#AdvocacyMatters: An Attitude of Empowerment
A society of inclusion and equity cannot be possible when so often a diagnosis strips away one’s opportunity to choose where they live and receive care. Read more...
February 26, 2021Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: An Uphill Battle
A troubling new study is shedding light on just how deeply-rooted implicit biases may be within our system of healthcare against people with disabilities. Read more...
February 19, 2021Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: The Symptoms and the Cause
When faced with a serious diagnosis, common sense dictates that addressing only the symptoms and not the disease is not a cure. Read more...
February 12, 2021Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: Hanging in the Balance
Every two years, the state of Ohio goes through an important, priority-altering task: setting the state’s budget. Read more...
January 29, 2021Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: A Shot of Hope
Since the arrival of effective, approved vaccines at the end of last year, the monumental task of production, distribution, and prioritization has been underway. Read more...
January 22, 2021Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: Giving Voice To The Silenced
As imperfect as our systems of justice may be, we believe that the principles behind them- liberty and justice for all- are inherently good. Read more...
January 15, 2021Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: Reflections Of A Dark Day
This week, we all watched in horror as an armed mob overtook the U.S. Capitol building for the first time in more than 200 years. Read more...
January 8, 2021Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: Glancing Back, Charging Forward
There’s little doubt that this past year was the most challenging most of us have lived through. From the first days of 2020, however, we had much to celebrate as we stepped ever closer towards our vision of a truly equal society. Read more...
December 23, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: In All Fairness
As the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccines arrive in Ohio, one question is on everyone’s mind: who is in line? Read more...
December 18, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: Amplifying Change
While not a topic an organization like ours has focused on in the past, we believe it is incredibly important to acknowledge that a free and equal society cannot be realized until these mechanisms of systemic discrimination are diagnosed and eliminated. Read more...
December 11, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: The dark before the dawn
As we move into what could be a dark winter, there are several actions that people with disabilities can take to help alleviate complications down the road. Read more...
December 4, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: Forward Together
As we enter this time of appreciation and giving and prepare to send off a year that many would rather forget, it’s important that we pause and reflect on all that was accomplished in 2020. Read more...
November 25, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: Better at Home
The Home and Community Based system in Ohio needs additional funding from the state to continue supporting the independence and safety of older Ohioans and people with disabilities. Read more...
November 20, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: A Needed Change
The facts are inescapable: Data shows that marginalized groups are at high risk for police use of force and death by policeâ€"including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and people with disabilities. Read more...
November 13, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: Answering the Call
We don’t measure our success in election outcomes, we measure it in election participation. Read more...
November 6, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: This Is It
Over the last few months, we’ve committed a great deal of our team’s time and energy to ensuring each and every Ohioan with a disability has an opportunity to be heard in this election. Read more...
October 30, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: Eleven Days
The decisions we make in eleven days will have an impact for years to come. With so much at stake, it’s critical that every voice is heard and every vote is counted. Read more...
October 23, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: Empty Classrooms, Unique Solutions
Adapting to online school can be hard for all children, but what if your child’s academic success depended on seeing their teachers and peers face-to-face? Read more...
October 16, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: Taking Action, Not Sides
Through the haze of negative campaign ads and catchy one-liners, it can be difficult to figure out exactly where the candidates stand issues of importance to Ohioans with disabilities. Read more...
October 9, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: Listening, Learning, Adjusting
Every day that goes by brings with it new challenges and new obstacles for Ohioans with disabilities. Read more...
October 2, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: Safer at Home
Thousands of Ohioans face barriers leaving institutions in favor of community care. Read more...
September 25, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: Plan Your Vote
We want to ensure that every voice is heard once the ballots are counted, and PLAN YOUR VOTE will help Ohioans across the state participate in this historic election. Read more...
September 18, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: Fighting for Peace of Mind
Earlier this year, a concerned family reached out to Disability Rights Ohio on behalf of their son Tanner, who has autism. Read more...
September 11, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: Decoding Medicaid Managed Care
Much like parents, managed care providers can have trouble working through the complex Medicaid managed care system. Read more...
September 4, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: Back to School, Far from Ordinary
When a child’s future is at stake, no decision should be taken lightly. Read more...
