Lucas Co. Board of Developmental Disabilities News You Can Use |
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To see the details of the events below, click on it. |
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DD Awareness & Advocacy Day Watch Party on March 4 Did you miss out on the in-person registration for DD Awareness & Advocacy Day in Columbus? Don't worry, you can still be part of the event with others! Join us 9 - 11 a.m. March 4 as we watch a livestream of the event together at the Board. Free event! Snacks will be served. Inclusive Zoom Call on March 5 Have some fun with us on Wednesday morning! Lucas DD will have the annual inclusive zoom call from 11 a.m. to noon on March 5. There will be time to socialize as we give a brief overview of events celebrating DD awareness month. You can share the ways you'll be celebrating, if you'd like! If there's time, we will play a non-competitive game! If you're lucky, you may win a prize drawing. Special Olympics State Winter Games Next Weekend Ohio Special Olympics State Winter Games are Friday - Sunday, March 7-9, at the Ohio State University! Lucas County Special Olympics will be sending several teams of athletes down for the competition. The Competitive Cheer competes on Friday from 1-4 at the RPAC. The swimmers compete on Friday from 1-4 and Saturday10-6 at McCorkle pool. Skills basketball athletes compete on Saturday from 10-1 at the RPAC. The D1 basketball team competes on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at the RPAC. Go Lightning! SALUTE Meeting (Hybrid) March 10 SALUTE, Lucas DD's self-advocacy group, meets at 5:30 p.m. on March 10. Lucas County Commissioner Lisa Sobecki will be the guest speaker. Topics include a plan to expand affordable housing in Lucas County and how your advocacy can help, other Lucas County accessibility and inclusion initiatives, as well as the overall role of Commissioners. Questions? Reach out to Deetra Kelly at 419-380-5141. Family & Advocate Forum March 11 (Hybrid) Join Lucas DD for a Family & Advocate Forum at 9:30 a.m. on March 11. Learn more about happenings at the Board or use the opportunity to ask about anything on your mind regarding our services. The Lucas DD Family & Advocate Forum is open to individuals served, their families, providers, and any other advocates in the I/DD system to meet and have conversations with Board leadership. Can't attend in person? Click here to join virtually. Common Ground March 11 Lucas DD's Common Ground and Friend Network is for people 18+ to gather and build lasting friendships and connections. The next meeting is 5:30-7:30 p.m. on March 11 at our Larc Lane Training Center. Questions? Contact your Service and Support Specialist or click here to email Deborah Tyree. Grants Workshops March 12-13 Need help applying for grants to help with therapies, equipment, summer camp, and other services not covered by your medical insurance? Tammy Eisenreich, Parent Support for the Lucas County Board of DD, is available to help families apply for special needs grants on March 12 and 13 in two different locations! Click headline for full details, and to register. Spring Rec Jam on March 13 Don't miss you chance to dance the night away at the Spring Rec Jam! This free event, for ages 18+, is from 7 - 9 p.m. on March 13. No registration required! Please note, Lucas DD does not provide supervision. Refreshments are available for purchase. Lucas DD Night at the Pistons March 15 The Detroit Pistons have once again partnered with Lucas DD for an Autism Awareness Night game at 7 p.m. on March 15 at Little Caesar’s Arena. A portion of all tickets purchased through this link will be donated to our FANS network. You'll also get a free gift from the Pistons as well as the opportunity to shoot a free throw on the court after the game. If you can’t go, please share the link with your networks to help raise money for a great cause! |
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Lucas DD Board of Directors February 2025 Special Recognitions At its Feb. 24, 2025 meeting, the Board of Directors of the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities recognized Community Connections Trainer Renaldo Carter as the February Staff Person of the Month. The Board also recognized a local filmmaker for his time volunteering for the CommUNITY Film Fest, and 3 Lucas DD employees who recently retired after more than 100 years of experience between them. National Consumer Protection Week: Slam the Scam Day Recognize scammers! They may pretend to be from an agency or organization you know, say there's a problem or promise a prize, pressure you to act immediately, or tell you to pay in a specific way. On March 6, 2025, federal, state, and local government, non-profit organizations, and private companies are joining forces to help protect consumers from scams. Over the years, scams have grown and evolved in scale and sophistication. The Federal Trade Commission reported that consumers lost over $10 billion to scams in 2023. Consumers lost more than $4.6 billion to investment scams and almost $2.7 billion to imposter scams. Everyone is vulnerable. Scammers target individuals, businesses, and even government agencies to attempt to steal money or personal information. They pretend to be from a well-known business or organization. Scammers try many ways to lure people, such as offering a prize, claiming they can get you more money or new benefit, and even that someone you love is in danger. They pressure you to act quickly. Most alarming, scammers tell you to pay using currency that is hard to trace, such as cryptocurrency, gift card, prepaid debit card, wire transfer, cash, or even gold bars. They might even say they are helping to keep your money safe. Follow #SlamTheScam posts on social media and share them with your loved ones and your community. Stay skeptical about unexpected contact from businesses or organizations. Hang up or delete suspicious messages. Do not click on links. Report scams to the Federal Trade