Ohio

Ohio AgrAbility staff exhibited at two McCormick Vision Fairs at Goodwill/Easterseals Greater Miami Valley. The fairs were held at Goodwill/Easterseals offices in Dayton, and Lima, Ohio, and were well attended by clients, service providers, advocates, teachers, and students. OAP displayed posters and information on gardening and farming with a visual impairment and other disabling conditions.

Ohio AgrAbility's advisory committee meeting was not deterred by bad weather - staff and Committee members met via Zoom (web conferencing) and reviewed the activities of the past year and plans for the upcoming year. Committee members offered suggestions on outreach to farmers and organizations, ways to raise funds to support farmer travel and education, and facilitating OAP presentations for FSA regional meetings.

OAP will be holding a workshop focused on employment opportunities for individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities. "Ohio AgrAbility: Building Independence through Agriculture" will be held in Columbus, Ohio, February 26, 2019, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Workshop goals:

• Present information to connect disability services professionals and their clients with farmers and agricultural employers and overcome barriers to employment
• Provide a list of resources for potential funding of adaptive equipment and modifications, assistive technology, and job and technical support
• Highlight the exceptional skills and abilities of this population and discuss the advantages of hiring a person with a disability (tax incentives, reliability, loyalty/longevity)

More information and registration for the workshop will be available by early January.

Submitted by Laura Akgerman