give you a baseline, HB. 33, the last budget bill was 9200 pages, or, 8 megabytes. The bigger the bill, the ligger the file size. Which could mean that you could have a hard time converting it into an alternative format, whether you do it yourself, or have someone else do it for you. Especially because a lot of conversion software and web sites have file size limitations. You may even have a hard time opening it on certain devices, or in certain apps, even with large storage thresholds. Or, if you have a device that has file size limits, and that's the only device you have, not to mention is part of your daily set-up, things could get dicey.
This is what happened in my case. When I tried opening the budget bill for last year, I ran up against file size limitations on my braille display that I use, and the application I normally use. Even opening it on my Ipad and Iphone which have more resources, it was still a struggle if not impossible. While I could've had it in hardcopy braille, that would take a long time, and they may have had to ship it here on a semi truck, not to mention it would take up a whole lot of space. Because braille is thicker than print.
There may be other reasons why you might want to ask for accommodations. Let's get into the request process.

Before you submit the request, think about what your needs are. While I know what I need, and do an ok job of expressing those nethes, I realize that might not be the same for everyone, especially if you've never went through this process before. Some people may know what they need but, don't know how to express it. Some people may not necisarily know what they need. I recommend writing your needs down on a piece of paper, or on your computer, tablet or phone. For instance, if you know what file formats work on your braille display, write that down. Then, go through those formats, and think about what's worked in the past, and what hasn't, then, jot that down too. Then, think about what other needs you have, such as if you need it in plain language, or, if you make notes to yourself on things you need to follow up on or watch closely, for instance. Then, think about what format(s) you prefer, and write them down in the order of preference. For me, I prefer: BRF. (braille reading/ready file/format) TXT. or, DOCX. I can read RTF. files, however, I only use this as a last resort.

Then, find who you need to contact. In this case, since we're requesting a copy of the budget bill in an accessible format, we'll go to the Ohio Legislative Services Commission web site. Then, you'll need to find a link that says "Key Contacts" and click on it. When requesting ADA. accommodations, a good general rule is to look for an ADA. cordinator, or Equal Opportunity Employment Coordinator, or something similar. The next best thing, is to find the director or head of whatever office, agency, commission, etc that are making the request to. In this case, you'd reach out to the director of the Ohio Legislative Services Commission, Wendy Zhan. Here is a link to the Key Contact page on the Ohio Legislative Services Commission's web site:


https://www.lsc.ohio.gov/about/key-contacts


Here is Director Wendy zhan's email:


Wendy.Zhan@lsc.ohio.gov


This page is accessible for screenreader users, you can navigate by heading to reach the contents of the page, by link to access the contact informan, and staff directors. For that, I want to give a lot of kudos to them, because their site is one of the very few government web sites both in the state, and nationally that are accessible.

Then, once you find the name of the person to contact, you can click on it to open your email program. You are now ready to write your request!
Here are some things to keep in mind and tips for this process.
Be kind, but firm, however, don't back down. As the old saying goes, you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar. I do understand the frustration, irritatation, etc that can come with advocacy, not getting your needs met, and all the shananigans we have to go through both in advocacy and as people with disabilities. However, it's always best to start out with kindness, and patience, among other things, but, you can also be firm. If you're coming up against obstacles, or barriers, then it's time to get firm. Also, don't give up! Lean on other people for support, file an ADA. claim if you have to, as a last resort.

Send your request in writing. While you can call the office, it's better to send an email. With emails, there's a paper trail, and, I also suggest making use of the blind carbon copy field as well. This way, you can have a copy of the email that's off-site, which will help in many situations.

I recommend having a few options if you can. While I prefer TXT. I'll also take a DOCX. file if TXT. isn't possible. I can also use RTF. files, however, due to formatting sometimes being iffy, I only use them as a last resort. then, if someone sends me a file in RTF. format, I send it to a friend of mine, who converts it to TXT. format. This way, I can get that converted down to a TXT. format. Another reason is if and when TXT. isn't possible or feasible, DOCX. has worked ok as an alternative in the past. Again, list the formats you want in order of preference. Although as a heads-up, the Ohio LSC. doesn't have the ability to produce files in BRF. format.

Let them know they can reach out and where and how they can contact you with any other questions is also a good idea too. When I was submitting my request, and, trying to figure out the best option that would work for everyone, I offered to set up a phone or Zoom call as well. I'm open to that, because they can give you a list of what resources they have, and, you can tell them what your needs are, and you can find a solution that will work for all parties. Plus, in the case of a bill, they might be able to tell you how things will be laid out, formatted, etc, which can and at times does factor into the equation. Also, it gives them an osportunity to learn about accessibility, and alternative formats, screenreaders and braille displays, and the like.
Keep an eye on your inbox. They may send you emails asking questions about your needs, etc. Be prepared to answer them. Also, if they find another way to convert the bill into an accessible format, that's great! Also, when they respond, they may copy another staff person on the reply. If they do this, I recommend hitting the resly all button. If you do this, it will go to everyone on the to field of the email, including those in the CC. field. Keep in mind it will not get sent to people you put in the blind carbon copy field. Although I recommend blind copying everyone on the replies you send, and forwarding anything that you get.


I will say, that for me, the process is ongoing. We had to work out some stuff related to file size limitations, as I stated earlier. However, I gave a couple schggestions/options, and, even offered to set up a phone or Zoom call to have further discussion if needed. It also doesn't hurt to let them know that these are the only device(s) you have. We were able to find a solution that will hopefully work, by breaking the budget bill into sections, with file sizes being no more than 1-2 MB. in size, and putting them in a zip folder. I should hear something and know more soon, !stce the operating budget bill has been released this week on February. I would like to publicly thank director Wendy Zhan, and her colleague, Megan Cummiskey for their assistance, and going above and beyond. They have been doing an awesome job, and, I'm more than greatful for their help, and willingness to work with me on this.

I know that this might seem overwhelming, especially if you've never had to do this before or very much. With that in mind, I've put together a couple of resources that may help you. One is a template that you can use when writing your email. You can customize it however you like, including what accommodations you need. I've also put together a little worksheet that you can fill out with different questions, such as what your needs are. You can also customize this however you like, and, you can write down your answers, or, type it on your computer, phone or tablet. Both documents will be in TXT. format to make things as accessible as possible.

If you have knowledge, experience, etc regarding this, I highly encourage you to share that with others in the advocacy community. I got my knowledge about this from another fellow advocate, and, I cannot thank her enough! Now, I'm paying it forward, by writing a blog post about this, and, passing on not only what I learned, but, my experience so far. Remember, you have the right to ask for accommodations under the Americans With Disabilities Act, and, there's nothing wrong with asking questions, and, asking for help. Asking for accommodations or help doesn't make you any less of an advocate or person. In fact, it does the opposite. Asking for accommodations, help, etc, is a sign of strength, guts and courage


I want to hear from you! Have you requested ADA Accommodations, and, is if so, what was your experience? Who and/or what agency or organization did you request accommodations from, and what materials did you request accommodations for? Did you get your accommodation(s) you needed? If not, what alternatives if any, did you utilize? Did you run into any barriers, and, if so, how did you overcome them? Do you have any other tips, knowledge, suggestions, etc to share?                    

					

		
		
	

							
	

				

			
						

				Ohio Pulse: What’s Happening In Ohio Week of February 10th, 2025 to February 15th, 2025
			

										

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The Pulse: What’s happening in Ohio February 10th, 2025 to February 15th 2025? 










Important Sign Ups and Events to Register for…





People First of Ohio is taking sign ups for some online advocacy trainings 





https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/V7Pwt9CSTy-duMKb5P4FXQ Register now for People First of Ohio’s online training! Each month, we’ll cover a wide variety of topics such as Technology, Voting Rights, Supported Decision Making, Connecting with State/National Policy Makers, Plain Language, Choosing a Provider & more.





Feb. 12, 2pm: History of Disability Rights/Key Legislation (then and now) with Gary Tonks from The Arc of Ohio and People First Advocates





Feb. 26, 2pm: Building a Strong Self Advocacy Group with Kraig Walker & Michael Richards from People First of OH.





Register once to join us for our entire series on Zoom. 





Recordings will be available later on People First’s website & YouTube channel for your chapter to discuss these topics in a group setting – or to watch at home!










Sign Ups for the Charting the Life Course Showcase https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0udMmxhv8eZ1rPE?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1WDkKun9-i8aFxb5wZyOuWE0MngSmXjcYeTyEb3UEXs9cU3aO2UJ65w3o_aem_m18ye8Y2FVAOHo8SIycmHg










Sign Up to Register for Cleveland Sight Center 2025 White Cane Walk through this link https://raceroster.com/events/2025/100902/2025-white-cane-walk 










Advocacy & Disability Related Events week of February 10th-15th 2025 around Ohio. 





Monday February 10th





No Known Events 





Tuesday February 11th





-Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities Budget Webinar





Join Director Kim Hauck on February 11th at 2:30 pm to learn more about Governor DeWine’s proposed budget for the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.  Register here for the webinar: https://www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_aPmijqH8RGWLmRe49XLHuQ?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2wTUhNxkR4b8paFn3VEsg48fFRNUVU1ct-Byk9tKM_eX9xtxIEEhOn1TQ_aem_Zcegox77xbSeGFcrE3O9DA#/registration










Wednesday February 12th 





-Ohio Self Determination Association at We Thrive Together at 11 am 





For more information please go to https://wethrivetogether.org/upcoming-events/&nbsp










-Assisted Technology Learning Lab Hands-On Assistive Technology for Employability Skills and Transition





Open House, Tuesday, Feb 11 · 11 AM–1 PM at Morrow County Board of Developmental Disabilities. 










-Supported Decision Making Network of Ohio Monthly Meeting. 12-2pm on zoom. 





This is for anyone who is interested in knowing more about supported decision making. https://www.sdmno.org










-Sharing Solutions ID/DD Educational Support Group for Families Caregivers and Professionals, Tuesday, Feb 11 · 5–7 PM at 430 Applegrove St NW North Canton, OH 44720, USA. They are hosting Gary Tonks from the Arc of Ohio as one of the speakers. 










Thursday February 13th





-OSDA Changemakers Virtual Group 4:30pm





It is a group of self advocates who discuss important disability rights issues. This is the zoom link to join. 










-Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council Meeting in Columbus, Ohio.





Friday February 14th 





-Disability Rights Ohio Budget Debrief at 3pm to 4pm please contact bmaddox@disabilityrightsohio.org for information on how to join this meeting.










-Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council Meeting in Columbus, Ohio.





Saturday February 15th





No Known Events 

					

		
		
	

							
	

				

			
						

				Ohio Pulse: What’s Happening February 3rd, 2025 to February 8th, 2025?
			

										

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Ohio Week of February 3rd to February 8th, 2025 





Every week Ohio Advocacy Heartbeat puts out a weekly what’s happening in Ohio and also we share one or two National Events to look forward to.





