The Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities has partnered with We Thrive Together, a nonprofit organization that offers an array of online programming, to provide exercise classes, cooking demonstrations, virtual trips, games and more. FCBDD is paying for a countywide We Thrive Together subscription on a trial basis so that all programs are free to …

Marci Straughter, a Dublin-area resident who receives services from the Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities, is making history as the first person with developmental disabilities to help lead the agency. She was appointed to the FCBDD governing board by the Franklin County Commissioners on Jan. 6 and will take her seat on the seven-member …

A few years ago, the relationship likely would have played out differently: Instead of having people with developmental disabilities working on site, Simple Times Mixers would have exported some of its production to a nearby ARC Industries workshop. That’s how Simple Times owner Mark Tinus envisioned things when he first spoke with Dave King, director …

Though he had no experience with podcasts, Mike Messina instantly felt comfortable with the idea behind Extraordinarily Ordinary, a new podcast series from the Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio. Messina stars in the first episode, grabbing a beer with Sunny 95 deejay Dino Tripodis. The two talk (and laugh) about life for 40 minutes …

During the earlier months of the pandemic, West Central School nurse Debbie Charles sought to reassure students by holding a smiling photograph in front of her masked face. She wanted them to know it was still her, still the same Nurse Debbie who’s provided decades of loving care.“She knows the science of nursing, and she …

Please take a few minutes to respond to this brief community survey. Comments from people we serve, family members, staff, providers and the public help us to shape plans for the coming year. We review each response, and consider the input as we develop a final version of the Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities …

After serving the maximum three terms, Linda Craig is leaving her position on the Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities. She attended her last meeting on Nov. 18, receiving a surprise farewell banner and much applause from FCBDD employees and early-childhood program students. “It’s been 12 years, but it sure doesn’t seem like that long,” …

If she could, Rowena Gonzales would fund a mobile hospital in her native Philippines and use it to reach families who can’t afford care for children born with developmental disabilities.“We could go all over and see who needs help,” she said.Gonzales knows that in poor countries, the quest for care and support for people with …

At 10 years old, Diego Solis climbed into a dentist’s chair and had a tooth filled for the first time. He doesn’t recall being upset or frightened. In fact, the memory is a happy one.“I loved it,” he said. “Everything went great.”Solis soon decided he’d like to fix teeth, too. He stuck to that childhood …

Starting in November, personal robots will be rolling around two sites in Franklin County as part of a technology pilot through the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.The temi robots are about 3 feet tall and look a little like Segways with iPads. One is headed to a community home whose residents receive services from the …