#AdvocacyMatters: We're Still Here

February 7, 2025 / #AdvocacyMatters

It’s been a confusing few weeks for so many of us, full of back and forth and conflicting information. While changes in administration typically bring with them differing directives and changes in focus, the level of disruption experienced in the last 18 days have been anything but normal. Throughout all this, amid the chaos… we’re still here.

Last week the President issued an executive order to pause Federal grant and loan funding, which set off a chaotic chain of events throughout our nation’s service system. While our ability to receive Federal funding was temporarily interrupted, our work never stopped. An injunction has paused that order for now, and our focus remains on our ultimate vision of advocating for an equitable Ohio for people with disabilities.

Our Board of Directors recently completed work to better understand those most in need of our advocacy and resources. To maximize our impact, our work will focus on Ohioans with disabilities who are at heightened risk of harm, discrimination, isolation, or disconnection from essential service systems. This refreshed focus will help us better deploy our limited resources towards those who need them most.

In the coming weeks we are also set to debut a series of introductory videos to raise awareness of our organization and our work across Ohio. Informed by several community meetings throughout the state with communities that are disconnected from disability-related resources and services and available in 8 different languages, these videos will help overcome language barriers and connect to more communities.

No matter how much noise we’re forced to cut through, our vision is clear:

Voices Elevated. People Empowered. Equity Achieved.

We’re still here.

#AdvocacyMatters