Upcoming Events for the week of February 3rd, 2025 to February 8th, 2025. You can a calendar of events  on our main website OhioAdvocacyHeartbeat.com 





At the current moment there is a sign up for Ohio Developmental Disabilities Day at the statehouse and you can find it by clicking this link. Ohio DD Day is set for March 4th 2025 at the Ohio Statehouse Registration is required in advance for everyone including caregivers.





Monday February 3rd, 2025 





No Known Events










Tuesday February 4th, 2025 










Wednesday February 5th, 2025 





Ohio Self Determination Association at We Thrive Together at 11 am 





For more information please go to https://wethrivetogether.org/upcoming-events/ 





Ohio Olmsted Taskforce 1-3pm 










Thursday February 6th, 2025 





Supported Decision Making Network of Ohio Padlit Meeting 11am 










Friday Friday February 7th, 2025 





No known events 





Saturday February 8th, 2025





No known events 

					

		
		
	

							
	

				

			
						

				
			

										

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My Thoughts On Meta's Recent Accessibility Fixes, and Their Continued Work With The NFB.
By Dawn





My Thoughts On Meta's Recent Accessibility Fixes, and Their Continued Work With The NFB.
By Dawn


Whether we like it or not, both technology, and social media are parts of our lives, both at work and at home. Many people, especially people with disabilities, use it to communicate, connect with friends and family and get peer support.  Techildrenlogy and social media are also great tools to use for systemic and self-advocacy efforts, when used wisely. Social media has also become a way to pass the time for people as well. I think we've all been guilty of saying "I'll check Facebook for a few minutes, and then cook dinner" for instance, and then realizing that it's 7 PM. and you still haven't cooked dinner yet!

While tech and social media can be a good thing for people with disabilities, when there are access barriers, such as an app not working with screenreaders, or accessibility regressions, things can become problematic. Meta is a prime example of this.

For a while now, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has had accesssibility regressions. It all started when the MBasic Facebook web site was depricated. Originally, this web site was designed for mobile browsers with limited capabilities. However, it gave blind people a huge advantage, because it was text-based, which made it easy for blind people to use. This was important, because the main Facebook site is inaccessible for people who use screenreaders.
Due to security reasons, meta depricated the MBasic Facebook site. Sadly, this caused some unintended consequences for blind and visually impaired people. As a result, Facebook became an accessibility nightmare for screenreader users on laptops and desktops.
Now, before I go any further, it is my belief that this was unintentional, and, this was one of those scenarios where good intentions backfired. I also think that there was a lack of awareness and/or understanding or both on the effects this would have, as well as how it was being used by the blind and visually impaired community, and why.
The reason why I believe this, is because in October of 2024, the National Federation Of The Blind approached Meta about aessibility regressions with Facebook, with the web site being the most critical area of concern. Meta has been working with the NFB. to identify and fix issues, and they are open and willing to continue to work with the NFB.

Recently, Jonathan Mosen, the diraector of technology advocacy initiatives for The National Federation Of The Blind, shared an update regarding the advocacy efforts with Facebook. If you'd like to read the article, you can click the link below:


https://nfb.org/blog/making-meta-accessible-update-latest-improvements



To summarize it, NFB. and Meta have made progress toward fixing some issues, however, there are some caveats you should be aware of. Plus, there is still a lot of work to be done. 
Here is a summarized list of improvements.
1. The Facebook Site:
Facebook has created a URL. that will force the  current Facebook mobile site to work with modern desktop and lapto browsers. If you'd like to take a look at it, click the following link:


https://www.facebook.com/?force_mobile=1



While this is great news, there are caveats. First and foremost, this site is not designed for mobile browsers, and, there may be more issues that NFB. hasn't encountered yet in their testing.

2. The page scrolls continuously, which could make things confusing, because there isn't a set number of posts on a page.
3. There's also no easy way to navigate by post. NFB. offered the suggestion of making each post a heading or landmark, which would make navigating with screenreaders easier and smoother.

This is not perfect, however, Meta is committed to making the desktop browser accessible.
This link is available to use now, so, feel free to bookmark it, or save it to your desktop.

The news wasn't all bad though! The NFB. has received feedback about accessibility issues with Facebook for IOS. I will get more into how they have effected me, in a little bit, as well as other accessibility issues, and their impact on me, and my thoughts on the latest developments.

Meta has rolled out a fix for an accessibility issue where a profile picture was getting read as a separate element by VoiceOver, which meant that instead of only needing one swipe to navigate posts, you needed to use two. In my case, I use a braille display, which made navigating a lot harder. I had to press my thumb keys more to be able to get past the profile picture, to get to the post content, plus navigating the content of the post. Although I was able to tolerate it, it was annoying, and, I'm proud to say that it is fixed!

Another accessibility issue that NFB. identified, was a bug where any text you typed into the text field to write a post was not being recognized by VoiceOver. Meta has said that a fix is on the way that should resolve the issue.
I have gotten severe bites from this bug several times. Whenever I type something into a text field, I could type the first word, however when I hit the spacebar on my braille display or onscreen keyboard, it would disappear. If I typed any more, it would be turned into nothing but uninteligible jibberish. This happens no matter what I'm doing, whether it's writing a birthday wish on someone timeline, or, making a post on my personal or the Ohio Advocacy Heartbeat Facebook page. This has happened when I write something on a link that I share as well on my personal and our Facebook page. It doesn't matter what typing method I use. I've tested it with my braille display, using the onscreen keyboard, and also braille screen input, which is an onscreen braille keyboard that you can with type on using your Iphone or Ipad.
The only workarounds I've found are:
Write posts for our page using the Meta Business Suite IOS. app, and just share links from the Facebook IOS. app.
Use dictation if writing a post whether it's on my personal page, or our page. This was not ideal because that came with its own challenges, mainly that you couldn't edit or correct any mistakes dictation made. When I would try editing it, it would just get turned into jibberish.
I have also sent people messages using the Messenger app, but, have only done that to a select few people. So, I've had to avoid writing anything on people's timelines. Or, I would just share a link, and reach out to the person if possible and let them know about what I shared, and why.
I have also turned Voiceover off and had Mom whose sighted, write the posts for me.

I have heard of other blind and visually impaired people using apps such as the Notes app to write what they wanted to say, then doing any needed editing, and copying and pasting the text into post. I was and still am uncomfortable with using this method, for fear of what I wrote still being turned into jibberish. Also, to me, that is an unnecessary step that should not be needed. I had to do this a while back when there was a bug that made focus jump around randomly for users of braille displays. Because I rely heavily on email, and write and send a lot of emails, it was beyond frustrating, and beyond time-consuming, among other things. Using the onscreen keyboard was not feasible, as that would slow me down even more. Plus, braille is a huge cornerstone in my life, and, it is part of my daily set-up. Using other apps gave mixed results. Either the bug would be present there, or, the interface was not user-friendly.


Meta has committed to keep working with the NFB. on making further accessibility improvements to things such as Facebook, and the Rayban Meta Glasses.


If you are having accessibility issues with Facebook, you can send an email to Jonathan Mosen at:

jmosenanfb.org


You can also fill out the Inaccessibility Tracker Form, which was made by the National Federation Of The Blind to track accessibility issues with web sites, and other technology. You can access the form by clicking here:


https://nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access/inaccessibility-tracker-form


NFB. has also put together a self-advocacy toolkit, which you can use to make constructive approaches to technology companies, app developers, etc, to resolve any accessibility issues you're having. The kit includes a webinar that demonstrates how to implement the toolkit, and gives demonstrations, sample letters to send to companies and service providers, their inaccessibility tracker form, and more. To access the toolkit, you can go to:

https://nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-accessibility/self-advocacy-toolkit-and-tracking-form


If you'd like to hear a demo on how to use the Facebook workaround, the Access On podcast hosted by Jonathan Mosen, and the National Federation Of The Blind, has recently published an eppisode talking about these issues, and giving a demonstration of the Facebook workaround for desktop and laptop users. If you wish to listen to it, you can click here:

https://accesson.pinecast.co/episode/be7f8c4c/meta-rolls-out-some-accessibility-fixes-to-facebook-audiom-provides-accessible-maps-and-learning-a-language 



I'm very pleased that progress is being and has been made. Meta is continuing their work and partnership with the NFB. and is willing to continue to work to address issues and regressions. While the workaround for the site is not perfect, it's better than nothing. I'm sure that more issues will be addressed, as more testing is done. As with any new or updated thing, there's always bugs, especially on the first version. I'd like to thank both Meta and the NFB. for working together to address these very serious issues. This is a great example of what can happen when companies and advocates and advocacy organizations and groups come together.

With that being said, I do agree that there is still more work to be done. There's other accessibility issues that me and I'm sure other screenreaders are being plagued with. One issue that I'm running into, is links not showing up on posts using Voiceover. When I find a link, all the cells on my braille display are blank, and, Voiceover doesn't announce the link, it just clicks and stays silent. This makes it hard if not impossible to find and click on a link.

At Ohio Advocacy Heartbeat, we're committed to accessibility. We believe that accessibility allows for more voices to be at the advocacy table. To mediate and work around this issue, whenever a post is made about a blog entry, we will put the link in the comments section of the post. If you are having accessibility issues, and you use VoiceOver, you can do the following:


1. Open the post with a 1-finger double-tap.
2. When the post is opened, swipe right with 1 finger until you get to the comments section.
3. From there, swipe right with 1 finger until you hear something like:
"Ohio Advocacy Heartbeat author commentted, if you are having accessibility issues, you can click here, and then the link"

4. From there, do a 1-finger double-tap, or, you can do a 2-finger double-tap, which is also known as the magic tap to bring up a list of options.
5. From there, swipe right with 1 finger until you hear something like: 
"open link attachment".

6. From there just do a 1-finger double-tap, and the link should open, and behave as normal.  

There's also issues with the Meta Business Suite app, with unlabeled buttons, and elements not showing as being clickable at times. I've also seen some things that weren't labeled correctly. The chart and insights aren't very accessible either. All I see are numbers, but have no idea what the numbers are or what they correlate with. These are just a few things that need fixed. This latest progress report does give me hope though! I will continue to monitor this situation, and give updates whenever I can. Right now, we should give Meta some patience, grace, and brownie points.


I want to hear from you. What accessibility issues are you having with Facebook, and what operating systems and platform(s) are you seeing them on? What screenreader are you using? Have you found any workarounds? If so, please give a walkthrough as detailed as possible. Have you tried the URL. yet, and have you found any issues with it?  Are you having any accessibility issues on other Meta platforms? If so, where are you seeing the issue, and if you have workarounds, please let us know. Feel free to leave a comment. All I ask is for everyone to be respectful    

                 

					

		
		
	

							
	

				

			
						

				Ohio Pulse: What’s Happening in Ohio January 27th to February 1st, 2025?
			

										

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Week of January 27th to February 1st, 2025





Every week Ohio Advocacy Heartbeat puts out a weekly what’s happening in Ohio and also we share one or two National Events to look forward to.