August 28, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: Growing Our Impact
It’s often said that challenges create champions. The hardships we’ve seen in our clients’ experiences, our communities, and our own homes over the last 6 months haven’t deterred us Read more...
August 14, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: Advocacy Through Research
A deeper understanding of any problem creates better solutions. We’re proud to have just announced the results of a three-year study we completed with our partners at the Ohio Brain Injury Program on people with Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) living in Ohio nursing facilities. Read more...
August 7, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: Another Year of Differences Made
The strength of an organization lies in its results, and 2019 was a historic year for Disability Rights Ohio and the communities we serve. Through advocacy, assistance, and action our work made it possible for more Ohioans to live, work, learn, and go where they wanted. Read more...
July 24, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: Leading the Charge to Protect Equal Access to Care
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, there have been very serious concerns across the country about equal access to life-saving health care for people with disabilities. Read more...
July 13, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: When keeping her family together was at risk, we helped her fight
Angela didn’t give up and neither did we, because #advocacymatters. Read more...
July 2, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: Bringing Abuses to Light
Earlier this week, we released the results of our nine-month investigation into Sequel Pomegranate, a residential treatment facility for children in Columbus. Our findings were shocking: Serious and systemic cases of abuse and neglect, violations of safety and treatment standards, inappropriate use of restraint, peer-to-peer bullying and staff intimidation, and... Read more...
June 26, 2020Read More
#AdvocacyMatters: COVID-19 and Racial Equality
Today, Disability Rights Ohio submitted testimony to the Minority Health Strike Force. The Strike Force was created by Governor DeWine to examine the impact of COVID-19 on minority populations and report on solutions to address the health disparities in our state. Read more...
June 19, 2020Read More
Moving Forward Together
At Disability Rights Ohio, our vision is to create a society where all members are equal participants: where members of any minority enjoy the same rights as the majority. We recognize the impact of generations of oppression and systemic injustice in our work. Read more...
June 9, 2020Read More
How School Closures Are Impacting Special Education. What You Need to Know. #AdvocacyMatters
Have you been trying to teach your kids from home? For parents trying to navigate home schooling AND access to special education services for their children, it's even more difficult. Read more...
April 17, 2020Read More
They Said He Couldn’t Return Home; We Fought for His Right to Live in his Community. #AdvocacyMatters
Last winter, Francis contacted Disability Rights Ohio for help leaving a nursing facility. Francis has physical disabilities and had been stuck unnecessarily in a nursing facility for years. This restrictive setting was stifling for him; he lost his independence and autonomy and became depressed. Francis desperately wanted to return... Read more...
March 10, 2020Read More
She was banned from a local pool because of her disability. We helped her get the access she deserved. #AdvocacyMatters
Traci had been using a local recreational center's pool for prescribed physical therapy sessions to treat her spina bifida. After just three weeks, though, the rec center revoked her access to the pool because of her colostomy bag. Read more...
August 30, 2019Read More
Tyra hadn't received the education she needed. Our advocacy got her into the right program. #AdvocacyMatters
When her family resettled in Ohio as refugees from Zimbabwe two years ago, Tyra looked forward to receiving the quality of education she was unable to access for years in exile because she was deaf. She and her family began working with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) to find... Read more...
August 16, 2019Read More
Her guardian wasn't listening. We raised her voice. #AdvocacyMatters
Megan lived independently with her boyfriend of six years and received regular visits from her private agency guardian. One day, the guardian thought she saw a "crack pipe" in the couple's apartment and ordered Megan to take a drug test. Read more...
August 2, 2019Read More
He wanted to live with his family. We made sure he kept the funding to do so. #AdvocacyMatters
Nicholas was excited when he received an Individual Options (IO) waiver so he could live in his community with his brother and sister-in-law. But then he and his family had difficulties finding service providers that could give him the 24/7 care he needed. When his county's Board of Developmental Disabilities... Read more...
June 28, 2019Read More
He needed surgery to keep his job. We helped him get assistance to pay for it. #AdvocacyMatters
Daniel was happy to start his new job on an assembly line. One month later, his cataracts caused him to miss the holes for the nails he was inserting. He was written up and told unofficially that if he couldn't see, he would be let go. Read more...
