SSA Assistive Technology (AT) Training Needs Survey

The Assistive Technology & Accessible Educational Materials Center (AT&AEM) Center at OCALI received a two-year grant from the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council to focus on building the knowledge of SSAs to improve the provision of assistive technology supports and services within the county boards of developmental disabilities. The grant activities began in January 2020 with the development of a training needs survey that can be accessed through the link below. The survey will gather information from Ohio SSAs about their disposition regarding AT awareness and their preferences regarding AT training needs. The feedback obtained from this survey will guide selection of training formats and topics to be provided during the fall of 2020 and throughout 2021.

If you are an SSA in Ohio, please complete the survey by February 28th, 2020. Your opinions are important to the planning of relevant assistive technology training activities. 

If you require an alternate format of this survey, please contact Daniel Gruber at daniel_gruber@ocali.org. If you have questions about the content of the survey, please contact Heather Bridgman at heather_bridgman@ocali.org. 

Take the survey: SSA Assistive Technology Training Needs Survey 

“Future is Now” Sessions Focus on Aging Caregivers

The Future is Now is a multi-part series designed to help older caregivers and their family members make plans for the future. Throughout the series, families will create a letter of intent, which is a non-legal document that captures family desires and goals for the future. Creating a letter of intent helps families gain peace of mind that comes with having a plan for their loved one.

These sessions, held in Cincinnati, are specifically designed for families that include a member with a disability whose caregiver is age 60 or older. All members of the family are encouraged to attend, including caregivers, the family member with a disability, siblings, and close family friends.

Caregivers can choose from one of the following dates in 2020:

APRIL (2-part series)
April 18 and 25 from 9 AM to 3 PM

JUNE (4-part series)
June 23, 25, 30 and July 2 from 6 to 8:30 PM

SEPTEMBER (4-part series)
September 15, 17, 22, and 24 from 6 to 8:30 PM

For more information, including how to register: https://ddc.ohio.gov/Portals/0/future-is-now-2020-schedule.pdf

The Future is Now is a project of the Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services funded by the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act. To learn more information about the grant, check out Hashtag Support for Aging Caregivers.

Rebecca Bates Joins DD Council Staff

The Ohio DD Council welcomes its newest staff member, Rebecca Bates. At Council, Rebecca is a Policy Analyst and the staff person assisting the Children and Health Committee.

Rebecca has worked with people with disabilities for over 17 years in a variety of capacities in both Ohio and South Carolina. She was a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor  for 15 years where she helped guide and support people to achieve their employment goals.  This work included working with transition youth and their families. Prior to coming to Council, she worked at the Gallipolis Developmental Center where as a Qualified Intellectual Disability Professional.

She received a bachelor’s degree from Clemson University and a master’s degree from Ohio University. Rebecca is married with two children and one grandchild, and a persnickety cat.

"I am excited about working with the Council," said Rebecca. "I look forward to helping support their work to ensure that the needs of Ohioans with developmental disabilities is at the forefront of change that improves independence, productivity and inclusion."

March 4, 2020

Legislative Advocacy Day
Ohio Statehouse
Columbus, Ohio

March 5 - 6, 2020

Regular Council Meeting
Crowne Plaza North - Worthington
6500 Doubletree Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43229

2020 Meeting Schedule

DD Council Connection: Information about Council's members, grantees, publications and more.

ReachOut e-Diversity News: Information about providing culturally competent services to the unserved and underserved populations.

This Week in Public Policy: Summary of policy and legislation in Ohio and at the federal level of interest to people with disabilities. 

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Interested in family support trainings, transition bootcamps, assistive technology fairs, guardianship workshops, and much more? Check out the events being offered by disability-focused agencies and organizations throughout Ohio.

Events Calendar