Commission (reportfraud.ftc.gov). Visit ftc.gov/scams to stay up to date on the latest scams and the tactics scammers use. Check out the Latest with Aging Gracefully The latest issue of Aging Gracefully is now available! Aging Gracefully is a monthly newsletter published and edited by the Senior Supports Committee at the Lucas County Board of Developmental Disabilities. Bowling with Heroes Registration is Filling Up Quickly! In celebration of DD Awareness Month in March, individuals served by the Board will have the opportunity to bowl with local firefighters and police officers from noon - 2 p.m. on March 29. Must register to participate! Space is limited and there are not many spots left. Click here to register an individual. Please email Kelley Watson to register if you are a firefighter or police officer who would like to participate! Universal Changing Stations Coming to Ohio Rest Stops Did you know that several Ohio rest stops will have universal changing stations added by the end of 2026? Gov. DeWine held a press conference last month to celebrate the opening of the first rest stops with universal changing tables. Located at the newly redesigned I-71 rest areas in Jeffersonville, the universal changing stations are part of a family restroom, and include an adjustable table in a clean, safe, and private area. Learn more about this effort by clicking here to watch the press conference. Lucas DD Inclusion Resource Fair Lucas DD's annual Inclusion Resource Fair is 5:30 - 7:30 on March 19 at St. Clement Hall in north Toledo. This inclusive event features many activities, resources, and giveaways, is open to the public, and is FREE to attend. Click here to register! Last Call for Artists! 2025 Lucas DD Art Exhibit Lucas DD is seeking artwork by individuals with DD to showcase in a public art exhibit. Artwork will be displayed March 24 - 31 at Franklin Park Mall, with an optional "Meet the Artists" event from 1 - 3 p.m. on March 30. Deadline to submit artwork is March 7. Please email marketing@lucasdd.org if you are interested. |
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Register NOW for Special Olympics Spring Sports! Both the adult and youth programs have sent their newsletters with information about spring sports. Our coaches and volunteers are preparing for another awesome season of sports with our wonderful athletes! Register before next Friday to participate! ADULTS: Click here to see the full newsletter. Questions? Contact specialolympics@lucasdd.org. |
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Rare Diseases Day is TODAY! Today, February 28, is Rare Disease Day. Click here to access a variety of materials you can use to raise awareness and inspire change for the millions of people living with a rare disease. You'll find social media posts, posters, infopacks, tool kits, fact sheets, infographics and more, in a variety of languages! Acoustics for Autism is Sunday Join Acoustics for Autism in Uptown Maumee beginning at 11:45 a.m. on March 2 for their 18th year celebration! It will be a great day to rock out with free admission, 9 stages, and 100 bands! DD Friendly Make & Take Workshop March 4 & 18 Join Board & Brush for a Make & Take workshop! They provide all the materials and instruct you, step-by-step, to create a beautiful piece for your home or for a gift. Choose from a variety of paint colors in the workshop. This class is offered every other Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon, beginning March 4. No registration required! Cost is $15 per workshop. Trauma-Informed Community Resource Fair March 4 Join the Lucas County Trauma-Informed Care Coalition from 1-3 p.m. on March 4 for their 10-year celebration open house! This is a come-and-go event and anyone and everyone is welcome to stop by! At 2 p.m., there will be a brief address and a special proclamation from the Lucas County Commissioners. Assistive technology for dyslexia (virtual) on March 4 The PACER Center is offering a free virtual session from 2 - 3 p.m. on March 4 highlighting tools to help with dyslexia. This webinar will demonstrate assistive technology tools for reading and writing. It will emphasize helpful technology for individuals with dyslexia of all ages. Must register. Dungeons & Dragons on March 5 Do you like to play Dungeons and Dragons, or would you like to learn how to play? Join this DD-friendly group every other Wednesday evening, beginning at 7 p.m. on March 5! Sessions are limited to 3-5 players, be sure to reserve your spot today! TOPSoccer on March 9 U.S. Youth Soccer TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer) is a recreational sports program for children and adults with intellectual, emotional, or physical disabilities offered only through local U.S. Youth Soccer-affiliated soccer clubs. The next free session is 2 - 3 p.m. on March. 9. TOPSoccer provides people with diverse abilities an opportunity to play soccer in a structured environment that is safe, fun, supportive, and inclusive. Please register. Click headline for details. |
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List of Grants Available Need help funding summer camp, therapy, sensory equipment, social skills groups, and so much more? There are grants available to help! Click the headline to check out the list compiled by Parent Partner Tammy Eisenreich. You can also attend her workshops next month at no cost (but some of the grants on this list have imminent deadlines), or schedule a 1:1 session with Tammy to submit grant applications. Toledo Museum of Art has Sensory Kits Available Are you, or is someone you know, neurodivergent and sensory-seeking and would benefit from having fidgets available in the galleries to help you focus and enjoy your museum experience? TMA now has sensory kits available to borrow at our visitor services desks that provide multiple fidgets to keep you occupied -- including a carrying case that doubles as pop fidget itself! Cases are available on a first-come, first-served basis and are sanitized