June 21, 2019Read More
She was told to graduate before she was ready. We helped her stay in the programs she needed. #AdvocacyMatters
Morgan was heading into her fourth year of high school. She was excited to attend a "social graduation," where she would walk across the stage with her class but would then remain in school to obtain needed services as part of her IEP transition plan. Under IDEA, students with disabilities... Read more...
May 31, 2019Read More
Her baby was taken from her because of her disability. We filed a brief in support of her right to parent. #AdvocacyMatters
Jenna, an independent woman with an intellectual disability, was excited about being a new mother following the birth of her baby daughter. However, while still in the hospital recovering from the delivery, child protective services removed the baby from Jenna's custody and placed her with a foster family. Read more...
May 3, 2019Read More
He wasn't receiving the accommodations he needed to succeed. We got him back on track to graduate. #AdvocacyMatters
Michael is a long-time nurse who is currently enrolled in a program to become a nurse practitioner. As a person who is hard of hearing, Michael requires speech-to-text technology and captioned videos to access class lectures and materials. When these accommodations were not provided, however, Michael began to struggle in... Read more...
April 26, 2019Read More
Her service dog was denied entry at a JFS office. We opened the doors. #AdvocacyMatters
Lynn's service dog is trained to help her manage the symptoms of her PTSD. When making trips to her local Job and Family Services (JFS) office, security staff asked Lynn twice to provide proof of her dog's status as a service animal. Both times, they ultimately refused to allow her... Read more...
April 19, 2019Read More
Gabe went from struggling to all As and Bs, with help from DRO. #AdvocacyMatters
When Gabe started second grade, he was really struggling in school. He was getting speech therapy, but his mother knew he was not progressing academically like he should. She asked the school to provide additional services, but they refused. She then requested a re-evaluation for Gabe, which was also refused.... Read more...
April 12, 2019Read More
DRO's new annual report highlights the importance of the P&A system
Our new Annual Report shows what we did, but it also paints a portrait of what life for Ohioans with disabilities would be if there were no P&A and CAP. Hundreds of people would be denied services without recourse. They wouldn't receive information about how to challenge those decisions. Read more...
March 29, 2019Read More
He wasn't getting enough time out of his cell. His complaint to DRO led to systemic policy change. #AdvocacyMatters
David has a diagnosed mental illness and has been placed in solitary confinement in a state correctional facility. He felt his mental health was deteriorating and believed that he was not getting enough out-of-cell time in line with state prison policy. He attempted to advocate for himself, but he wasn't... Read more...
March 22, 2019Read More
He needed additional services to keep him safe. One email from DRO changed the outcome. #AdvocacyMatters
Ben had a Level 1 Medicaid waiver, which provided some services, but not enough to keep him from wandering away from his home at night sometimes, which put him at risk. His father had applied to get him placed on a SELF waiver three times, but the county board of... Read more...
March 15, 2019Read More
DRO seeks to better help clients through trauma at OVWA training #AdvocacyMatters
On February 21 and 22, DRO's Victims of Crime attorney Sarah Hill and advocate Basil Stolar attended a training hosted by the Ohio Victim Witness Association (OVWA) to learn about working with individuals who have experienced trauma. Read more...
March 1, 2019Read More
A veteran was at risk of losing her support dog. We stepped in to help. #AdvocacyMatters
Claire, a veteran diagnosed with PTSD, has three support dogs that help her manage the symptoms of her disability. However, her Homeowners Association (HOA) accused her of violating their two pet policy. Read more...
February 22, 2019Read More
He was facing expulsion. We kept him in school. #AdvocacyMatters
When Caleb started having behaviors at school, he was removed from his school's general education program and placed in a behavioral program. Another conflict got the seventh-grader suspended due to aggressive behavior, and the school moved to expel him. Read more...
February 15, 2019Read More
Things at her workplace were changing. We stepped in to help her maintain her routine. #AdvocacyMatters
Jenny had worked two-hour shifts at a café for 16 years and with her own transportation arranged. However, when the café started operating independent of the county board of developmental disabilities, Jenny was told that she would have to work five-hour shifts and use the company’s transportation instead. Read more...