Upcoming Events for the week of January 27th to February 1st 2025. You can a calendar of events  on our main website OhioAdvocacyHeartbeat.com 





At the current moment there is a sign up for Ohio Developmental Disabilities Day at the statehouse and you can find it by clicking this link. Ohio DD Day is set for March 4th 2025 at the Ohio Statehouse Registration is required in advance for everyone including caregivers.





Monday January 27th 2025





Building an Inclusive 988 from 2-3pm register through this link










Tuesday January 28th, 2025 





Southwest Ohio Advocacy Group Meets in Cincinnati, Ohio. 6-8pm at 4623 Wesley Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45212, USA










Wednesday January 29th, 2025










Human Trafficking Prevention Advocacy Day at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. 





In recognition of Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the Collaborative to End Human Trafficking is hosting an advocacy day, along with its partners from across Ohio.
https://collabtoendht.networkforgood.com/events/78636-human-trafficking-prevention-statehouse-advocacy-day










Ohio Self Determination Association at We Thrive Together at 11 am For more information please go to https://wethrivetogether.org/upcoming-events/ 










Innovation in the Direct Care Workforce: Unlocking Success Through Peer Learning, Wednesday, Jan 29 · 2–3 PM 





Please Register through this link. 










Thursday January 30th, 2025





Pickaway County Provider Round Table 4-5pm at 200 E High Street Circleville, OH 43113, USA





Pickaway County is hosting a provider round table the topic is Compassion Fatigue. It is both in person and virtual. For questions or to receive the zoom link please contact aknotts@pickawaydd.org 










Friday January 31st, 2025 





No known events 





Saturday February 1st 





No known events 

					

		
		
	

							
	

				

			
						

				How I Use Braille by Dawn
			

										

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How I Use Braille



Recently, I wrote a post about why braille is beautiful. If you'd like to read it, you can click here:


https://ohioadvocacyheartbeat.com/2025/01/14/why-braille-is-beautiful-by-dawn/


For 200 years, braille is been a both a fixture and a mainstay in blind people's lives. It helps achieve independence, employment, and overall improves quality of life. There's a lot of uses for braille, including labeling things, reading religious materials, the list goes on. In honor of Braille Litwitheracy Month, I decided to write about how I use braille.
Sometimes, when someone mentions or suggests learning braille whether it's for someone who was born blind, or someone who became blind or visually impaired later in life, a common question is: "What would I use it for?"
Typically, when ever I get asked this, I always respond with some form of: "Well, what are some things you like to do, or liked to do before you lost your sight?" and listen to people's responses. Depending on what their answers are, I try and take some of their answers and tell them how braille applies to them. For instance, if someone tells me they love reading, then, I will tell them about how braille will open your world up, because you'll be able to read books in whatever genre you like, or, even read magazines and newspapers, and, I talk about various resources such as the NLS. (National Library Service For The Blind And Print Disabled.) I also talk about ways to read, such as getting harcopy braille books, or, even reading on a refreshable braille display. I know that every one's use case, situation, circumstances, etc will be different. However, I wanted to give some ideas. But, first, I want to share my braille journey with you all.


I have been blind since birth, due to underdeveloped optic nerves. I started learning braille when I was 6 months old, and, I'm 27 now. So, I've been reading and using braille for about 26 years give or take. When she found out I was blind, Mom had no help. That meant that she had to figure things out on her own, and find resources on her own. She taught herself braille, so that she could teach me. When the braille code changed from English Braille American Edition or, as we call it, old braille, to Unified English Braille or new braille as we call it, in 2016, I had to start from scratch. There have been periods in my life where I have had no access to braille, such as when my equipment needed repairs, or, when my BrailleNote was taken from me in 2016 2 weeks before graduating high school. I now have a refreshable braille display, and, I'm very happy to say, I'm reading and writing in the new braille code! I will also say that my refreshable braille display is a big cornerstone in my life. It gives me the ability to do many things that I otherwise either would not be able to do, or, that I wouldn't be able to do as well and effectively as I can do them now. With that in mind, here are some ways that I use braille, and incoporate it into my daily life.


1. Navigation using braille plates and signage
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, public place are required to have braille plates and signage, including in the elevators. When I was in school, I often used the braille plates by each classroom to navigate. For example, if I needed to find my science class, I knew the room number was 208. So, I'd take my route, and, double-check to make sure I was at the right room! It also helps in the elevators. If I'm on another floor, and, I need to go to the lobby, I get in the elevator and look for the button that has a braille and tactile marker for the lobby, and press it!


2. Cooking

I love microwave meals for a variety of reasons. However, since microwaves are touchscreens, I'd need help finding the buttons to press, or I'd have to have someone heat up my meal for me. However, my microwave has braille labels on it for the number pad, the start and stop buttons, etc, which means that all I have to do is have someone read me the directions on the package for the meal.

Sadly, due to how the devices are being made now, such as having buttons on a touchscreen that are very close together, it's getting harder for these types of appliances to be brailled.

There are also braille measuring cups and spoons that you can buy to help with cooking as well. They're plastic, and the braille is molded into it, which means no danger of labels popping off when being washed! You can get them from various adaptive equipment companies such as MaxiAids.

As a bonus, if you have thermaform paper, you can write down recipes in braille! I recommend using this type of paper, because if you get stuff on it, you can just wipe it off. Whereas with regular braille paper, it can become damaged, and make the information hard if not impossible to read.



3. Financial Management


You can get your bank statements in braille! This allows for greater financial independence, because you'll be able to keep track of your bank balance, transations and deposits etc. If you're not sure if your bank provides this, you can call them, or go to their website. For instance, if you do business with Huntington Bank, you can either call, go into a branch, or, fill out a form online to obtain your braille statements.
Also, check and see if you can get your bills in braille as well!


4. Keeping up with the news

I like to stay in the loop about events going on in my community, in Ohio, nationally, as well as internationally, plus, news surrounding advocacy and disability rights issues. If I want to read a national newspaper, or an Ohio newspaper such as the Dayton Daily News, I use a service called NFBNewsline, which is a free service available to people who are blind, or have other print disabilities. I can get any newspapers and magazines that they offer on my braille display. I can also navigate through the publication, and skip articles and sections that aren't of interest to me.
I can also look at social media such as Facebook to see what's going on in the disability and advocacy communities. I just pair my Iphone and Ipad with my braille display with bluetooth, and, I'm ready to go!


      

5. Reading books... otherwise known as keeping my sanity


Reading has been my main coping mechanism for years. I like all kinds of genres, however, my favorite genres are mystery, thriller, or suspense. I can go to Bookshare, a subscription-based service for people with print disabilities, or the Braille And Audio Reading Download or BARD. web site from the NLS. and browse the books they offer, or search for a book or author I want to read. If it's available on any of those services, I can download it directly to my braille display. From there, I can read it anywhere at any time! This saves on space and expense. Braille books are sometimes broken down into volumes because it's thicker than print. One print page is 3 braille pages. This means that space is at a premium. This also saves money, because, braille books can be expensive, especially if you read books like the Alex Cross series by James Patterson.


5. Communicating

I can write, read, receive and send things such as text messages or emails using braille. I just use my braille display which is paired to my IOS. device through bluetooth. So, if someone asks me if I need anything from the store, I can read the text, and reply back with my answer, all while using braille. It makes typing much faster, and much more accurate than using an onscreen keyboard, or dictation.

6. Learning and Education


When I was in scholl, my textbooks, assignments and so on were in braille. Nowadays, when I'm in a training, I will still have my materials in braille on my refreshable braille display. It helps me follow along with what's being taught, and, I can comprehend it better. It also allows me to do any worksheets that are associated with whatever workshop or training I attend. As a bonus, if it's provided ahead of time, I can look at a presentation that's being screenshared in a meeting. This is crucial for me because, as a screenreader user, visual content that is being screenshared is not accessible to me, due to the fact that it's essentially a video. The only way I get annthing out of screenshares, is if there's an audio component, or if people describe things in detail, or, if I can read the presentations. If I have the presentation they're reading, then I can follow along, and participate more in the discussion.



7. Notetaking and other secretarial work

For those who don't know, I'm a member of the National Federation of The Blind Ohio Greater Akron Chapter, and the NFB. Ohio Community Service Devision. I recently became the secretary for the devision. Which means I take notes in the meetings, and write out the minutes, and keep track of the member list. Braille is crucial to me being able to do this. With braille, I can be in the meeting, and writing in my shorthand, and then when I'm working on the minutes, I can look at my notes, and, type up the minutes that way. I can do all of this directly on my braille display. While recording meetings is essential, having notes you take down is another crucial component. I can even read the minutes on the braille display at the meeting.



8. Advocacy

As a disability rights advocate in Ohio, I do a lot, and wear many hats. I attend meetings, write letters, and, yes, I even write these blog posts using braille, for example. Writing and reading are big parts of advocacy. Whether it's writing an email asking for reasonable accommodations, or submitting written testimony, or reading changes to a rule, or any of the other laundry list of tasks we do as advocates, and, it helps me out a great deal with all of these things, and many others. I firmly believe that if I didn't have braille in my life, I either wouldn't be able to do all the things I do, or do them nearly as well or efficiently. More than likely, I'd have to make the difficult decision to step down from some of my roles and positions.


9. Organization and labeling


I also use braille to organize things. For instance, I have an extensive CD. collection. My albums are labeled so that I know what they are. This is especially helpful when I have multiple albums from the same artist.
You can use braille to organize in other ways as well. For example, you can label spice containers, or put a braille label on a magnet, and stick it to a canned food item.



10. Recording content for radio programs

I recently started volunteering and recording content for radio programs for Goodwill Youngstown Radio Reading Service. I have a list of books that I'd like to record. I recently recorded a set of books to honor Dr. Seuss's birthday. I downloaded the books to my braille display, and read them, and recorded them using my Ipad. I can go to NLS. BARD. and Bookshare to get books to read. I could also read magazines from NFBNewsline, or BARD.


11. You can draw with your perkins brailler

Yes, you read that right! You can draw with your perkins braillewriter! There's a book on Amazon by Kim Charlson called Drawing with your perkins brailler. There's also drawings online that you can find. Kim Charlson's books has several drawings in it, including a christmas tree, and shapes such as a triangle. 

This is by no means an extensive list of use cases for braille. However, I hope that I've given you some ideas on how to incorporate braille into your daily life. I'd love to hear how you use braille, and about your braille journey. Feel free to post a comment and share your thoughts!    
 

					

		
		
	

							
	

				

			
						

				Ohio Pulse : What’s Happening in Ohio Advocacy January 20th to January 25th?
			

										

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Week of January 20th, 2025





Every week Ohio Advocacy Heartbeat puts out a weekly what’s happening in Ohio and also we share one or two National Events to look forward to.





