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Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council

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Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council

Creating change to improve independence and inclusion for Ohioans with developmental disabilities. We provide this information as a public service.

The Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council (ODDC) is a planning and advocacy body committed to community inclusion for people with disabilities. ODDC is funded under the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act, Public Law 106-402. ODDC is a partner within the Ohio DD Network which includes Ohio's Protection & Advocacy System (Disability Rights Ohio) and Ohio's two University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities: The Nisonger Center of The Ohio State University and the Cincinnati Children's Medical Center of the University of Cincinnati. The Ohio DD Council uses its page to provide information about the Council. The Ohio DD Council also to share news from other organizations. Please note that the Ohio DD Council does not endorse nor guarantee the information provided from other organizations.

11/21/2025

Speaking Is a Privilege: Dystonia Awareness and AAC Advocacy in the Disability Community in Ohio

ODDC Community Ambassador Alicia (Audacity2Speak) shares her experiences and resources through her blog, "The Pulse", on her media website Ohio Advocacy Heartbeat.

During her time as a Community Ambassador, Alicia wrote about living with dystonia, a condition that causes involuntary muscle movements and can make speaking difficult. Many people with dystonia rely on Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices (AAC) part-time, and when they are in situations that don't allow extra time for them to speak, they can be left out of the conversation. Alicia educates her readers on how AAC devices work, and that a pause in communication doesn't mean the speaker isn't engaged.

"Everyone deserves respect and to be listened to, regardless of communication method."

Learn more about Alicia and read her blog post about dystonia awareness month here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/cu/ou5bpq4/AliciaHopkins

11/20/2025

ODDC is accepting applications for new Community Ambassadors!

Are you interested in sharing your voice and making a difference in your community? The ODDC Community Ambassador Program highlights self-advocates with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) from across Ohio.

As an Ambassador, you’ll share stories from your local I/DD community — including challenges, successes, and the positive changes helping make your town more inclusive for everyone.

Visit this link to tell us more about you and your interest in becoming a Community Ambassador: https://forms.gle/bkePsH7aiPBrsbTy8

Learn more about the program and our previous Community Ambassadors here: https://bit.ly/ODDC_Ambassador

11/19/2025

Resource Highlight:

The Ohio Department of Health’s Complex Medical Help Program (CMH) connects individuals with special health care needs to a network of medical providers and helps them obtain payment for needed services.

CMH also provides resources for planning the transition to adulthood for children and families with special health care needs.

Learn more in our October newsletter here: https://ddc.ohio.gov/media-and-news/dd-council-connection/

11/14/2025

Celebrating a Lifetime of Advocacy: ODDC Executive Director Carolyn Knight Retires

After more than six decades of dedicated service to Ohioans with disabilities, Carolyn Knight, Executive Director of the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council, retired on October 30th. Her career has been defined by advocacy, relationship-building, and an unwavering belief that people with disabilities deserve to live, work, and thrive in the same conditions as everyone else.

Read more about Knight and her time with ODDC here: https://bit.ly/4g5ZRqc

11/13/2025

ODDC Community Ambassador Alicia Hopkins uses art to further her advocacy efforts. See her latest artwork here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/cu/ou5bpq4/AliciaHopkins

"This piece is room of people having community and conversation. There are people with disabilities and nondisabled people, and they are having conversations using AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) and [American Sign Language]. It's about having conversations and respecting and honoring the ways people communicate and including them in community.

When I use my AAC in the community people exclude me. It happens a lot in Ohio [state level] advocacy spaces. People are used to when I speak, so they don’t understand when I need to use AAC.

Did you know, up until September 2025, zero resources used [picture exchange communication systems] (PECS) with Supported Decision-Making? There are also zero resources for AAC in Supported Decision-Making.

I keep pushing the issue, and I am speaking at the Synergy Ohio Conference on this topic."

11/10/2025

Ohio DD Council Seeks Public Input on Draft 5-Year Plan on Developmental Disabilities

The Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council has approved a draft 5-Year Plan on Developmental Disabilities at their October meeting. The Council now seeks public feedback on the Goals and Objectives the Council has created for 2027-2031. Additionally, the Council is proposing to provide funding for 19 different grant projects. Each of the proposed projects, along with goals and objectives, can be found at this link: https://ddc.ohio.gov/projects-and-grants/five-year-state-plan/five-year-state-plan

The Council began working on the draft plan in 2024 when it published a public survey seeking input on the needs in Ohio. More than 1,000 survey responses were received from Ohioans with developmental disabilities, family members and system stakeholders. Starting in early 2025, Council began evaluating the needs identified by Ohioans in the survey and developing goals and objectives to address those needs.