February 1, 2019Read More
He was worried about the conditions of his facility. Our advocacy ensured a more sanitary environment. #AdvocacyMatters
Will lives in a state correctional facility in a unit that treats residents with mental illness. He grew concerned about the conditions of his unit when he saw mice, insects and what he thought to be black mold in the facility. Worried about his health and the health of his... Read more...
January 25, 2019Read More
His needs weren't being met in the classroom. We helped get him support to succeed. #AdvocacyMatters
When he was in kindergarten, Jonathan went to a school for students with autism, but his mom felt that he would do well in general education classrooms with the right support. However, when he entered first grade at his new school, his mom noticed significant changes in his behavior and... Read more...
January 18, 2019Read More
Her services were cut and her home was in jeopardy. We helped her stay put. #AdvocacyMatters
Beverly was pretty happy with the in-home and rental assistance services she was receiving in her accessible apartment. However, her apartment building was slowly being transitioned to an assisted living facility. In October, she was notified that she would have to switch from an Ohio Home Care waiver to an... Read more...
January 11, 2019Read More
She needed a closer parking space. Our advocacy paved the way. #AdvocacyMatters
Mary's apartment complex had five accessible parking spaces, but they were frequently taken by other residents and their guests. She often found herself having to walk long distances to get to her apartment, which was very difficult because of her disability. She tried for several weeks to ask the property... Read more...
January 4, 2019Read More
We saw a need for education about housing rights, so we partnered to get funding. #AdvocacyMatters
Some of the most common questions we get at Disability Rights Ohio are about housing rights, particularly around discrimination, reasonable accommodations and support or assistance animals. In a continued effort to educate people around those specific issues, DRO has partnered with Southeastern Ohio Legal Services (SEOLS) and the U.S. Department... Read more...
December 14, 2018Read More
She needed our help to stay in school. Our advocacy made the difference. #AdvocacyMatters
Yvonne was being bullied at school, and one day, she reached her breaking point. She went into the school bathroom and wrote a curse word - not a threat - in pencil on the wall. Administrators pulled her out of class and called the police, who arrested the sixth-grader and... Read more...
November 30, 2018Read More
She was in the hospital and wanted to vote. Let her tell you how DRO helped. #AdvocacyMatters
Last Monday I was admitted to the hospital, unexpectedly. I was told I would be there for at least two days. That meant I wouldn't be able to vote. As upset as I was about being in the hospital, I was even more upset that I wouldn't be able to... Read more...
November 16, 2018Read More
She was being denied an education. We got her back in the classroom. #AdvocacyMatters
Poppy had been bullied at school. She told a teacher, but her safety was not taken seriously. Eventually, Poppy could no longer bear it, and she brought a knife to school in her backpack for protection. When the knife was discovered, she was expelled, even though she had no history... Read more...
October 26, 2018Read More
She wanted to get back into the community. Our advocacy got her there. #AdvocacyMatters
Germaine Martin has a bachelor's degree in political science with a minor in mathematics, and she wants to put her sharp mind to work and lead an active, social life. She'd had that community-based life at one time, with all of the supports she needed as a person with quadriplegia,... Read more...
October 19, 2018Read More
The absentee voting process was inaccessible. Our lawsuit gave voters with disabilities new options. #AdvocacyMatters
For many years, Ohio's absentee voting system was entirely paper-based. If you couldn't read text on a piece of paper or use a pen to write, you had no choice but to ask someone to help you fill out your absentee ballot - and trust that person to mark your... Read more...
October 5, 2018Read More
Her health was at risk in the heat. Our call to her property manager helped her cool off. #AdvocacyMatters
Last year, Margie's condo association put a fresh coat of paint on the outside of all the units in her complex. In the process, they inadvertently painted her windows shut. This wasn't a problem until this summer, when Margie's air conditioning system stopped working and she couldn't open her windows... Read more...
September 21, 2018Read More
She needed someone to fight for her education. We stepped up. #AdvocacyMatters
A'loni Wagner was doing great in a school for kids with behavior disabilities, but her school district no longer wanted to pay for her attendance there. Instead, they sent her to her local middle school, where she struggled with teachers who often resorted to immediately restraining her instead of helping... Read more...