Upcoming Events for the week of January 20th to January 25th. You can a calendar of events  on our main website OhioAdvocacyHeartbeat.com 










Monday January 20th, 2025





Federal Holiday (All Banks and Government offices are closed) 





Martin Luther King Day





Presidential Inauguration Day 





Tuesday January 21st, 2025 





Deadline for nominations for the Ohio Self Direction Advisory Council https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=xPz4UNiUB0-E6zbtV8fIoktW6A6hYRVMm4JrBAhkK7dUQlNCOTVMV1BOWUw1NlZXUjQxWFlPV1VJNC4u&route=shorturl&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery





The Link Center is hosting a series of virtual Shared Learning Groups for DSPs, clinical professionals, family members, and individuals with lived experience. This session will focus on preventing justice system involvement for individuals with IDD and co-occurring mental health needs. Participants will explore critical touchpoints within the justice system where support can make a difference, ensuring individuals receive the resources and understanding they need. The session will also highlight strategies for successful reintegration into society by connecting individuals with community resources and support networks.





Direct Support Professionals: January 21, 2025, 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET





Clinical Professionals: January 21, 2025, 3:00-4:30 p.m. ET





Families of People With Lived





REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED 





Learn More at: https://acl.gov/TheLinkCenter/SharedLearningGroups





Wednesday January 22nd, 2025





Ohio Self Determination Association at We Thrive Together at 11 am 





For more information please go to https://wethrivetogether.org/upcoming-events/ 





The Link Center is hosting a series of virtual Shared Learning Groups for DSPs, clinical professionals, family members, and individuals with lived experience. This session will focus on preventing justice system involvement for individuals with IDD and co-occurring mental health needs. Participants will explore critical touchpoints within the justice system where support can make a difference, ensuring individuals receive the resources and understanding they need. The session will also highlight strategies for successful reintegration into society by connecting individuals with community resources and support networks.





REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED 





Learn More at: https://acl.gov/TheLinkCenter/SharedLearningGroups





Experience: January 22, 2025, 1:00-2:30 p.m. ET





People With Lived Experience: 





January 22, 2025, 3:00-4:30 p.m. ET





Thursday January 23rd, 2025





No known events





Friday January 24th, 2025 





No known events 





Saturday January 25th 





No known events 










Here are some events coming up in next few months that require advanced registration. 





At the current moment there is a sign up for Ohio Developmental Disabilities Day at the statehouse and you can find it by clicking this link. Ohio DD Day is set for March 4th 2025 at the Ohio Statehouse Registration is required in advance for everyone including caregivers.










 The Brain Injury Association of Ohio is hosting Brain Injury Advocacy Day at the Statehouse is March 10th. There is advanced registration required and two virtual training sessions. For more information please check out this link or contact them through their Facebook page. 





To add your event to our calendar please fill out this form and we will add your event.  






					

		
		
	

							
	

				

			
						

				Why Braille is Beautiful by Dawn
			

										

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Why Braille Is Beautiful


January is a big deal for a lot of reasons. It's the start of a new year, and an opportunity for new beginnings. It's technology month, and, self-care month. But, for the blind community, there's a couple very big reason why this month is so important. On January 4, 1809, a boy named Louis Braille was born. He lost his sight at the age of 3, after playing with one of his father's tools. He wanted to read and write just like every one else. But, back then, blind people were cut off from communicating, reading and writing. He attended The Royal School For Blind Youth in Paris France. There, he learned about a system called night writing, which was made up of dots and dashes that soldiers could feel and read on the battlefield. From that code, he invented a system of raised dots that is still used being used today. We use this system to read, write, and communicate. This year, in particular, marks an especially important milestone. This year, braille has been around for 200 years. Braille has opened up the world for the blind and visually impaired community. This is what makes braille so beautiful. Helen Keller, a deaf-blind disability rights activist, once said that we the blind are as indebted to Louis Braille as mankind is to Guttenberg for the printing press. In my view, there are no truer words! With that being said, here are some other reasons that braille is so beautiful.


1. It fosters independence
This for meeath is a huge one! Whether it's putting a label on your spice containers so you know which one is which, or putting braille on your microwave, it's a wonderful not to mention essential tool in the independent living toolbox. Plus, getting crucial documents you need in braille such as bank statements, is a blessing!

2. It helps us navigate
When you go in an elevator, the panel is brailled. It helps a blind student navigate their school building, and know which classroom they are entering. Per the ADA. all public buildings are required to have braille signage.

3. It increases your chance of getting employed
In the U.S. and around the world, the unemployment rate for blind and visually impaired is very high. However, braille can be a factor in whether someone gets employed or not. If a blind person knows braille, they're 90% more likely to get employed. This is because braille allows us to read and write with our sighted peers. This means that we can write emails and other correspondents related to work. Plus, if you have a refreshable braille display, your productivity will be even better.

4. Reading is more than just listening
While audiobooks are great, and can be an excellent way to access reading materials, you may be limited on what you can access. But, with braille, your world is significantly more open. With braille, you can access books on Bookshare, or through NLS.'s braille-on-demand program, which allows you to get up to 5 hardcopy braille books sent to your home per month. Also, if you have a refreshable braille display, books, newspapers, and magazines will be litterally at your fingertips!


I could go on and on about this topic, but, I want to hear from you! Why do you think braille is beautiful? How are you celebrating Braille Litteracy Month?


If you would like some braille resources, including how to get braille materials, The National Library Service For The Blind And Print Disabled has put together a page celebrating the 200th aniversary of the invention of braille. This page includes a list of NLS's braille litteracy initiatives, and ways to get access to braille materials. To find it, go to:


https://www.loc.gov/nls/braille-200/






Also, as a bonus, please enjoy this song by James Brown And The Cane Tips, and The National Federation Of The Blind, called Braille Is Beautiful.


https://youtu.be/-_AEO0WBKt4?si=_3IFe4ScId-qKa0m

					

		
		
	

							
	

				

			
						

				
			

										

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When Caring For You Means Doing Something Hard By Dawn 





When Caring For You Means Doing Something Hard By Dawn 


How often have you heard the phraise you cannot help anyone else until you put on your own xygen mask? I've heard this saying before, in defferent ways. To say that 2024 was a difficult year for me, would be an understatement. I faced a lot of obstacles, challenges, and many more things. One of the things that I faced was mistreatment. For the sake of privacy, I won't go into any details. All I will say, is that because of it, I had to makke the difficult decision to step back from some things, for mental health reasons. It wasn't something I wanted to do, it was something I had to do.

Well, this year, started off with me having to make a similar decision. Someone that would be chairing a committee I would be on, had an issue with something that happened in an event we both attend regularly. This person was angry, and not happy about the situation, and expressed those feelings in an inappropriate way. Then, the next day, they called me, and took their feelings out on me, instead of taking it out on the person in charge. The person in charge intervened and stepped up, and we resolved the situation. However, it left me with some questions, fears, and worries.
I had been in a similar situation before with this person, plus, it reminded me of things that I had experienced before. After thinking about it for a few days, I made the dificult decision to call the person in charge of committees, and step down from that committee. I know that people are disappointed, but, I had to make the right decision for myself. We were able to find a way that I could still do stuff to help out, just in a different capacity.
This was a hard call to make, but, I'm glad I did it. By doing that, I held boundaries, and set the tone for how I would like to treated.
As advocates, and public servants, we get a lot of crap thrown at us on a daily basis. Whether it's from people we work of, people in the various systems, or any other source, we have to take a lot of stuff. I'll admit, I was always one of those people that just took it, and tried working things out, and stayed in the bad situations. However, this time, I stood up for me. I took care of me.
Because another reason I stepped back, is because of time commitments. I'm transitioning into a new elected role, and I want to focus on other projects such as Heartbeat, plus I have other things going on in my personal life. Things are changing and shifting, and, I'm not sure where things will fit, or what this year will look like for me.
Also, I want to have some time to recover from 2024, and find a way to either heal, or live with the scars, and deal with some things that are still going on, and put my personal and professional lives back to rights.
It's important to have and stick to boundaries, stick up for yourself, both as a an advocate, and a person. It's not easy, and sometimes, it hurts, and it can be scary the first time or few times you do it. However, I'm speaking from experience, today, when I got off the phone, I felt lighter, and yes, empowered. I even felt proud of myself. Maybe I'll be able to work on this committee in some capacity at a later time, and maybe not. But, I'm sure that things will work out, no matter how the chips fall. Remember that things like this could be blessings in disguise. Ohio Advocacy Heartbeat is a prime example of this. While last year was painful for me, Ohio Advocacy Heartbeat was what came out of that pain, and, it's still growing. Plus, as a bonus, I get to work with a top-notch advocate, who I am honored to call a friend.

I want to hear from you, and, make space for people to know they're not alone. Have you had to do this type of thing before? Are you still working on it? What advice would you give to anyone struggling with this, both personally, and as an advocate? Do you have any stories like this, that you would consider blessings in disguise? I want to hear from you, and, I want to give you all a space to share your own thoughts. 






					

		
		
	

							
	

				

			
						

				
			

										

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Unite, Don't Fight: What Advocates Can And Should Do To Foster Unity By Dawn





Unite, Don't Fight: What Advocates Can And Should Do To Foster Unity


This world has a lot of problems, famine, war, the list is endless. There's also a lot of discourse, uncertainty, etc in this country and the world right now, especially politically, socially, and in advocacy. There's also a lot of issues in disability rights, and advocacy, both nationally and in this state. Such issues include but aren't limited to, digital accessibility, voting access, rideshare denials, and ending sub-minimum wage, just to name a few. This year, things will be even more intense, due to changing administrations, and in Ohio, this year it's budget season once again. While discourse and disagreement is good, there's a lot of in-fighting, partisanship, etc, which isn't good for anyone. As advocates, we need to unite, not fight, and, yes, foster some new relationships, and maintain relationships with current allies, whether policymakers, or other advocates.

This post is not meant to be political, nor endorse any particular person or party. I want this to be people and advocates together. Here are some things we can do as advocates.


1. Find some common ground we can work together on.
The National Federation Of The Blind, and the American Council Of The Blind, are 2 very different groups, and as such they have different advocacy styles, and advocate on different issues. However, they have found some common ground. A big example of this, is when they came together for a protest outside of Lyft's and Uber's headquarters in San Fransisco California. All too often, while there's common ground, we are not in agreement about how things should get done, etc. Let's look at big issues whether it's state issues, such as the direct care workforce crisis, or national issues, such as digital accessibility, and find ways we can work together, and unite.
I'm not saying that we can't work separately, but, if we can work together on various parts of an issue, or even an issue, it will foster a lot of unity.


2. Maintain Relationships With Current Allies in Policy and in the legislature
As advocates, we have a lot of allies, whether it's our family, friends, careworkers, or anyone else no matter what relationship they have with you. However, some of the most important allies we have, are the policymakers and our legislators. These are the people that can help us get things done, and make changes that can have a positive impact both nationally and at the state level for disability rights. Therefore, maintaining the rapport you have with or legislators is another way advocates can foster unity. These will be especially helpful once budget season starts.

