Special Olympics Spring Sports Registration closes TODAY!

Spring will be here soon, and that means a new season of sports! We will be offering Volleyball, Tennis, Bocce, Track & Field, and Walking Group. You can join Walking Group plus ONE other sport (or just one sport). Click here to read the full newsletter. Click here to register. Deadline to register is today! You must register to participate in spring sports/summer games.

Lucas DD Support Group for Parents with Disabilities Continues

This support group is for people with any type of disability who are parents or interested in becoming parents. Participants will learn from other parents on everything pregnancy and parenthood related. The group will run for 4 more weeks, two times offered each week. Have questions? Email jzydorczyk@lucasdd.org. To register, click here. To see the informational flyer, click here.

SALUTE Meeting Monday

SALUTE, the self-advocacy group for those served by the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities, is having their monthly meeting at the Board on March 11 from 5:30 - 7 p.m. The meeting can be attended in-person and via Zoom. Guest Presenters this month are Catherine Girves and Jalen Miller, from the Columbus office of Toole Design. They want your feedback on how to improve the region’s safety and accessibility, especially for pedestrians and bus riders. Click here for full details.

DD Awareness & Advocacy Watch Party Tuesday Morning

DD Advocacy and Awareness Day is an event held at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus each year during DD Awareness Month, to educate policymakers about how services and policies affecting people with DD could be improved or strengthened. SALUTE, Lucas DD's Self-Advocacy Group, is hosting a watch-party at 10 a.m. on March 12. Please contact Deetra Mitchell at 419-380-5141 or dmitchell@lucasdd.org to sign up to attend the Watch Party – she needs to know how many people are coming. 

Common Ground Tuesday Evening

Lucas DD's Common Ground and Friend Network is for people 18+ to gather together and build lasting, sustainable friendships and connections. The next meeting is on Tuesday, March 12 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at our Larc Lane campus (Training Room). Click here for full details. Questions? Contact your Service and Support Specialist or click here to email Deborah Tyree.

Inclusion Resource Fair is Wednesday!

Lucas DD's Annual Inclusion Resource Fair is on March 13 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at St. Luke's auditorium. There will be fun activities, giveaways, food trucks, loads of information, and more! Pre-register for a chance to win a Kroger gift card! (Must attend to win.) Click here to pre-register for this FREE event!

Grant Writing Workshop March 14

Need help with funding summer camp, therapy, sensory equipment, social skills groups, and so much more? We can help. Come prepared on March 14 between 6:30 - 9 p.m. to apply for some grants. Click here to register! Questions? Please contact Tammy Eisenreich at teisenreich@lucasdd.org or 419-356-3824. Click here for full details.

Family Ties March 14

Lucas DD is excited about their new Parent Support Group called Family Ties! We are still asking for input from parents, guardians, and caregivers who are interested in attending. Family Ties will help families make connections build a network that they can lean on for support. Don't miss your chance to be a formative part the group - click here and take the survey to help determine the details about Family Ties! The next meeting is on March 14 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. Light snacks will be served. We hope to see you there! Please email familyties@lucasdd.org with any questions.

Wealth & Wisdom March 20

March's topic is Money Mapping: A New Way to Budget. In this virtual class, from 6 - 7:30 p.m. on March 20, you will learn the power of ‘forward thinking’ by setting the direction of your financial goals; how to build a solid plan for life’s unexpected events; ways to create a cash flow for your personal situation; and more! This free class is presented by Lucas DD as part of our Wealth and Wisdom series. Questions? Email us: wealthandwisdom@lucasdd.org. Click here to register!

Fitness Fun for Everyone March 22

A fun (and easy, we promise) and free fitness class for all ages and abilities in our community in honor of DD Awareness Month! Run through a circuit of different workout stations, collect a band upon completion of each station and redeem for prizes at the end! Registration recommended but not required - click here to register!

Aging Gracefully

The latest edition of Aging Gracefully is ready for you to peruse. It is packed with helpful resources and information about falls and fractures, dementia, activities, and more! Click here to check it out.