August 31, 2018Read More
They were violating her rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. We called the county commissioner. #AdvocacyMatters
Like many people with disabilities, Genevieve depends on her county department of job and family services (JFS) and Medicaid to provide taxi transportation to her medical appointments. Genevieve kept encountering one company that always refused to put her wheelchair in the trunk of their cabs - a clear violation of... Read more...
August 24, 2018Read More
Without a handrail, she felt trapped in her apartment. We helped her out. #AdvocacyMatters
Meryl's apartment had three steps at the front door but no handrail. Because she is legally blind and was still recovering from two strokes, she didn't feel safe navigating them on her own. She had resorted to paying someone to bring in her mail and was struggling to pay her... Read more...
August 17, 2018Read More
He wanted to be able to communicate. We helped him get the device he needed. #AdvocacyMatters
Vaughn wanted a new speech-generating device. Although he can write, he has limited use of his hands, so forming words with pen and paper is very difficult. His current device was nearly 20 years old, so it was big, clunky and had started to make loud clicking noises when it... Read more...
August 10, 2018Read More
After an accident, they impounded her wheelchair. We helped her get it back. #AdvocacyMatters
Sadie wanted to be home before dark. To get there, she had to drive her power wheelchair down streets with no sidewalk. Before long, she tumbled down an embankment and was thrown from her chair. Read more...
August 3, 2018Read More
Kids were at risk in a locked room. We opened the doors. #AdvocacyMatters
A DRO advocate got a tip that children with disabilities were being locked inside a recreation room at a learning center, so she traveled to the facility unannounced and asked for a tour. The program’s administrator was happy to show the advocate around. When they arrived at the room they... Read more...
July 25, 2018Read More
Without reliable transportation, her health was suffering. We fought alongside her to get her what she needed. #AdvocacyMatters
Alicia's health was suffering. Like many people with disabilities, she needs safe, reliable transportation to get to medical appointments, but her Medicaid managed care company kept providing transportation that put her at risk. She was told she could only get transportation if she used a manual chair instead of her... Read more...
July 13, 2018Read More
She needed a reasonable accommodation to get to work. Our advice kept her on the job. #AdvocacyMatters
Rebecca liked her job at a nearby nursing home, but her transportation arrangement was very stressful. Although she lived just three miles from her work place, her service provider required her to be picked up 90 minutes in advance and even transfer to a different bus along the way. This... Read more...
July 6, 2018Read More
Marcus hadn't been in school all year. We got him back on track. #AdvocacyMatters
Marcus and his family had moved to a new school district over the summer, and his mother, Marie, went to his new school to register him. Marcus, who has ADHD, Spina Bifida, epilepsy and autism and uses a wheelchair, needs a lot of supports, and Marie felt the school wasn't... Read more...
June 29, 2018Read More
With support from DRO, Kayla Stacy turns her broken trust into an opportunity for advocacy #AdvocacyMatters
"I was lucky to find out about DRO, and they made all the difference. They made me feel like a human, not a piece of evidence to be pulled out of a box. I don't know how I'd have gotten through this process without them." Read more...
June 21, 2018Read More
He needed a home. We gave him the encouragement he needed to find the perfect place. #AdvocacyMatters
Peter needed a place to live. Although he was eligible for services from his county board of developmental disabilities, he'd been homeless and sleeping on couches with friends for about a year. His mother called DRO, hoping we could get to the bottom of why Peter still didn't have proper... Read more...
June 15, 2018Read More
She called because they wanted to vote. We helped her clear the way. #AdvocacyMatters
The call came in to DRO's voter hotline at about 2:15 p.m. on Primary Election Day, May 8. A staff person at a psychiatric hospital had four patients who wanted to vote but couldn't go to their polling location because they were hospitalized. DRO had done voting rights trainings at... Read more...
June 1, 2018Read More
A proposed rule change could have put people at risk of abuse. Our call to action helped put a stop to it. #AdvocacyMatters
The news was concerning: with little explanation, the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities was proposing to change a rule about its abuser registry and announced a public hearing to accept input. Read more...
May 25, 2018Read More
An incorrectly reported incident left him without job coaching services. We helped him get back to work with the supports he needs. #AdvocacyMatters
Jacob was looking for a new job in the community through the Job Club at his county board of developmental disabilities. Though his autism can make it difficult for him to understand social situations, at 20 years old, he is familiar with what it takes to hold long-term jobs in... Read more...