3. Build Reltionships with new and incoming legislators
This year, there will be some new legislators in office in certain districts, both in Ohio and throughout the United States. For some, that may mean establishing new connections. This can be scary, and intimidating, on so many levels. But, we should at least try and reach out, and build a rapport with them, no matter what side of the aisile you both are on. You may be on the left, and sy may be on the right, but, that shouldn't matter. When it comes to advocacy, I check politics at the door. I'm not saying there isn't politics in advocacy, because there is. However, when it comes to disability rights, advocacy etc, we should be willing to work across political, social, and other lines. This is what I try to do. I try and overlook differences, and see where agrements can be reached. We're not going to agree with every one on every thing, and that's ok! In fact, it's what makes this country so great! But, if we can find common ground, and be civil when we disagree, we will get a lot more done. If you have new reps and senators in your districts, reach out and introduce yourself to them. Educate them on what life is like for people with disabilities nationally, in Ohio, and day-to-day. Educate them on the waiver systems in Ohio. Educate them on the issues that are important to you. Who knows, you may find more common ground than you thought you'd find, and you may find a new ally!

These are just a few ways we can foster unity. With budget season starting, and, various other changes that will be happening politically, it's more important now more than ever to come together. I'd like to hear from you. How else can we foster unity in the disability and advocacy community? How are you fostering unity and bringing people together? I want to hear your thoughts. Again, let me reitterate that this is not meant to be political post, nor is this post meant to endorse anyone. The goal of this post, is promote unity.               

					

		
		
	

							
	

				

			
						

				My Experience With Google Accessibility By Phone by Dawn
			

										

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My Experience With Google Accessibility By Phone

Technology is great! It gives us the ability to be independent, get help when and if we need it, and get and retain employment, and so many more things! When it works, the keyword being when.
We've all been there, you're going about your day, doing some holiday shopping, checking Facebook, or doing whatever you needed to do and... your device starts acting wonky. Or, you have been using it, and things have been going wonderfully. Until that is, you have to update your software. What do you do? Some people may look on YouTube, or any other site, talk to friends and/or family, and maybe try some basic troubleshooting steps, such as turning it off and back on again. Most of the time, these solutions either work, or give you a workaround until the issue is fixed for instance. But, sometimes, no matter how hard you try, or what troubleshooting steps you take, the issue persists. So, then the next logical step is to reach out to tech support.

For people without disabilities, this is pretty straightforward. You call, tell the agent what issue you're having, on which device it's occurring on, and whatever troubleshooting steps you've taken. For people with disabilities, the process can get complicated, for a number of reasons. We use assistive tech such as screenreaders, which makes our devices work differently than a non-disabled person's. That means that while we use our devices to do the same things as the rest of society, we have to do things differently. Or, we may use a piece of assistive technology such as a braille display which connects to our devices. To add to that, we may use our devices for things such as reading documents aloud with OCR. To add to the complexity, if someone has a cognitive or intelectual disability, or learning disability, etc, understanding what the agent is telling you to do can be challenging. For these reasons, we rely on accessibility support phone numbers and channels, that have agents that are trained to work 
with accessibility features and people with disabilities. Sometimes, these agents use assistive tech outside of work as well.
I recently had an issue that is still ongoing, that required me to reach out to tech support for Apple and Google. This is my reveiw of my experience calling Google Accessibility. I've also put in some recommendations on how accessibility support lines could be improved, as well as my recommendation for the best way to get ahold of Google Disability Support, along with the ways you can reach out.
To give a little background, I'm completely blind, and use the Voiceover screenreader, on my Iphone and Ipad. I also use email quite a bit, and have a Gmail address, linked to my Apple Mail app. This issue started when I updated to 18.2 on both devices.
Apple recently released a feature that sorts your email into categories, such as transactions, priority, etc as well. However, there's only support for this feature on the Iphone, not the Ipad. Before updating, everything was going wonderfully.
The issue started when I had to schedule an email to be sent out at 9 PM. on Wednesday night. I had set it up like I usually did, and figured I'd download the update, and the email could and would be sent out while that was happening. I found out later on, that the email was never received. However, it was not in the send later box as it normally would be nor was it in the outbox, which would've indicated that the message didn't go through. Then, I looked at the rest of my emails. My inbox was ok on my Ipad, however, I found out to my horror, and shock, my VIP. mailbox, and my flagged mailbox were missing a very significant number of messages. The messages were on my phone, in the right places, but, the inbox was not right on my phone. I was still getting emails, and, I don't know what happened. I did some basic trouleshooting steps, of refreshing the Mail app, checking available storage, etc, with no luck, and everything looking good.
So, I called tech support. After spending a few hours on the phone with Apple, we deleted the account on my Ipad, and put it back on. For a while, it seemed to be rebuilding itself quite well. However, it got stuck at some point, and my VIP. and flagged mailboxes soon became stagnant.
I called back the next morning, gave the Apple advisor the case number associated with this issue, and explained what was going on, and, what we'd done to try and remedy the situation. After looking at the case file, I was sent to Google. This is where things really started heading downhill and getting more stressful, and frustrating.

To start out, there are 3 ways you can get ahold of an accessibility support representative at Google. You can either reach out to Google through the Specialized Help section of the Be My Eyes App available on Windows, IOS. and Android, call a toll-free number, or fill out a form, and have an agent call you. I have used the form method with great success. However, due to the nature and complexity of the issue, I decided to just call the number. I also had the Apple Accessibility agent on the phone in case there were questions because my Gmail account is linked to my Apple Mail app.

When I called, I was given the standard prompts that you normally hear in this type of situation. That you were calling the accessibility support line, and who the line was for, and, told to visit the web site, for more help, or if I wasn't an accessiaility customer. After that, I was given a list of options to pick from, such as account recovery and access issues, issues with Android, etc, with each option having a different number associated with it. I chose my option, and was put on hold until an agent was able to take my call. It didn't take long, before an agent picked the phone. I gave my personal and account information, and, told him I used VoiceOver on an Ipad, stating I was visually impaired, and, explained my issue. The agent went on by telling me what he thinks caused it, which was my email was going to my Spam. Before I go any further, I wayt to say that I have pretty good tech knowledge, and that everything worked good until after the update. Plus, emails from these lists and people weren't 
going there before.
But, I understand he had a script and steps to follow. So, I asked how to get to it on the Gmail website. He said to click on the 3 underlines. I asked what that was labeled as. When you have an icon, button, etc, it has to be labeled a certain way so that a screenreader can detect it, and tell you what it is. So, for instance, if you have a settings icon that looks like a hamburger, you would want to label it settings. If you have a button that allowed you to say forward an email, you would want to label it forward, and then screenreaders will say, "Forward button,"
This is why it's crucial to have elements such as links, buttons, checkboxes, etc, labeled, because without that, whatever element we have will just say for instance "Link," or, "Button," which doesn't give us much.

I explained politely to the agent that I was visually impaired, so, when he said things like the three underlines or 3 dots, it meant nothing to me.
After trying different things, he put me on hold. I also had the Apple agent on the phone since my Gmail account was hooked up to the Apple Mail App. After a while, the agent came back on the phone, but, the Apple agent said she heard static and had to put me on hold.
After waiting for a while, and not being able to hear the Google agent, and being frustrated, I ended the call.


Fast-forward to later that day, and, I receive an email from another Google Disability Support agent, with suggestions. The suggestions didn't fit the problem I was and am having.
I'm going to be getting someone else to help me hopefully solve this issue, and I hope that it can eventually get solved. Because this is an issue that has disrupted my workflow, along with other issues.
I'm very disappointed with the experience calling Google Accessibiility, especially because I have had wonderful experiences whenever I've filled out the form and had an agent call me. The fact that there's that much of a gap in quality between experiences is concerning to me. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that we have this option. I'm also glad that more companies are offering accessibility support for customers. However, I think there's a lot that could be done to impove things.

1. Agents should get extensive training not only on assistive technology, such as braille displays, but also, accessibility features on devices, such as voiceover on an Ipad.
2. Agents should be trained on how to interact with and/or work with people with disabilities, and learn about different ways they may identify themselves. While I could've worded my sentence more clearly by saying I was completely blind, so people may say they have a visual impairment, for instance.
3. This is one of the most important things for me. Companies that have accessibility support lines, should hire people that have lived experience, and use this technology outside of work as well in their every day lives. If a person helps their family member with this stuff, that's also a plus. This is especially important when it comes to working with products such as braille displays hooked up to devices.
I've had several instances calling an accessibility support line, due to issues with my braille display and connected devices such as my Ipad, and, I've had to walk the agent through things painstakingly, because sometimes things have had to be escalated to the engineering department. I've even had one agent tell me that their engineering department suggest that I take a picture of my braille display and submit it through their system. I must admit, I had not heard that one before, and was pretty shocked when I heard that one, and, I had to ask the agent to repeat themselves! I've had various agents tell me that they don't receive hardly any if any training on braille displays.
4. Screensharing can be a blessing! There's a company that I call, and whenever I have an issue, if the agent doesn't say anything about screensharing, I request it. With the software that's used, the agent can only see the screen. They can't control it, and, if I have to enter anything sensitive such as banking info, either the software pauses automatically, or the agent pauses it. You can also request that the agent pause the session at any time. Before this, something that would normally take 10 minutes to solve, would take 20 minutes or longer. Because I had to explain what app I was in, where I was on the screen, along with every detail that I could. More companies should adopt screensharing practices and software for their agents to use. It will save time, and frustration, among other things for both the customer and the agent. If the customer is using a 3rd party device such as an Ipad to access a company's software, then there should be a way for screensharing to still take place. This should be easy, user-friendly, and free for customers and agents. Agents should also be able to walk a customer through installing and getting it up and running. Right now, say if I have to Amazon about my echo, and I have to go into the app on my Ipad, the agent cannot see my screen. I have to tell them what's on it, and break it down into chunks, as well as telling the agent what Voiceover is saying. Sometimes, the agent has to resort to using their phone at work to figure it out.


If you have to reach out to Google Support, I recommend filling out the form and having an agent call you. I've had to do that twice, and, have had great success that way.

To get in touch with Google Support, you can go to:


https://support.google.com/accessibility/contact/disability_c2c?hl=en



Google Disability Support is available from 7 AM. Eastern Time to 9 PM. Eastern time Monday through Friday.
U.S. customers can also call toll-free:
+650-417-9257

You can also reach out to them through the Specialized Help Section on the Be My Eyes App, which is available on IOS. Android, and Windows.     

					

		
		
	

							
	

				

			
						

				Seen & Heard Advocacy Series Introduction
			

										

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By: Dawn Bilpuch 





Advocacy series Introduction





Advocacy. It’s a word you hear a lot, and, it’s something you do a lot more than you realize. Whether you’re disabled or not, you advocate every day. Whether you are a person with low vision who asks for a document in larger font, or, a single parent asking for a different shift, so that you can take your kiddo to school the pick them up. Or trying to get a law changed or passed in your state, city, county or township, or even in the country, or giving testimony, you’re advocacting.





