A group of disability service providers and advocacy organizations has launched a campaign urging Ohio legislators to approve a big increase in the Medicaid reimbursement rates that fund wages for direct-support professionals. Because DSP pay has been so low for so long, Ohio’s developmental disability workforce crisis has worsened throughout the state, the coalition said: …
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Quinn Davis Vogel had always wanted a big family. And the more she eyed the recruiting sign – Do you have it in you to foster? – the more she felt it was speaking directly to her. Never mind that she already had three grown daughters and was about to retire from her nursing career. …
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West Central School and Transition Services is inviting graduates from the past three years (2020, 2021, 2022) to join this year’s graduating class for an in-person ceremony and celebration. Commencement took place virtually for those three classes due to the pandemic. “We recognize what an important milestone graduation is and know that a formal ceremony …
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After years as an advocate, case manager and volunteer on behalf of many different communities, Sean Patterson is ready to help the Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities embrace and improve diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Patterson, a service coordinator at FCBDD for the past 14 years, got started as the new DEI coordinator …
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The Franklin County board of Developmental Disabilities is again working with We Thrive Together to support a variety of online programs and in-person events throughout 2023. FCBDD is providing a countywide We Thrive Together subscription so that programs are free and available to all Franklin County residents. As last year, online activities can be accessed …
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After last year’s brutally cold dip in Alum Creek, Laura DeWert felt more than ready to retire from the signature Special Olympics fundraiser. She even announced her intention. And then, a few weeks ago, she signed up for what will be her 16th Polar Plunge. “Just like Tom Brady, I can’t quite quit,” she said. …
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Though he has moved into the director’s office, no one should be surprised to see James Leonard back in the garage now and then. Troubleshooting mechanical problems comes naturally to Leonard, who has been peering into engines since he was a teen. “I just like doing it,” he said. “It’s the challenge of not letting …
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Mildred “Millie” Blumenfeld, who championed the rights of people with developmental disabilities and their families for more than 50 years, died on Dec. 11 at the age of 98. Blumenfeld started out advocating on behalf of her son Lee and soon found herself taking on battles both large and small. She pushed for everything from …
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Chelsi Davis can barely remember a time when she wasn’t interested in helping – and learning from – people with disabilities. Her mom, a former bus assistant for the Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities, always brought Davis along during Take Your Child to Work Day. Davis also visited her grandfather, who worked in the …
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Each year, the Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities turns to the public for input on an important community survey and needs assessment. Responses and comments from people we serve, family members, staff, providers and others help us to shape plans for the coming year. We review these responses and consider them in the final …
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