State of Ohio agency empowering Ohioans with disabilities through employment, disability determinations & independence. Visit www.oodworks.com to find a job.
Social media terms/conditions at bit.ly/4hVmJJL. OOD's mission is to empower Ohioans with disabilities through employment, disability determinations, and independence.
11/16/2025
Springfield students with disabilities are preparing for bright futures! ☀️
A new initiative is helping students build skills, gain confidence, and enter the workforce with all the support they need to succeed.
Senior Tamiya Ashley, who plans to go to Clark State College after she graduates, says of the program:
“I like it a lot because I’m job shadowing and learning housekeeping skills. If I possibly want to do housekeeping in the future at a job, I’ll already know how to get the job done."
➡️ Read the full story to learn how students are building pathways to employment now.
Springfield High School students with disabilities in the Transition Program intern at Villa Springfield to learn workforce skills.
11/15/2025
Captions do more than display video dialogue, they ensure your content can be understood by everyone, including individuals who are Deaf, hard of hearing, non-native English speakers, or watching without sound. 📱
Whether you're recording a meeting, sharing a promotional video, or hosting a livestream, effective captioning helps make your message clearer and more disability inclusive.
offers clear, easy-to-follow guidance on captioning:
✔️ Include meaningful audio, such as dialogue, sound effects, and silence.
✔️ Keep captions to two lines, use correct punctuation, and time them right.
✔️ Label speakers and identify sounds like music and laughter.
✔️ Break lines naturally for readability.
Check out 's Captioning Tips resource and start making your content accessible today! ➡️ bit.ly/49bmpET
11/14/2025
Your career goals matter, and we're here to help you reach them. 🌱
For Ohioans with disabilities, our services offer real pathways to:
🔷 Discover what opportunities fit your interests.
🔷 Get hands-on training and experience.
🔷 Build connections with employers across the state.
And more! Let's open the next door to your future together.
➡️ Visit OODWorks.com to get started today.
11/13/2025
Happy ! 💙
Kindness doesn't just brighten someone's day; it helps build stronger communities!
Today, we encourage you to:
✔️ Lend a helping hand wherever you can
✔️ Offer encouragement to someone who needs it
✔️ Brighten someone's day with a kind word
Every act of kindness matters! How will you be celebrating today? Let us know! 👇
11/12/2025
As continues, we're recognizing the people at the heart of our mission - the people we serve! ❤️
Every participant's story, every goal, every milestone inspires us. Thank you for trusting us to be part of your journey!
11/11/2025
Happy ! Today, we honor the brave men and women who have served our country and safeguarded our freedoms.
Last year, we supported 732 Veterans with disabilities, offering services to help them prepare for, find, and retain employment. Services are available to Ohio Veterans with disabilities, whether your disability or injury is service-related or not.
📆 OOD offices are closed today in observance of the holiday. Thank you, Veterans!
11/10/2025
Meet Gabe! 🌟
When Gabe came to OOD, he had two big goals: gain meaningful employment and earn his driver's license.
With support from OOD and Ability Works Inc, Gabe received personalized training and work experience, including:
✅ On-the-road driver's training
✅ Summer Youth Work Experience (SYWE)
✅ Ohio Vocational Apprentice Program
✅ Job coaching & search assistance
His dedication paid off! Today, Gabe is thriving at Mickey's Stores, taking on extra shifts thanks to his excellent performance. He even helped celebrate a grand opening event as Mickey the Moose! 🫎
Gabe was "proactive, adaptable to change, and receptive to feedback, which all contributed to him achieving his employment goal," explained Sahar Khan, OOD Rehabilitation Program Specialist.
Congratulations, Gabe! 🎉
11/09/2025
Discover how the Springfield Museum of Art (Ohio)'s "Artists Exploring the Possible" series is empowering creative expression across the disability community! 🎨
In partnership with Developmental Disabilities of Clark County (DDCC) and the Ohio Arts Council, participants of all ages have discovered new ways to express themselves through art.
The opportunity "builds confidence in their being called artists,” says Sharon Pruzaniec, DDCC Community Navigator. “There’s a lot of creativity and the individuals were surprised by what they could do.”
Click the article to read the full story and get inspired today!
Developmental Disabilities of Clark County (DDCC) and Community Connections Department invite the community to a drop-in event recognizing the art of three students and seven adults, 3:30-5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 6, in the Springfield Museum of Art's McGregor Gallery.