This is what I do every single day. Whether I’m asking for braille menus, or an accessible document, or trying to get rules or laws changed.





My name is Dawn Bilpuch, and, I’m a disability rights advocate, and a person with a disability. I have been blind since birth.
This is an introduction to a multi-part series that I’m going to be writing about and for advocacy and advocates.
This series will cover:





    

  • What advocacy means, what it means to me, and what it means to you
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  • What advocates wish people knew and understood
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  • What can be done to support advocates
    • 






Why I Chose To Do This





I have several reasons that motivated me work on this. The first reason, the original firestarter, came in December 2023. A friend of mine whose a fellow advocate, was being abused, and, was denied aid in a medical crisis, and, I had to bet the aides to give her water and oxygen. I ⊦ to save her life, because if I hadn’t been there, she may not be here today.
That triggered some past trauma involving a family member’s medical emergency, and as a result, I deteriorated mentally and emotionally’like . It caused a serious if not severe mental breakdown. As a result, my work performance was effected. While I’m in a somewhat better place now, in some ways I’m still recovering.
Regardless of how I felt and how it affected me, I’m glad I was there, and would do it all over again.





Then, earlier in 2024, I was (and still am) secretary for an ad?ocacy group in Ohio, a friend of mine and fellow colleague who was chair, was pushed out, and I experienced mistreatment, and, I began to think about it again.
Fast forw4 to now, and, the person who took the chair position abruptly resigned, before a big event, and, I had to step away to take care of my mental health for 2 months. The response I got was not what I expected. Plus, a bill that I support called Lauren’s Law was introduced, and, that made the climate colder than what it already was.
It’s left me with a lot of feelings of hurt, exhaustion, shame, to name a few, and, I have also been dealing with self-blame and self-doubt. So, I feel that one of the ways I can work through this is to write this series.
This is an unflinching, uncensored account of and look at advocacy, and, what it means to be an advocate.

					

		
		
	

							
	

				

			
						

				Putting In My 2¢ Cents Worth: Voting With A Disability by Dawn
			

										

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Putting In My 2¢ Worth: Voting With A Disability





There’s many reasons why I’m beyond proud to be an american. While we do have our problems, we are also blessed with great opportunities and rights that people in a lot of other countries can only dare to dream of having. We can speak freely and openly about policies that affect us, without fear of retaliation or retribution, we can say whether we like or dislike anyone in a political office, without those same fears, and, we can vote. We can choose who we put in office at the local, state, and federal levels of government. For minorities, such as women and people with disabilities, this was not always the case. Women in America were able to vote in 1920. For people with disabilities, their rights were not cemented until 2002, when the Help America Vote Act or HAVA. was passed. One of the things that this bill mandated was that voting be made accessible for people with disabilities. It also required that there be at least one accessible voting machine in every polling place. Or, pollworkers needed to help people with disabilities.





This law was advocated for after the presidential election in 2000, with Florida being one of the states in the middle of it. During that election, people with disabilities faced many challenges, including having to go to different polling places because their polling place either didn’t have accessible machines, or the machine was not working, or they had to vote using the paper ballot and poke holes in the chads. Various disability advocacy organizations including the NFB. fought for reform. Thankfully, although there are still issues, we have moved past those days. I want to take the time to share my voting experience and some tips that I have that have worked for me, when I’ve voted in the past, as well as some resources that others may find helpful. I realize that every county in Ohio runs their elections differently, and, I know that everyone’s voting experience will be different. With that in mind, I’m also curious to hear other disabled voters experiences, whether they’ve voted in person, done early voting or done absentee voting, as well as any tips that you think others will find helpful. I for one would rather vote in person, because I can do it independently, and, I don’t have to rely on anyone for help filling out my ballot, which is very important to me. I just need someone to drive me to and from the polls, help me fill out the paperwork when I go in to cast my ballot, and get me to where the accessible voting machine is set up, find the headphones, and, get me to the scanner when my ballot prints out





It is not my intent to make this entry political in any way, shape or form. Nor am I trying to shame anyone for having a certain viewpoint or opinion. The fact that we have differing opinions, beliefs, etc is one of the things that makes this country such a great place to live! All I’m trying to do is share my voting experiences, and, some tips that I have used, and found helpful.





 





To preface this, I want to say that I live in a small rurral county, and, have had a great experience when going in and casting my ballot. However, I have heard of larger counties not doing as great a job as smaller counties. Why this is the case is a mystery to me, but, I’d be interested in hearing others opinions and insights regarding this as well. I’d also be interested in hearing what was done to remedy the situation, or if it was even resolved at all.





1. Take advantage of early voting





We do this when voting for a number of reasons. First off, there’s no line all the times we went in there. This could be useful for people who can’t stand for long periods of time for example. The reason I like it is that I can take my time voting. I use the accessible voting machine, so, I have to listen to the ballot being read to me and then go through the options until I find the desired one, and select it. It usually takes about an hour. I remember when we had a voting machine that used a numeric keypad, and you had to place it on a magnet. That took a little longer to do. But, when I go in early, it’s quiet, and I don’t feel rushed and can take my time. The other main reason we do it, is that we go to the Board Of Elections Office. I’ll get into more detail in tip 2 on why I recommend this. However, they are only open for voting during the early voting period.





2. Go to your board of elections to cast your vote





This is very important for several reasons. For one, I know there will be an accessible voting machine there. Plus, in my experience, the workers are trained on how to set it up so that I can get the audio. I usually will either ask, “Can I have the audio please? Thank you so much!” or, politely remind them that I need the audio. I do something similar to this in other areas of my life. One of the other reasons I go here to do early voting, is because if and when tech gremlins decide to invade and wreak havoc, there’s a tech on sight that can do their magic, and get rid of the tech gremlins. I can remember a couple instances, where we had to call them over. Plus, in my county, every year they change our polling place, which is quite annoying! Also, as I’ve stated before, there’s no rush, and, in my experience, there’s never been a line.





3. If your county has changed voting machines, go and see how they work if possible.





I went through this at my county. After the previous presidential election, my county changed voting machines. The ones we had were a numeric keypad, and you had to remember which key did what. For example the 4 and 6 keys moved you between the candidates, and, the 5 key was your select button. You had to put the machine on this magnet, and, it was very finicky. If it was not on the magnet just right, it would not work! I can recall one instance where we had to have the tech that was on sight come over and help. We did get it to work, and I was able to cast my ballot without further issues.





A few years ago, my county purchased newer voting machines. There was news coverage in my area about this, and, they said the machines would be ADA. compliant. They also said they’d be holding a mock election to test the machines out, and, invited people to come check them out, and learn how the new machines worked. Fearing that there’d be issues with accessibility, I went to the mock election. There, the workers were very helpful, and they even had the on sight tech help me and explain to me how the machine worked. I still remember feeling the machine and the buttons, and realizing that there was braille on it. I remember being so excited that I said, “Yay! There’s braille on this!” and the tech was chuckling and saying “I guess you love the braille.”





Not only did the machine have braille on it telling you what the buttons were, but, the buttons were shaped differently! I cast my vote, and, sent it to the printer, and, to my surprise, I had my own printer! Before, I had to send it to the same printer that everyone else’s ballots were printed, so, I had to have someone help me to the printer, and the scanner. Nowadays, I only need help getting to the scanner, where I put my ballot in, and it gets dropped into a bookbag-style bag. The workers at my elections office were nice, thorough, patient, and knowledgeable, and answered my questions.





My advice to anyone, is to attend the mock elections if your county gets or is getting new voting machines. It helps spot problems beforehand, and, will allow for time to resolve them before an actual election.





When I used the machine, they actually took down the little window in their area, because they were curious to see how it would work. Which, I didn’t mind at all.





It’s a good idea to know where your Board Of Elections office is, and their contact information. 





 





 





4. Have someone go with you that you trust, if possible.





When I go to vote, I have a family member go with me. It works out, because, we live in the same house, so, when I get situated at the voting machine, she would go and cast her ballot. Then, when I was done, and our ballots were printed out, we’d go to the scanner and deposit our ballots there. Plus, they help fill out the form that you have to fill out when you vote, and date it. My board of elections is ok with this, since I sign it. When I registered, they were ok with my family member filling out the form, and dating it, as long I signed it, which, I did. I’d also suggest if you can, take someone else that you trust along with you and who ever you go with, so that if the person you usually go with can’t do it, for whatever reason, you have a backup. I also realize that this is not always possible, and if you ever need to, you can have a pollworker help you. You’re supposed to have 2 pollworkers help you, one from each political party.





 





 





5. Know what’s on your ballot.





In my experience, I’ve had to have someone read the ballot and type up what the issues and candidates are, because the sample ballot is in PDF. format, and inaccessible. Therefore, I couldn’t read it, using VoiceOver, which is the screenreader that I use, and couldn’t read it on my braille display.





 





However, I recently heard about an app that’s free, called Ohio Voter Info. It is available on the Apple App Store, and Google Play.





When you install the app, you put in your name, and select the county from the spinner to set it up. From there, you can find your polling place, and, your sample ballot. To do this, find and activate the view sample ballot button. From there, you can choose from a list of sample ballots. Once you have the one you want, you will also find a button that lets you view an accessible ballot. Keep in mind that the ballot for this election may or may not be up yet. However, I was able to view the ballot from the primary election. If your county is not listed, you can contact your County Board of elections office and request that they have their information be added to the app. You can even choose what party ballot you want as well as your municipality. This app does work with VoiceOver, but, there are some unlabeled buttons, and, getting it to work can be a little finicky, but, it is doable.










Here are the links to get it.





To get it on IOS. App Store you can go here:





 





Ohio Voter Info on the App Store (apple.com)





To get it on Google Play, you can go here:





 





Ohio Voter Information – Apps on Google Play





 





 





 





 










6. Do your research.





This applies whether you’re a disabled voter or not. It’s always good to do research on all candidates and issues. When I go to vote, it’s a several day process. Because I dive deep into researching the candidates, and issues. I will use everything from non-partisan sites such as On The Issues, which talks about some candidates stand on a wide variety of issues such as crime, and foreign policy. I will also sometimes use Ballotpedia for biographies on candidates, however, I’ll sometimes go to their social media (mainly Facebook) pages. I also sometimes look at newspaper articles, depending on the content. Also, I let past experience speak for itself too.





I also listen to any debates or interviews that I can. I’d also try and see if you can find audio interviews on The Sound Of Ideas, which is an NPR. program. You can go to:





 





Ideastream Public Media Home | Ideastream Public Media





 





One time, during mid-term elections, I found interviews of candidates that were running for state office in my district, and listened to them.





Also, another thing that might be helpful especially for the local issues and candidates, is if there’s a Meet The Candidates Night being broadcasted. There’s 2 local radio stations that cover my area. The city I live in has a local radio station, and there’s also a radio station that covers my county. Meet the candidates nights have been broadcasted on both of those in the past, and, I’ll listen to them. During those programs, the facilitators/moderators will ask questions and give each candidate a set time limit to respond. Sometimes, the candidates responses to the questions, and how they are, and if they show up, have factored into my decision. 










