1. COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic is Feb. 24
The Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities, in partnership with the Toledo Lucas County Health Department, will offer a COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at the Lucas County Recreation Center on Feb. 24 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
All three vaccines, in first doses and/or appropriate boosters, will be available: Pfizer-BioNTech (ages 5+), Moderna (ages 18+) and Johnson & Johnson (ages 18+).
For second shots or boosters, a vaccine card is required. If you’ve lost your card and were vaccinated in the state of Ohio, the Health Department can look up your record and provide the proper vaccine dosage. If you’ve lost your card and were vaccinated outside the state of Ohio, you will not be able to receive a booster/additional dose.
A photo ID and a completed Vaccination Registration Form are also required. Minors receiving the vaccine need to submit a completed Pfizer-Biontech Covid-19 Vaccine Parental Consent Form. These forms will be available on site at the clinic.
Registration begins Feb. 21. Click here to do so. Walk-ins also are welcome until 3:30 p.m. on the day of the clinic.
2. The Ability Center offers college scholarships
Ensuring that people with disabilities have opportunities to achieve higher education is critical. That’s why, in partnership with its auxiliary, The Ability Center of Greater Toledo has provided nearly $500,000 in college scholarships to area students with disabilities. 2022 scholarship applicants must meet all eligibility requirements and apply by March 31. For more information and to apply, click here.
3. OOD schedules ‘Inclusive Employer Handbook’ webinar series
Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) will host “Inclusive Employer Handbook,” a monthly webinar series designed to help employers create and sustain a disability-inclusive workplace.
The series will conclude with an Accessibility Hour to answer frequently asked questions from the previous webinars. The schedule is as follows:
Feb. 24: Recruiting, Hiring and Supporting Employees – Rescheduled from Feb. 16
March 23: Workplace Accommodations
April 21: Workplace Accessibility
May 19: Accessibility Hour
All webinars begin at 10 a.m. More information can be found here.
4. Enter to win a two-night stay at Cannaley Treehouse Village
Courageous Community Services has launched a raffle for a two-night stay at Cannaley Treehouse Village at Oak Openings Park, one of the newest outdoor spaces developed by Metroparks Toledo.
The raffle winner will win two nights (March 4-5) at an ADA-accessible treehouse designed by Nelson Treehouse and Supply. Tickets are $25 each or $100 for six. Click here to purchase your tickets today.
Proceeds from the raffle will directly support Courageous Community Services’ recreational programming and advocacy for those with disabilities and their families. The winner will be randomly chosen on Feb. 21. For more information about the raffle and Courageous Community Services, please visit www.ccsohio.org.
5. Register for Courageous Acres
Registration is now open for summer 2022 camp sessions at Courageous Acres. Each session is themed and tailored for a specific age group. Dates are available from June to August. To learn more and to register, click here.
6. DODD seeks feedback from families
The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) works to communicate and connect with families and people with lived experience. To align its communication and resources with these preferences, the DODD invites families of people with disabilities to take this short survey about what DODD family resources they use and how they were involved with DODD during the past year. The results will inform DODD how to best support families in 2022. This survey closes March 18, 2022. To take the survey, click here.
7. Providers invited to join OhioISP
The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) is actively preparing for the release of OhioISP and wants to assure all providers that the OhioISP is available to them, even those working with a county board that uses a third-party vendor. With OhioISP, providers working with multiple counties can find all the assessments and ISPs for the people they support in OhioISP with one simple login. Also, there is no cost to use the OhioISP. There’s more information to come, including training videos and materials. If you have any questions about using the OhioISP, contact OhioISP@dodd.ohio.gov.
8. Register for the 2022 Autism Walk
The 9th annual Autism Walk takes place at the Franklin Park Mall on Sunday, April 3, at 10 a.m.