after each use. If you have questions or feedback, please reach out to Katie Shelley, Conda Family Manager of Access Initiatives, at kshelley@toledomuseum.org. Supportive Technology Virtual Learning Sessions Jennifer White of Able Opportunities will facilitate multiple learning sessions concerning low- and high-tech personal-driven accommodation tools and provide an overview of person-driven tech from February through April. These opportunities are virtual and free to attend! Click the links below to learn more and register. · Low Tech Person-Driven Accommodation Tools · High Tech Person-Driven Accommodation Tools · Person-Driven Tech For questions or accommodations, please email technologyfirst@dodd.ohio.gov. Free Digital Literacy Trainings The Arc and AT&T have joined forces on a nationwide program that is bringing digital skills training to people with disabilities and their families. Digital literacy is critical in today’s world to learn, apply for jobs, be socially connected, and more. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, people with disabilities are 3 times less likely to go online than people without disabilities. You'll find free, safe and accessible digital skills trainings that accommodate the different learning styles of people with disabilities. Social Skills Resource Social skills are like any other skill. If you study and practice, you'll get better. You don't need to be born with natural charisma, and it's never too late to learn. Improve Your Social Skills is a comprehensive website with a practical guide to social skills. It contains an abundance of free social skills activities. You'll discover everything that you need to learn the fundamental skills of social interaction - skills like conversation, body language and empathy - as well as strategies for achieving your social goals, whether you want to make new friends, start a romance, or feel more confident in social settings. Learn how to find the people who want to connect with the real you! |
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Help Build Inclusive Communities: A Community Supports & Services Survey IncludeAbility, a grassroots nonprofit in Ohio, is dedicated to fostering inclusive communities by breaking down accessibility barriers. Their vision is to lead innovative change, ensuring individuals with disabilities have equal opportunities in key areas like healthcare, housing, employment, and education. To advance this mission, IncludeAbility is conducting a Community Supports and Services Assessment. This assessment aims to identify barriers and needs within communities to better support individuals with developmental disabilities. The data collected will be documented in a report with recommendations to enhance inclusivity and empower individuals with developmental disabilities to live more independently. The deadline to take the survey is February 28, 2025 (today). Take the survey: https://wooster.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bpyHMu3AeQJyzOe If you need help with completing the survey, or if you need the survey in a different language, send an email to Julie Hartzler at juliehartzler@include-ability.org for assistance. DODD Seeks Input from Fathers of Individuals with DD Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) continues to build on a collaboration among state agencies, communities, and networks of support to ensure fathers of children with developmental disabilities are supported, engaged, and empowered. To keep moving forward, they are asking, "What is a father's current perspective? What are fathers' experiences in systems that support their children 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/children with a developmental disability, of any age, please click here to take their short survey. Board Vacancy at Bittersweet Farms Bittersweet Farms is seeking dedicated and passionate individuals to join its Board of Directors and support its mission of empowering individuals with autism through innovative programs and services. Bittersweet seeks leaders with expertise in construction/real estate, engineering, information technology, marketing/advertising, human resources, autism/education, public administration, and maintenance. Board members provide strategic guidance, support fundraising efforts, and help expand their impact. For more information, email Executive Director Megan Thompson mthompson@bittersweetfarms.org. Board Vacancy at Preferred Properties Preferred Properties, Inc. has a current vacancy on its 9-member Board of Directors. The nonprofit focuses on creating housing opportunities through a variety of programs for persons with developmental disabilities. Its goal is to develop housing in such a way that persons living with disabilities are effectively integrated into communities and neighborhoods Learn more at P2Housing.org. If you're interested in being a part of the Board, email Executive Director Cheryl Wilson cwilson@preferred-properties.org. Last Call for Inclusion Resource Fair Vendors If you are a DD friendly business or program and want to connect with hundreds of local families, consider registering as a vendor for Lucas DD's annual Inclusion Resource Fair. The 2025 fair will be from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. March 19 at St. Clement Hall in Toledo. This event is FREE for everyone to participate but vendors must register. Click here to register your organization. The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities invites you to take a survey to express your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions to improve the OhioISP template and process. Share your feedback based on your role in the system. Your input will directly inform updates to the OhioISP. The results of the survey will identify key areas that need updated within the standardized OhioISP template to better understand the needs, preferences, and choices of Ohioans with Developmental Disabilities. |
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