Here’s an example of what I type into Google when doing research on a candidate:





 





John Smith Ballotpedi





Or, let’s say that I want to know John Smith’s stance on an issue, here’s what I would type into Google:





 





John Smith crime OnTheIssues





 





You can also put:





ontheissues.org





7. If you don’t know what an issue is, or candidate, skip it.





I say this because, the first time I voted, my ballot had the candidates that it was supposed to have. However, the issues that came up were for another municipality. So, I skipped them. It has not happened since then. 





8. Know your rights as a disabled voter.





This applies to any and all systems and agencies. If you don’t know your rights, the system will chew you up and spit you out. This will come in handy, especially if you have issues on Election Day, or during early voting. Although I will say, that I cannot say enough good things about my county board of elections.





 





So don’t be afraid to go and cast your ballot, and put your 2¢ worth in!










RESOURCES 










 





 





Here are some resources that may be of help.





1. Disability Rights Ohio will have a voter hotline open on Election Day to resolve issues and answer questions. You can call:





(800) 282-9181





2. The National Federation Of The Blind has put together some voter resources at:





Voting Resources | National Federation of the Blind (nfb.org





On this page, you will find the following:





• Ballot Marking Device Demonstration





• Election Information on NFB-NEWSLINE®





• Resources by State





3. Here is a page from the Ohio Secretary Of State that’s devoted to voters with disabilities. You will also find links for other things, including special circumstances.





Voters with Disabilities – Ohio Secretary of State (ohiosos.gov)





4. If you have the app Be My Eyes, available for IOS. Android, and Windows, there is a section called Specialized Help. In this section, are various companies and organizations that you can call and get help with their products or services.





Everything You Need to Vote – Vote.org






					

		
		
	

							
	

				

			
						

				Celebrating Blind Equality Achievement Month by Dawn
			

										

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Celebrating Blind Equality Achievement Month





October is a big deal in and out of the blind community. Fall is in full swing, the school year is in full swing, and Halloween is on Oct. 31st. Several causes, and various disabilities are in the spotlight this month, including Dysautomonia, and, Blind Equality Achievement, along with Disability Employment. In the blindness community, some National Federation Of The Blind affilliates, especially the Ohio affffilliate, are getting ready for their state conventions next month. The blind community is also celebrating Blind Equality Achievement Month or B.E.A.M.





Blind Equality Achievement Month means many different things to many different people, and, every blind or low-vision person celebrates it differently, and has a different perspective. I want to share my perspective on what this month means to me, what strides we’ve made, and, what work still needs to be done. However, I also want to hear thoughts and perspectives from  others in the blind community.





What This Month Means To Me





To me, Blind Equality means being able to do the things that sighted people take for granted. There’s a lot that sighted people take for granted, such as reading the news, voting, reading and talking about books, and so much more.





Because of NFB. Newsline, and The National Library Service For The Blind And Print Disabled, I can read a lot of magazines and newspapers. I can keep up with the news, and have and participate in conversations about current issues and topics. I can read books that others are reading, and talk about them, including bestsellers and other high profile books thanks to Bookshare, The National Library Service For The Print Disabled, Audible, Libby and other sources that are accessible. We can have access to more books than ever, thanks to the Marrakesh Treaty also, which let’s other participating countries have access to our books in digital accessible formats, and vice versa. Mom and I read some of the same series, the Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich being a prime example. Both of us can let each other know when a new book in the series is released, and, I can read it on my braille display or listen to it in audio format, and Mom can read her print book. We can swap book recommendations with our blind and sighted peers! For me, reading is very important, because it’s a form of escape for me, and a form of self-care, plus, it’s a big cornerstone of my coping mechanisms.





It means being able to be on par with and participate along with the sighted community.





All blind people want is to be on par with or at least be able to participate alongside their sighted peers. Whether in education, employment, or other activities. Do I and other blind people need accommodations and adaptations? Yes, we do! But, those adaptations and accommodations allow me to still have the same enjoyment, fulfillment, learning experiences, etc.





It means being able to live the life that I want to live, not the life that someone else wants me to, or thinks that I should live.





I know there are people, that think that people with disabilities should just be in the background, and not have a life of their own. They think that we don’t have preferences, can’t live independently, etc etc. But, we can and want to. The same stereotypes, beliefs, etc affect the blind community. People think that we can’t work in tech support, or other jobs. They think we should be shut away. We do have preferences, we can live independently with the right supports etc. While I’m more of an introvert and prefer being at home rather than being out and about a lot of the time, another blind person might be an extrovert and prefer hanging out with friends and going out to eat after an NFB. Chapter meeting. Some people may not be able to go out much, because of other disabilities, or lack of access to transportation, etc. But, they still want to connect with people on Zoom and over the phone, etc.





It means being able to be in advocacy. I advocate for blind people, and other disabilities. I love helping people with their DODD. and Medicaid and other things. I love giving resources to anyone that needs them. I can be in meetings with policymakers from different agencies, and state legislators, and talk about various laws relating to people with disabilities.





It means being able to have choice.





This could be anything, from what I want to eat, where I want to order food from, and how I want to read my books and magazines, the list is endless.





When I read a book, I like to read it in braille if and when possible. Of course, sometimes, I have a problem that a lot of bookworms have. I have narrowed my reading choice down to 2 books, but, can’t decide which one I want to read first. Well, I decided to read one in braille, and, I listened to the other one as an audiobook!





This month means these things, and so much more to me. While this month is indeed a time for reflection, it’s also a time for celebration. In a time where people with disabilities, including blind people still face a lot of challenges, barriers, and more, we should also raise a glass and toast to the strides we have made!





One timely stride we have made, is that we can vote accessibily and independently, thanks to the Help America Vote Act or HAVA. passed in 2002. This law mandates polling places have at least one accessible voting machine, among other things. 





We have VoiceOver, which is a screenreader on Apple products. It allows blind and low-vision people to use products like an Ipad, Iphone, and Mac for example. I’m writing this blog using an app on Iphone, with a braille display paired to it via bluetooth. There are also other screenreaders that we can use on other platforms, such as Non-visual Desktop Access or NVDA. or the built-in screenreader on Windows called Narrator, or the Talkback screenreader that’s on Android devices.





We also have the American With Disabilities Act, passed in 1990 that gives protection to people who are blind, and have other disabilities in employment, transportation, and education for example. These are just some examples of the victories and battles that we have won. Along with reflection, and celebration, we also need to realize that there’s still  lots of work to be done, and there’s still a lot of battles to be fought.





First off, there’s still a lot of disparity and inequality surrounding employment, of people with disabilities including blind and low-vision people. Stats show that 70% of blind people are unemployed. We should be creating opportunities for blind people, and continue to advocate for employment of blind people. We should also eliminate any burreaucratic red tape that could and does ensnare people at any level of the employment poocess. Departments of Rehabilitation should also be finding ways to use federal funding they get. Every year, millions of federal dollars go unused and get sent back every year. We could use these dollars to for instance, pay for college. There should also be a wide choice of jobs, hybrid, in-person, and remote work-at-home jobs. That way, blind people can choose a position or job that works for them, and their lifestyle and circumstances.





Another big one is the elimination of sub-minimum wage. Some states have done it, and some states are moving to do that. However, while we advocate for sub-minimum wage elimination, we should also be making sure that there are protections for people who are on any type of benefits, and, protection from retaliation from employers including complaint processes and investigative proceedures for employers caught doing this. We should also be advocating for supports still being in place such as day-programs. A reason being is that this may be the only support that a person has access to.





We should be reforming/updating the Social Security system for blind and disabled americans. Such reforms and changes, include but aren’t limited to making sure the amount of money being received reflects current economic conditions and cost of living, and will be able to keep up with future changes. Another reform is raising the amount that people can keep in savings without penalty. Right now, at 2 grand, people can’t have a rainy day fund, for emergencies, such as a broken appliance, or equipment repair, or save up for other things. One other reform that we should be advocating for, is elimination of the earnings cliff. Anyone whose on SSI. and working, and also receiving other assistance such as Medicaid, is on this cliff and hanging on by their fingernails. People who are on these coverage and benefit systems depend and rely on them to receive timely and much-needed medical care and financial support.





Another reform we should be advocating for, is the elimination of the marriage penalty. People should be able to get married regardless if they’re on SSI. or SSDI. Their benefits should not be cut off especially if both parties are disabled and rely on these benefits.





Another thing we should be advocating for, is web and digital content accessibility, and accessibility in the digital age. We live in a time where people order their groceries online for delivery, we pay our bills online, and order food online for example. Much of our lives are in the digital space. Sadly, while sighted people are able to enjoy these luxuries with little to no issues, people with disabilities including blind people, have to contend with inaccessible websites, forms, apps and a lot more. Worse yet, there’s either no legislation to protect us, or, the legislation we have has not kept up with the changing times. Right now, the only tools we have are either talking to the companies, and agencies, and a rule in the ADA. where any website with a disgov domain must be accessible, and, either continued advocacy or a lawsuit. This requires a 2-pronged approach. First, we should be advocating for updates and changes to current legislation we have se as the ADA. and the Rehabilitation Act, and section 508. These are great tools that we have in our toolbox, and they give us a great deal of protection. So, we should update them to reflect current times, and keep them updated, as times and technology advance and change. We should also make sure there are plenty of resources at the state and federal governments disposal to enforce these laws and regulations. Because you can pass or reform a law all you want. But, if you don’t enforce it, then there won’t be much weight and teeth behind it.





The second prong to this approach, is writing and passing new legislation that is spicifically geared to these issues, such as legislation regarding the accessibility of web sites and digital content. This will help ensure that there’s spicific rules, regulations, and other legal tools that are dedicated to it, and the issues that inevitably will and do arise related to this. This creates more tools that we can have in our toolbox, that can have more precision. Of course, we should also be making sure that these pieces of legislation be updated regularly to reflect both the changing technological and digital landscapes, and the changing times.





This will help give people with disabilities, lawyers and others who represent them and guide them through legal processes, and, the courts to be able to make sure companies and agencies are held accountable. It should not take a lawsuit like the one that was filed with regards to Domino’s for changes to be made, and a spotlight to be shined on these issues.





Yet another battle we have to fight is to make sure that braille sticks around. Sadly, braille readers and users are in the minority in the blind community. People who learn and use braille, are more likely to be employed. There’s a widely held belief that braille is going away. I highly disagree. I think that braille is entering a new era, of braille on demand and also electronic braille. A lot of blind children are not taught braille. This has to change. We should be educating parents about braille, and, helping give them resources to teach their blind and low-vision children. This sets them up for a great start in school and life. We should be finding ways to remedy the shortage of braille teachers in schools. Braille should also be taught in school and at home. Schools need to do a better job producing materials in braille for students, and make sure that they connect parents of blind kids with other resources that can provide braille litterature to their children, regardless of age. I’m very fortunate that Mom taught me braille. She started teaching me when I was 6 months old, and I’m 27 now. I can safely say that if I didn’t know braille, I could not do even half of the advocacy work that I do. I may not be able to write this blog either. Braille speeds up my productivity, and efficiency. I can be in a conference call, and listen to the speaker, and read messages in chat, and do other things with the aid of braille no speech needed.