DODD Releases Update on Safe Eclipse Viewing

As part of DODD's online toolkit, they send out a Well-Informed newsletter to promote the health and welfare of people with developmental disabilities wherever they choose to live, work, and spend their day. This week's focus was on safely viewing the upcoming eclipse on April 8. Click here to see their update, which includes additional links to NASA and the National Park Service.

Playgroup Pals on Fridays

Wood County Board of DD is hosting Playgroup Pals from 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. on March 15 and 22 at the BG Community Center. Playgroup Pals is an INCLUSIVE playgroup for children aged 0-5, no registration is required! Click here for more information.

Disability and Outer Space: How Would Blind Aliens Do Science? Mar. 16

At 10 a.m. on March 16, the University of Toledo is hosting Dr. Sheri Wells-Jensen, an Associate Professor at BGSU, who will lead a thought experiment on a sightless society. This interesting program is FREE! No registration required. For full details, click here.

Puberty, Dating, & Reproductive Health Seminar March 16

Please join Avenues for Autism on Saturday, March 16th from 10 a.m. -12 p.m. at the Way Public Library in Perrysburg for a free, engaging discussion regarding Healthy Boundaries and Sexual Health. This training is geared towards caregivers of autistic children, teens, and adults of any age. Click here to see the flyer. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.

First Steps with DSAGT on March 17

Down Syndrome Association of Greater Toledo's next First Steps Baby & Toddler event is on March 17 at Trinity Lutheran Church (4560 Glendale Ave). Jaclyn from Heartstring Melodies will be joining at 4 p.m. to make some music with the littles. Everyone is welcome to come play any time after 3 p.m. 

Special Education Legal Clinic on March 18

The Special Education Legal Clinic is having a webinar on March 18 from noon - 1 p.m. The topic is Social Security for Transition Age Youth by DRO. This clinic offers parents and guardians an opportunity to meet with a special education advocate or attorney in an open and welcoming environment to ask questions and discuss specific challenges related to education. Clinic staff members and volunteers will help guide parents and guardians through the special education process and provide resources to request and secure special education services. The Clinic includes a group workshop followed by a Q&A panel from special education professionals. Attendees participate virtually. Free 30-minute individual guidance sessions with attorneys are available for scheduling as well. Click here for more information.

DODD Family Advisory Council on March 20

Family Advisory Council (FAC) meetings take place quarterly and are open to everyone. The Family Advisory Council provides a forum for the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) to hear directly from family members about the issues that affect their lives and provides the opportunity to learn more about the department's current initiatives from executive staff. FAC is a forum for families to have their voices directly heard by DODD leadership. Service providers or county board staff are welcome to attend but are encouraged to use their membership organizations and other avenues to raise any issues that concern them. To request an accommodation due to a disability, reach out to meredith.mendoza@dodd.ohio.gov. Click here to register.

Sibshops on March 23

Does your child with special needs have a sibling, aged 8-16 years old? This free group is just for them! Sibshops provide young brothers and sisters with peer support and information in a lively, recreational setting. The next meeting is on March 23, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 3939 Wrenwood Rd, Toledo. To register, click here. For more information, click here.

Apply for Autismazing Amazing Futures Grants

Autismazing Corporation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing micro-grant funding opportunities to reimburse grantees for expenses related to training, education and peer support. For many adults with autism, support and services need to continue in order to pursue college, career or entrepreneurship. Autismazing.org is committed to assisting by providing financial grants for services, technology or other items that are not covered/reimbursed by insurance or other providers. Click here to learn more or apply. Deadline is next Friday, March 15.

Parker's Purpose Grant Application Open

Parker’s Purpose was founded in 2008 as a result of people coming together to help out the Inks family in their time of need. The mission of Parker’s Purpose is to provide the highest level of service to individuals or groups in need. The organization is committed to service with integrity and respect to all individuals or groups and also hope to foster a positive self worth and self esteem to the individual giving. They are currently accepting applications for monetary assistance of up to $1,000. Deadline is March 31. Click here to learn more or submit your application.