11/08/2025
In Case You Missed It 🗞️
Ohio is taking a major step toward safer, more disability-inclusive emergency response. A new registry created under House Bill 144 allows individuals with disabilities, or their families, to voluntarily share important information with countywide 9-1-1 systems.
➡️ Click the article now to learn more.
Keith’s Law expanded a database in Ohio, providing emergency responders with additional information that could be helpful when responding to people with disabilities.
11/07/2025
Last week, we visited the Ohio State School for the Blind for their Trunk or Treat! 👻🍭
Our mobile services unit was decked out for Halloween and ready to bring fun, sensory-friendly activities to the students - including our "bowl of spaghetti brains" and other creative, hands-on experiences.
We absolutely love connecting with students and families while sharing the many ways OOD supports Ohioans with disabilities, aged 14+. ❤️
Let us know if we saw you at the spooktacular event!
11/07/2025
Offering sign language interpreting is a cornerstone of creating truly disability-inclusive events, programs, and services. Whether you're planning an event, presentation, or meeting (live or virtual), providing American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters ensures every voice is heard and every attendee feels valued!
encourages:
✅ Best practices: Include ASL interpreters for presentations, performances, and conferences.
💻 Tech options: Use flexible solutions like on-site interpreters, video-remote interpretation (VRI), and captioning.
📆 Year-round access: ASL interpretation is available 24/7 through Community Centers for the Deaf, supported by OOD.
Learn more about offering ASL interpreting and related accommodations today: ➡️ bit.ly/4oFucPK
11/06/2025
Meet Bryce Heath and Syd Melia, Ohio College2Careers participants from Youngstown State University! 🙌
Bryce Heath is a junior Political Science Major. He's also a Student Assistant Football Coach, so he's turning leadership into action, both in and out of the classroom! 🏈
Syd Melia is a junior Studio Arts Major whose creativity shines through in every piece she makes. In this photo, she prepares clay to craft a one-of-a-kind vase - a process that takes patience, focus, and artistry. 🏺
We're so proud to celebrate students like Bryce and Syd, who show that determination, creativity, and support can turn possibilities into achievements while at college.
Whether you're building confidence, communication, and professional skills like Bryce or exploring how to turn artistic vision into future career opportunities like Syd, Ohio College2Careers can help you reach your goals while in school and beyond.
➡️ Visit OODWorks.com to get started.
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150 E Campus View Boulevard , Suite 300 Columbus, OH 43235
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Contact The Practice
Send a message to Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities:
Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) is the state agency that partners with Ohioans with disabilities to achieve quality employment, independence and Social Security disability determination outcomes. It is accomplished through its Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR), Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired (BSVI) and Division of Disability Determination (DDD). A fourth area is the Division of Employer and Innovation Services (EIS), which is responsible for establishing and maintaining partnerships with employers.
OOD Comment Policy
OOD respectfully requests that when joining our social media websites, you practice respect, courtesy, and accountability in your commentary. We encourage active discussions on our social media websites but prohibit comments that are vulgar, obscene, threatening, intimidating, harassing, or attacking. Any such comments will be removed from our social media websites.
Your selection to use and follow OOD social media websites is voluntary. You may unsubscribe with the third-party service providers of OOD social media websites at any time.
You also agree that your use of OOD social media websites and these terms and conditions are governed by the laws of the State of Ohio.
OOD does not endorse, support, sanction, encourage, verify, or agree with the comments, opinions, or statements posted on any of its social media websites. Any information or material placed online, including advice and opinions, are the views and responsibility of those persons making the comments and do not necessarily represent the views of OOD. By submitting a comment for posting, you agree that OOD and its third-party service providers are not responsible, and shall have no liability to you, with respect to any information or materials posted by others.
OOD reserves the right to review, edit, move or delete any material submitted as a comment to the information provided for display or placed on any of its social media websites, in its sole discretion and without notice.
OOD may remove user-generated content, including but not limited to, content that contains:
Any personal or sensitive information (i.e. phone numbers, email or postal addresses, or any sensitive information).
Any information identifying OOD applicants or participants of vocational rehabilitation services.
Any legally privileged, confidential, proprietary information, or protected health information.
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Commercial solicitation or solicitation of donations.
Link baiting (embedding a link in your post to draw traffic to your own site).
Please do not make participant status inquiries on any OOD social media website. To that end, OOD will not address, comment, or include any participant status information on social media websites. OOD will remove any user-generated comments that include any personal or sensitive information (e.g., phone numbers, email or postal addresses, or any consumer status information).