We should also be teaching people who lose their sight later in life, or who are losing their sight. We should be connecting them with resources such as Hadley where they can learn braille.





Braille should not be so expensive. One of the big hurdles for many blind people, and their families, is the expense of braille materials and equipment. We should be making funding resources available to assist people and their families in buying braillers, braille displays, and other products and essentials related to braille, whether for work, school, or personal use. This includes any repairs needed.





One resource available to anyone who is a patron of the National Library Service For the Blind And Print Disabled, is they offer a braille-on-demand program, where patrons can either call their network NLS. library, or fill out a form online, and request up to 5 braille books a month.





Another resource that patrons can take advantage of, is the NLS. provides a 20-cell braille display to its patrons. You can call your network NLS. library and request one. You can read braille books and periodicals from the NLS. BIND. or Braille Audio And Reading Download, and, Bookshare, and NFB. Newsline, along with pairing it to your Iphone or Ipad.





This is just a small but by no means comprehensive list of work that needs to be done, and continued.





I’d like to leave you with 2 songs from the National Federation Of The Blind that talk about braille and technology. Let’s turm on our high beams to the highest setting, and, let these songs be your anthems!





NFB. Songs





Braille is beautiful by James Brown And The Cane Tips





Braille Is Beautiful (youtube.com)





Accessible Technology by James Brown And The Cane Tips





Accessible Technology (youtube.com)





 

					

		
		
	

							
	

				

			
						

				Becoming a Cultural Competent Ohio by Alicia
			

										

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I believe everyone is teachable and that everyone communicates, learns and processes information differently. This includes both people served and people providing services. Everyone has their own way in which they interact with others and go through the best of life. 





This week I like to talk about being a cultural competent society when it comes to addressing our on going care crisis. People from different cultures have different lived experiences and ways they do their work or want to receive services. In thinking about culture, we must acknowledge that not everyone has the privilege of owning an electric can opener or robot vacuum or even a television. Some people have no idea how to cut an apple so that you get a star in the middle. Our upbringing and cultural experiences shape how we walk out our lives. 





We have to have the mindset that everyone is teachable. This involves being patient and willing to help others grow in their knowledge of a particular subject or process to complete a task. 





In the care crisis we are in that same ideology of life applies. We may have a set way of doing something or maybe there is the mentality that everyone knows how to make that box of macaroni and cheese that is in your cupboard. The reality is that not everyone knows how to make macaroni and cheese. Not everyone has ate macaroni and cheese. 










We are a culture often that wants to believe that people “should” come in our home already knowing the basics. The reality is that these expectations are truly a result of our own incompetence in culture. To help ourselves we must let go of the expectations and be teachers and let ourselves also be taught about other cultures. 





I firmly believe to teach others we must be open to being able to be learn from others. The way we do our daily tasks might be done differently and we have to offer grace and come with a heart that’s open to helping people know our way of how we do things. 










People will stick around when they see you want to Teach them how you do things. They will watch you or others and learn by example. 





I was once a jerk to people. It took me awhile to realize that everyone is teachable and just as I want to learn so do others. Being open to changing my perspectives about cultural and caregiving has changed who I am and also how I receive my care. I have found that learning about other cultures makes people want to learn more about me as I ask people about their traditions and culture and how they do different tasks or prepare different dishes.





All around we have to be open to learning and to help others learn too and the more we are open the more cultural competent we can become. The more we open the door to bringing new people to the tables of caregiving and helping this workforce crisis. 





It can no longer be that measure of well so and so or the DSP used that 8 inch knife to open a can because they were too stupid to understand how to use a can opener. It is reality that, the direct support professional has never had privilege to use a can opener let’s be a teacher and help them understand how to use this nifty gadget we open cans with. At the same time, let’s understand why a knife is used to open a can – this sheer reality that if we are open we can learn something new or something we don’t have lot of understanding about. 
















					

		
		
	

							
	

				

			
						

				The Advocate’s Version of Wellness by Dawn
			

										

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There's a lot of truths about advocacy in Ohio, and, advocacy in general. But, a couple of them are both obvious and hidden at the same time, but, very real.
1. It's a BRUTAL profession!
The things we see in our work/volunteer work would make anyone's stomach turn. Including very horrible examples of abuse and negelect, and people and families barely hanging on and just trying to get through the day. Plus, dealing with politicians, policymakers, and, putting yourself, and your story, out there is no cakewalk either.
2. On top of all that, you have to deal with your health conditions and/or disabilities! Ever attended and sat through a full day of meetings even though you were in massive pain, or just not having a good mental health day? Yep, I have! I went on calls even when I was sleep-deprived, sick, having a migraine, the list goes on. Cue what you want to say for the visual description,  "I'm laying on my side with my headset on and my Ipad next to me because I feel like I just got run over by a semi. But, I'm still here ya'll! Although I might not be able to respond to your email for a week."     
3. It takes a toll on you, physically, mentally, and emotionally

With all that you have going on in truths 1 and 2, it's no wonder that this is another truth. This stuff can, does, and will break you down. It will and can take a toll on you. This one is something I've been having to stare down the barrel for the past few months. It's why I took 2 months off in April, and, I just took more time off from certain things. Plus, sometimes, (ok, more often than not) I seem to try and channel my inner cat, thinking that I have nine lives. Your trauma will be reactivated at certain times too. I know because I've lived it.


But, all jokes and kidding around aside, these are serious truths and issues. While every one experiences this stuff to an extent at their job and/or volunteer work, if you're an advocate, you're a lot more susceptable to this stuff. So, in honor of August being Wellness Month, I decide to write about what MY version of wellness is and looks like. Every one's version of wellness is different, and, will be made up of different things. But, I wwanted to share mine, and, I hope that by doing so, it gives you some tools to put in your advocacy well-being toolbox. But, I also have a burning question.
I want to know, what does your version of wellness look like?
With that in mind, here's my version of wellness.


Feature 1. Humor

This goes for anything, but, especially advocacy, or life with a disability. You can either laugh, or go insane. Me, I choose laughter! Yes, I even laugh at myself. You can laugh privately off camera, when a politician stars spouting nonsense. You can laugh at the logic (or more often than not) lack of, when they make rules and decisions. You can laugh at the obsurdity of someone being told what they are and aren't allowed to use their transportation money for in self-direction. You can even say something like, "I don't smell a thing!" and laugh if you have no sense of smell, or offer to give your Dad  ride to the hospital to help Mom with breakfast, if you're blind. Trust me, the list is endless! Should you laugh at every thing, and will you be able to laugh at every thing? No, you won't. But, try and find the humor when and where you can. Yes, even if you crack yourself up. Because, if you don't, it's almost a guarantee, that you will have a mental health breakdown or two.



Feature 2. R&R (Reading a good book, and relaxing)

I love to read! This is one of my oldest coping mechanisms. I have used this since I was in school, and, for me, it's an escape hatch. I don't get to do it as often as I used to, but, when I do, it's awesome! I read just about every thing too. I both read on my braille display, and listen to audiobooks.

Feature 3. Turn Up The Music! Yes, do it even when you're working!

My family is very musical, I grew up in a household where music was always playing. I listen to just about every thing, and I have so many favorite artists and songs, that it's hard for me to pick a favorite! Although I will say, one of my favorite artists is Citizen Soldier. I listen to every thing from the radio to music streaming services. Yes, I even put my readphones on, then, start jamming while I'm doing the never-ending task of paperwork. I also listen when I've had a tough day, or to try and get me through a bad mental health day, or just need to shut the world out for a while. Timetimes, if I need to reignite the advocacy fire under my feet and rear end, I'll put on one of my as I call it, "Advocacy anthems."
One thing that I've been thinking about off and on, is making a playlist called Advocacy Anthems on Spotify which I use most often, and maybe YouTube Music. This is where I'd put all those advocacy anthems that I have. I'm also kicking around the idea of making it collaborative, and making it so that people can download it, or save it to their music libraries on Spotify and/or YouTube Music. A couple of my advocacy anthems are:
Strong for somebody else by Citizen Soldier
Every day hero by Citizen Soldier
Battlefield by Srvcina


Feature 4. Having an activity outside of advocacy that you either help out with, or attend


Every week, the NFB. Ohio Community Service Devision puts on Happy Hour, where we play songs that fit a different theme each week. I put the flyers together for it, and send them out the night before. I have also been a DJ. and, help out the regular DJ. as well. I'm also a member on the committee for this event. What I try to do, is prep the next 2 months worth of flyers ahead of time, and send them to someone who helps make them look pretty. It's highly enjoyable for me! Plus, when I'm there, it's a chance for me to hit the reset button.

Feature 5. Something I Just Recently Added

I just had to take 2 months off, and, I just extended my time off. I hated to do it, but, I had to do it. I had to protect my mental health, and, I thought I'd be ok, but, I had to face the reality that I still wasn't.


Feature 5. Soundscape

Sometimes, I listen to the waterfall sound effect also when I need to relax, or shut the world out a little bit.          


Features that are buggy and still a work-in-progress

1. Setting and holding boundaries
I'm still working on this, though I have made progress. Plus, I think this is something we're all working on all the time.

2. Getting enough sleep
Who has stayed up until the wee hours of the night doing paperwork, thinking about a case, or just getting prepped for the next day, or doing all of the above? I have, and then, yes, I would go to calls the next day shere hours later. Cue me chugging another 16 OZ. Coke can just to get through the day, and then doing it all again. Then, after all is said and done using the weekend to catch up on sleep, self-care, or even more paperwork. Or, being more tired and sleepy than hungry.

3. Trying to get at least one meal down
This is easier said than done sometimes. Either because I'm more sleepy than hungry, or, I just don't have it in me to eat.

4. Putting myself first

When you're an advocate you're on-call 24/7! So, doing this is easier said than done. But, I'm trying. That's part of why I took time off.


Something I sometimes do as well

Sometimes, I use an app called Finch. It's a self-care game where you get a bird, and you get to name it, and, you send it on adventures whenever you do things to take care of yourself. You can write goals, do the writing exercises, breathing exercises, listen to soundscapes, and even go on journeys! You can also earn rainbow stones which you can then use to buy things for your birdhouse. They also have seasonal events, where they have different items you can win as rewards for energizing your finch, and doing self-care. It has some accessibility issues, but, can be used somewhat, and is available on The Apple App Store and Google Play. There's a free and paid tier. However, if you cannot afford a paid subscription, there's a monthly raffle you can enter, and, if your name is drawn, you can be given a month subscription of Finch Plus by a guardian!

Closing Thoughts

I hope I've given you some tools that you can put in your toolkit. I would love to hear what your wellness tools are in your toolboxes!