May 18, 2018Read More
She needed a fence to keep her safe outside. We got her the green light to build it. #AdvocacyMatters
Ava and her family live in a nice neighborhood in Central Ohio. Ava has autism and Dup15q Syndrome, and in the past she has run away from her home, which caused her mom, Laura, to worry that she could get hurt. Her Medicaid waiver offered to pay to have a... Read more...
April 30, 2018Read More
She needed a different vehicle to take her to medical appointments. We got her rolling. #AdvocacyMatters
Betty was getting transportation services for medical appointments through her Area Agency on Aging. The transportation company was sending a minivan to pick her up, but she found that it was too hard for her to climb in and out of such a high vehicle. She requested either a car... Read more...
April 20, 2018Read More
She wanted to cast her absentee ballot privately and independently. Our lawsuit made it a reality. #AdvocacyMatters
Shelbi Hindel has voted in every election since she turned 18. Because she is blind, she needed help to read the ballot for many years, relying on someone to read it aloud to her and trusting them to vote the way she wanted to. Accessible voting machines with screen reading... Read more...
April 13, 2018Read More
She needed more time. We made sure the landlord was listening. #AdvocacyMatters
Amy's father had just died. She was still trying to deal with the loss when she received bad news from his landlord: due to some unpaid rent, the landlord had gone to court to get an eviction notice. He would be putting all of her father's belongings out on the... Read more...
April 4, 2018Read More
He needed an in-person ASL interpreter. We reminded his medical providers of their responsibility. #AdvocacyMatters
Jack was trying to schedule an appointment with a new family doctor. He needed an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter and knew that his doctor was required to provide one, but when he called the doctor's office, he hit some roadblocks. Read more...
March 23, 2018Read More
They were in danger of losing nursing services. Our pro bono partnership with Nationwide saved the day. #AdvocacyMatters
Two Ohio families had gotten bad news: the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities wanted to reduce or end the nursing services their daughters were receiving in their homes. Instead, the Department wanted an aide to perform the same care, which the families feared would put Leah and Michelle at risk... Read more...
March 16, 2018Read More
He needed a wheelchair to get around after surgery. We helped him find one. #AdvocacyMatters
At just 9 years old, Guillermo had undergone major surgery to his foot and, although he was doing well, doctors said he wouldn't be able to walk for three months while he healed. The third-grader was anxious to get back to school, but without a wheelchair to keep his foot... Read more...
March 9, 2018Read More
They had a right to effective communication. Our advocacy got them the help they needed. #AdvocacyMatters
Freda and her husband purchased a home security system. Because they are Deaf, the company's installation technician tried to explain how to work the system by passing notes back and forth, but this caused a lot of confusion, since American Sign Language (ASL) is their primary language, not English. Read more...
February 23, 2018Read More
She wanted her freedom back. We helped her get it. #AdvocacyMatters
Monica had been under guardianship since she was 19, and after six years she knew it was time for a change. She had been taking care of herself for years in many ways, and her current guardian was controlling and critical, preventing Monica from practicing her religion and threatening to... Read more...
February 16, 2018Read More
With DRO’s help, Zach Ricker finds his way #AdvocacyMatters
Zach Ricker is happy now. At age 18, he’s got a job at Bob Evans in Bellefontaine washing dishes and bussing tables, and he’s making friends with his co-workers. It’s a life his parents, Lorie and Tim, have fought for, but it could easily have turned out differently. Read more...
February 9, 2018Read More
She needed a simple accommodation. One phone call from DRO made the difference. #AdvocacyMatters
Rebecca frequently meets with her case manager at a local agency. Because she's blind, she needs someone to offer an arm to guide her from the lobby to her case manager's office once she gets inside the building, but she was told that front office staff wouldn't provide that service... Read more...
February 2, 2018Read More
A facility was in poor condition. We partnered with the provider to get it fixed up. #AdvocacyMatters
In August 2017, Disability Rights Ohio received an anonymous tip that an Adult Care Facility in the Youngstown area was in bad shape, putting its residents - people with mental illness - at risk. DRO's abuse and neglect team visited and found a host of problems: stained and buckling ceiling... Read more...