Participants will walk the hallways of the mall before enjoying post-walk festivities in the food court area. There will be games, crafts and an Autism Resource Fair featuring service organizations in the area. All proceeds from the Autism Walk fund programs that support, advocate and educate on behalf of the autistic community. To register or donate click here.
9. Postgame Walleye jersey auction to benefit The Ability Center Feb. 25
Stick around after the Toledo Walleye game at the Huntington Center on Friday, Feb. 25, for a postgame jersey auction. All proceeds from the sale of these game-worn jerseys will benefit The Ability Center of Greater Toledo and the Walleye Wishing Well. It’s also Marvel Night! For more details, click here.
10. We Thrive Together to present Speed Friends
We Thrive Together will present Speed Friends on Saturday, Feb. 19, from 6 to 8 p.m.
During Speed Friends, you’ll have the chance to virtually meet a new group of people in less than two hours.
Speed Friends promises no pressure, no rejection and no embarrassment. Here’s how it works. During the event, you’ll be paired with another individual in a virtual breakout room. You’ll then have five minutes to chat and get to know each other. When time is up, you’ll rotate to another room. After you’ve met with everyone, you’ll be able to request to get to know certain people better. If one of those people selects you, too, you’ll receive each other’s contact information. After that, it’s up to you!
There are multiple ways to register for Speed Friends. You can call 866-584-5640 or email Alyssa@WeThriveTogether.org. You can text your name, county and contact information to 440-478-5640. Finally, you can register online here.
11. March Forth to Employment Conference
Nationwide Children’s has scheduled its March Forth to Employment Conference for March 4 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There are two tracks for this virtual conference. The first track focuses on information valuable to individuals, families and providers who are working towards and gaining skills for employment. The second track highlights organizations that have successfully hired individuals with disabilities and the ways employers can increase their accessibility practices. Guests are welcome to attend presentations within both tracks.
For a complete schedule and to register, click here.
12. Register for the 2022 Disability Policy Seminar
The 2022 Disability Policy Seminar is scheduled for March 28-30 in Washington, D.C. Attendees can join in-person or virtually.
The Disability Policy Seminar offers the chance for advocates, self-advocates, experts and professionals in the field to come together and learn about key issues that affect them most. Attendees leave with the tools to bring strong advocacy to virtual meetings and other follow-up actions as efforts are made to raise awareness among members of Congress about issues important to the disability community.
For more information, including registration, click here.
13. Aetna Better Health of Ohio seeks input about OhioRISE
Aetna Better Health of Ohio has scheduled several listening sessions to gain opinions from its community partners about the OhioRISE program, “a specialized Medicaid managed care plan with tailored services to meet the needs of youth with complex needs” that launches July 1, 2022.
Participants will have opportunities to share their thoughts on topics such as access, services delivery, gaps in support systems, engagement with system staff, cultural competency, consumer knowledge of services and supports, and professional- and family-focused training needs.
OhioRISE listening sessions will be held from Feb. 15-24, 2022. They will be held virtually, and registration is required. For a complete schedule and registration information, click here.
14. The next Sibshop is Feb. 19
Brothers and sisters of individuals with developmental disabilities are invited to attend the next Sibshop meeting on Saturday, Feb. 19, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
These free gatherings give kids the chance to meet other kids and talk about the good and not-so-good parts of having a sibling with a developmental disability. Sibshops also feature fun games, cooking activities and hands-on activities that will keep your kids engaged in an energetic way.
Sibshops are for 8- to 16-year-old brothers and sisters who have a sib with developmental disabilities. The events are run by a team whose members have a professional or personal understanding of the impact a child’s developmental disability can have on brothers and sisters. Equally important, they have great kid skills!
All Sibshops take place at the Alternate Learning Center at 3939 Wrenwood in Toledo, Ohio. CDC prevention guidelines will be followed. Sibshops are free!
For more information and to register, contact Wendy Smenner, Lucas County parent mentor, at 419-214-3066 or wsmenner@esclakeeriewest.org. Space is limited, so register today.