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News Release

The Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council (ODDC)
8 East Long Street, Suite 1200
COL OH 43215

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Ken Latham (614) 466-5205 (800)766-7426

August 24, 2005

Ohio DD Council Awards Mini-grants for Outreach Projects to Agencies that will Assist Unserved and Underserved Populations

The Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council, at its July meeting, awarded a total of $22,200 to two Community Outreach projects for unserved and underserved populations in the state.

The Asian American Community Services, located in Columbus, received $15,000 from Council to translate basic service information into six languages, including: Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, and Japanese. This collaboration will include the Franklin County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. This project will produce translated brochures featuring basic information about MRDD services and will be distributed statewide to County Boards attempting to eliminate language barriers for Asian American communities.

The DD Council also awarded $5,200 to the Lorain County Urban League, located in Elyria, to continue the efforts of the Triple Jeopardy Project (African American Women with Developmental Disabilities).

The Lorain County Urban League will establish support groups with other agencies in the area to provide a platform for all women with developmental disabilities in general, and for minority women in particular, to address issues that create social and medical barriers.

The ODDC is one of a national network of state councils committed to self-determination and community inclusion for people with developmental disabilities. ODDC receives federal funding to help carry out its mission of developing new and better ways of advocating, increasing capacities to assist people, and making needed changes to systems.

ODDC consists of 35 members appointed by the Governor who are people with developmental disabilities, parents, and guardians of people with developmental disabilities, representatives from concerned state agencies and nonprofit organizations, and agencies that provide services to people with developmental disabilities.