Now, the Council seeks feedback on the plan it has created. Anyone can submit comments or feedback on the draft plan by submitting a completed survey. Surveys can be found by this link: https://form.jotform.com/253015784369060

The deadline for all surveys is Wednesday, December 31, 2025.

11/07/2025

Sign up for the next Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities Employer Training webinar. This free webinar will provide actionable steps for businesses to retain and support employees with disabilities.

What: Disability-Inclusive Workplaces: Retaining Diverse Talent
When: Thursday, November 20, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM ET
Where: Virtual (Microsoft Teams link will be sent upon registration)

Registration is required to attend. Click here to sign up: https://bit.ly/43ux4WL

11/06/2025

In case you missed it, our October newsletter is now available!

Read it here: https://bit.ly/4g5ZRqc

DD Council Connection is a way for the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council to introduce to you our Council members, provide updates on the work we do and the grant projects we manage, and inform you on the activities and initiatives of Ohio's community of advocates and others who work on behalf of people with disabilities and their families.

Want to be the first to know when our next newsletter is posted? Sign up here: bit.ly/3XmxCMk

10/30/2025

ODDC Community Ambassador Alicia uses visual art to help her tell her story and advocate for change. Online, she goes by , and much of her advocacy is tied to the hashtag .

"Art speaks for me when I can't speak. It helps me process information and connect with people to share stories. It also provides a way to advocate for my needs. When I was going through a care crisis, I painted to survive, telling people stories through art. And it showed I wasn't alone. Art gave me the courage to advocate for bigger issues."

Learn more about how Alicia uses art to advocate for the DSP crisis: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/cu/ou5bpq4/AliciaHopkins

10/29/2025

Recently, 20+ Ohio legislative staff participated in an activity to increase their awareness of the challenges faced by individuals who are deaf and blind.

Hosted by LMK Advocacy as part of a DD Council grant, the session gave legislative staff a chance to experience what it’s like to receive support as an individual who cannot see or hear. Staff also learned from individuals who are deaf/blind and deaf about critical resources they rely on to remain independent in the community.

Learn more about this hands-on training in our most recent newsletter: bit.ly/DD_Council_Connection

10/23/2025

Community Resource Alert:

The next Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) Family Connection Forum (formerly Family Advisory Council) will be held on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM.

This recurring virtual event gives family members and family serving organizations an opportunity to engage with DODD directly. It's also a great way to learn more about the current DODD programs and initiatives available.

Sign up here: https://dodd.ohio.gov/about-us/communication/events/FCF-Dec-2025

10/20/2025

We are excited to introduce to you the latest ODDC Community Ambassador, Alicia Hopkins from Hamilton County!

As an ODDC Community Ambassador, Alicia’s focus was on access to Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices to empower people to make their own decisions and achieve Supported Decision-Making.

Throughout her ambassadorship, Alicia conducted interviews, wrote articles, and created art as a form of advocacy.

We’ll be sharing some of her content in the coming weeks. For now, visit her ambassador page to learn more about Alicia and her work: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/cu/ou5bpq4/AliciaHopkins

Address

1810 Sullivant Avenue
Columbus, OH
43222

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm

Website

https://ddc.ohio.gov/

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Our Mission

The mission of the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council (Ohio DD Council) is to create change that improves independence, productivity and inclusion for people with developmental disabilities and their families in community life. The Ohio DD Council is one of a national network of state councils, committed to self-determination and community inclusion for people with developmental disabilities.

The Ohio DD Council has over 30 members. Sixty percent represent people with developmental disabilities, and parents and guardians of people with developmental disabilities who are appointed by the Governor. The remaining members include representatives from state agencies, non-profit organizations and agencies providing services to people with developmental disabilities. Professional staff support the Council's members and committees and handle day-to-day operations, administration, planning, advocacy, and project monitoring.

The Ohio DD Council identifies issues experienced by people with disabilities and creates specific grant proposals to address these needs. When grants are available, the Ohio DD Council will announce it so that anyone may apply for the grant.

The Ohio DD Council operates under the authority of the federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000. The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities assists the Ohio DD Council as the federally mandated designated state agency.