January 26, 2018Read More
We wanted to help the disability community track important legislation. So we created a new resource center. #AdvocacyMatters
Disability Rights Ohio monitors dozens of pieces of legislation at any given time and maintains relationships with lawmakers to educate and inform them about how their proposals will affect people with disabilities. We know that many partners and self-advocates rely on us to help them stay informed on these issues. Read more...
January 12, 2018Read More
She needed a closer parking space. We paved the way. #AdvocacyMatters
Leandra could never find a parking space close to her apartment. She'd have to park a block away and walk up a hill to her building, which was quite difficult because of her mobility disability. She asked her landlord to give her an assigned, reserved parking space close to her... Read more...
December 29, 2017Read More
The clients were living in appalling, unsafe conditions. We got the facility shut down. #AdvocacyMatters
As the Protection & Advocacy system for people with disabilities in Ohio, Disability Rights Ohio constantly monitors facilities where people with disabilities live to make sure they are clean and safe and the residents are well cared for. In June 2016, DRO made a monitoring visit to Simmons Adult Care,... Read more...
December 21, 2017Read More
Donzel Shepherd's call to DRO leads to more transparency for all Ohioans with disabilities seeking job services #AdvocacyMatters
Donzel Shepherd wants to help people get back to work, and he wants to do that in the underserved neighborhoods in his hometown of Cleveland. "I want to go into the community centers, where people don't have access to these services," he explains. "No one else goes there. " Read more...
December 15, 2017Read More
Bipartisan bill would create new program to protect people with disabilities from financial exploitation #AdvocacyMatters
Recently there have been reports in the news and through the Office of the Inspector General and Government Accountability Office about problems with the representative payee oversight program. In response, Congressional Republican Sam Johnson of Texas and Democrat John B. Larson of Connecticut have introduced House Resolution 4547, the Strengthening... Read more...
December 8, 2017Read More
He wanted to vote. We made it happen. #AdvocacyMatters
It was Election Day and James was excited to exercise his right to vote. He called DRO's voter hotline from the facility where he lives to get the address of his polling location. DRO found the information, and James asked the DRO representative to tell a staff member at the... Read more...
December 1, 2017Read More
Thanks to DRO's pro bono partnership with Nationwide, Gabriel can get the services he needs in the community. #AdvocacyMatters
Gabriel's parents, Stanley and Jean, had given him the best care they could in his youth. However, at 20 years old, conflicts escalated with Gabriel's increasingly aggressive behavior and Stanley's own health challenges. Gabriel was on the waiting list for a Medicaid waiver so that he could live his dream... Read more...
November 22, 2017Read More
His landlords threatened him over his emotional support animal request. We clarified the law so he could bring home his new best friend. #AdvocacyMatters
Stephen had collected everything he thought he needed to request a reasonable accommodation from his landlords to get an emotional support animal. But even after going above and beyond what is legally required by getting a letter from his doctor, they still denied his request, citing a "no pets" policy.... Read more...
November 17, 2017Read More
DRO cares about your right to vote. Call our Voter Hotline for help. #AdvocacyMatters
People with disabilities have the right to vote, and Disability Rights Ohio fights to ensure that those votes can be cast. Every Election Day, DRO runs a Voter Hotline, which allows people who are having problems voting to talk directly to a DRO staff member, who can answer their questions.... Read more...
November 2, 2017Read More
Sheila's confusing government letter was made clear, thanks to a little help from DRO. #AdvocacyMatters
Sheila was concerned. She'd gotten a letter in the mail that seemed to say her Medicare benefits would stop at the end of the year, and she wasn't sure why. She called DRO's Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) program, since she'd worked with our benefits counselors before and thought... Read more...
October 27, 2017Read More
Without his scooter, he couldn't safely visit his son in prison. We helped him keep rolling. #AdvocacyMatters
Melvin's son is serving a prison sentence, and Melvin and his wife, Reba, like to visit him once a month. When checking in at security, though, the prison staff required Melvin to turn in his motorized scooter and use a chair on four small wheels instead. However, the visitation area... Read more...
October 20, 2017Read More