Community Fund Ohio Grant Application Open

The mission of Community Fund Ohio, a nonprofit tax-exempt organization, is to develop and make available trust vehicles, education, and related services that help enable individuals with disabilities to use private funds to enhance their quality of life while attempting to safeguard their eligibility for government benefits. Community Fund offers grants to nonprofits that serve Ohio residents with disabilities as well as three types of grants to individuals who reside in Ohio and have a disability. Quarterly deadline is March 31. Click here to learn more.

World Institute on Disability Fellowship Program

WID’s Global Heumann Fellowship Program honors and grows Judy Heumann’s legacy by supporting disability leaders and advocates around the world to work on projects that promote disability rights and disability justice in their regional communities. As a bridge to an equitable, inclusive, and just world, The Global Heumann Fellowship seeks disabled, visionary leaders with a demonstrated history in advocacy, communications, and influential collaboration. Must have the ability to be effective while working remotely and maintain flexibility working with a diverse, global team.

This is a part-time, twelve-month fellowship, with a term from July 2024 to July 2025. Individuals who have lived disability experience, active in the disability community and have extensive experience or leadership within the disability rights and disability justice fields are encouraged to apply. The application will be open through March 31, 2024.

Click here for more information or to apply.

Toledo Lucas County Health Department Seeks Input

Do you live or work in Lucas County?Let your voice be heard! As part of the community health improvement plan process, Healthy Lucas County is asking for your feedback about the quality of life here: https://ow.ly/8zNn50QIJKH

Disability Employment Survey

The World Institute on Disability (WID) is gathering information on knowledge and resources related to benefits and employment for Ohioans with an interest in disability employment. We greatly appreciate your feedback and any/all information you can provide! This survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete, depending on the length of your written responses. This survey is for any person in Ohio with an interest in disability employment services and is made possible through funding from the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council. The overall goal of this project is to gather information on the current status of disability employment services in Ohio, make recommendations based on the identified needs of Ohioans, and provide training on integrating Disability Benefits into service provision through state-wide collaborations. If you have additional questions, please email gina@wid.org. Click here to learn more and/or take the survey.

Ohio Parent 2 Parent Applications Open

Are you an experienced caregiver who would like to help other parents? Ohio P2P is an evidence-based, statewide parent support program that matches parents, siblings, self-advocates, foster parents, grandparents, etc. who have family members of any age, with a disability or special healthcare need, to an experienced, trained, volunteer support parent. Apply to be a volunteer support parent at: Ohio P2P Support Parent Trainee Application. Questions? Contact Jena Wells at 513-636-1245 or Jena.Wells@cchmc.org.

Avenues for Autism needs Volunteers

Avenues for Autism is looking for volunteers for the Glass City Marathon, which is on April 27-28. They will work the Registration as well as the Post Race Food tent. If you wish to volunteer or would like details, please contact Ali Cousino at acousino@avenuesforautism.org or by cell 419.210.5095 with the date and time you want.

DODD's Family Advisory Council seeks input from families

Family Advisory Council (FAC) meetings take place quarterly and are open to everyone. The Family Advisory Council provides a forum for the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) to hear directly from family members about the issues that affect their lives and provides the opportunity to learn more about the department's current initiatives from executive staff. In preparation for the Family Advisory Council Meeting scheduled March 20, 2024, DODD wants to hear what topics are important to you. Click here to submit your questions and concerns. Submission deadline is March 15. Click here to register for the zoom meeting on March 20.

The Center for Transition to Adult Health Care for Youth with Disabilities, an ACL grantee, is recruiting youth and young adults ages 12-26 with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) to participate in development and leadership opportunities. These opportunities will allow members to grow, build relationships, and impact national work while receiving a stipend for their time and work. 

There are two opportunities available:

·    Youth Steering Committee (YSC) Member: The YSC is a group of youth ages 17-26 who guide the center's design and operation. The YSC guides the work plan, develops resources, and supports evaluation efforts. YSC members receive ongoing support and education to build their knowledge about healthcare transition and leadership skills.

·    Youth Development Initiative (YDI) Committee Member: The YDI is a group of youth ages 12-17 with I/DD who will receive training and mentoring by young adult leaders also with I/DD. This initiative will help them understand healthcare transition, advocacy, and self-determination.

For more information or to apply, visit the SPAN Parent Advocacy Network website.