<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Aptos;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Source Sans Pro";}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}
h2
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 2 Char";
margin-top:8.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:4.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:20.0pt;
font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif;
color:#0F4761;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;
font-weight:normal;}
h3
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 3 Char";
margin-top:8.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:4.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#467886;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.Heading2Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 2 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 2";
font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif;
color:#0F4761;}
span.Heading3Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 3 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 3";
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
font-weight:bold;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:1651402766;
mso-list-template-ids:1496851396;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@list l0:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1
{mso-list-id:1963682263;
mso-list-template-ids:1986296448;}
@list l1:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@list l1:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l2
{mso-list-id:2069500084;
mso-list-template-ids:-638018678;}
@list l2:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l2:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@list l2:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l2:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l2:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l2:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l2:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l2:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l2:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
--></style></head><body lang=EN-US link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><h2>Social Security Commissioner Visits National Federation of the Blind Headquarters<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>Social Security Administration<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>December 17, 2025<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><i>Commissioner Bisignano visited the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) to meet with NFB President Mark Riccobono.<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>Baltimore, MD</b> — On Monday, December 8, 2025, Social Security Administration (SSA) Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano visited the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) headquarters to meet with NFB President Mark Riccobono and discuss the ways SSA can continue and strengthen its support of the blind community. Bisignano is the first SSA Commissioner to ever visit the NFB headquarters.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“I am grateful for all the work NFB does to support, rehabilitate, and expand opportunities for the blind. With approximately 50 million American adults suffering from vision loss or blindness, almost every family either is or knows someone closely impacted by vision loss, and my family is no exception. I will continue to advocate for the blind and explore new ways to improve SSA’s services, including the return-to-work efforts for beneficiaries,” <b>said Commissioner Bisignano.</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>"We deeply appreciate Commissioner Bisignano’s commitment to partnership with our organization to create meaningful opportunities to advance self-sufficiency and financial independence for all blind Americans. We value leaders like Commissioner Bisignano who invest the time and effort to learn from our community by visiting our national headquarters, speaking at our national convention, and making actionable commitments to address our concerns,” <b>said NFB President Riccobono.</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>SSA provides <a href="https://choosework.ssa.gov/library/fact-sheet-work-incentives-for-people-who-are-blind">employment support</a> for blind Americans in addition to <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10052.pdf">other programs for low-vision and blind Americans</a>. SSA strives to make our services more accessible, including changes to <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/myaccount/"><i>my</i> Social Security</a>, our secure online gateway for customers that provides immediate electronic access to Social Security information and services.<o:p></o:p></p><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:115%'><hr size=1 width="100%" align=center></div><h2>Social Security COLA amount may decrease in 2027. Here's why, Ohio impact<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>The Columbus Dispatch<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>December 17, 2025<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>When the Federal Reserve finished its final meeting of 2025, it delivered its third straight interest rate cut, according to <a href="https://247wallst.com/investing/2025/12/14/the-feds-december-rate-cut-means-social-security-retirees-could-be-in-for-a-cola-surprise/" target="_blank">24/7 Wall St</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The cost of Medicare premiums coupled with inflation could <a href="https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2025/09/16/social-security-cola-wiped-out-double-whammy-2026-affects-ohio/86180508007/" target="_blank">wipe out Social Security's 2026 cost of living adjustment amount</a>. And the decision to once again cut rates could drastically impact the COLA on Social Security benefits in 2027. Here's what we know, and how many Ohioans may be affected.<o:p></o:p></p><h3>Interest rates could impact Social Security COLA amounts in 2027<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The Federal Reserve decided to reduce rates by 0.25% in December 2025. As we move into 2026, the benchmark rate will range from 3.50% to 3.75%. This reflects a three-quarters-of-a-percentage-point drop from the start of the year, after the benchmark rate was set to a 4.25% to 4.50% target range in January, according to a <a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/monetary20250129a.htm" target="_blank">Federal Reserve press release</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Here's why a lower interest rate may lead to a lower COLA increase in 2027.<o:p></o:p></p><h3>Why lower interest rate now can mean lower COLA for 2027<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The Federal Reserve makes decisions that can have a ripple effect across the economy.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>As 24/7 Wall St. explains, a lower interest rate can signal the Fed feels inflation may be more under control. Meanwhile, the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) is a measure both of inflation and a tool that helps set COLA amounts for the following year. The lower the CPI-W number, the lower the COLA increase.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>If inflation is truly under control in the third quarter of 2026, the CPI-W may also be lower at this time, which is when the Social Security Administration sets its COLA amounts for the following year.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The COLA increase for 2027 could be as low as 2.1%, one of the lowest rates ever, according to 24/7 Wall Street.<o:p></o:p></p><h3>What have COLA benefit increases looked like recently?<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Here is what benefit increases have looked like in recent years, per 24/7 Wall St.:<o:p></o:p></p><ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1'><b>2026:</b> 2.8%<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1'><b>2025:</b> 2.5%<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1'><b>2024:</b> 3.2%<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1'><b>2023:</b> 8.7%<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1'><b>2022:</b> 5.9%<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo1'><b>2021:</b> 1.3%<o:p></o:p></li></ul><h3>How much do Ohioans receive from Social Security?<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>According to the <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/factsheets/cong_stats/2023/oh.html" target="_blank">SSA website</a>, Ohio beneficiaries received $4.23 billion in total payments each month in 2023. Nearly 2.5 million Ohioans were beneficiaries of Social Security. That included:<o:p></o:p></p><ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'>Retired workers (1,779,927)<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'>Disabled workers (305,732)<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'>Widows, widowers, and parents (159,964)<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'>Spouses (70,208)<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'>Children (147,123)<o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>In 2024, <a href="https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/2024/09/03/social-security-cola-2025-forecast-calculator-rise-impacts-ohioans/75016182007/" target="_blank">Ohio's Social Security benefit payments</a> were predicted to rise by as much as $84.6 million per month in total with a new cost-of-living adjustment for 2025. That amounted to $1.01 billion total in additional benefit payments in Ohio with COLA applied.<o:p></o:p></p><h3>Does Ohio tax Social Security benefits?<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>No, Ohio does not tax Social Security income, according to the <a href="https://tax.ohio.gov/individual/file-now/senior-citizens-and-ohio-income-tax" target="_blank">Ohio Department of Taxation</a>. However, nine states do tax Social Security, according to <a href="https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/social-security/603803/states-that-tax-social-security-benefits" target="_blank">Kiplinger</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><h3>What is the Social Security COLA?<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The COLA is an SSA tool that helps beneficiaries handle the effects of inflation.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>If the collective cost for a broad range of goods and services regularly purchased by seniors rose by 3% year to year Social Security benefits would also need to increase by the same rate to avoid a loss of buying power. Social Security's cost-of-living adjustment is the "raise" beneficiaries receive in most years to help counteract the impact of inflation on their purchasing power.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Beginning in 1975, the CPI-W became the program's inflationary yardstick, which allowed for annual COLAs to be passed along to beneficiaries, if necessary. Before then, Congress arbitrarily passed benefits increases during infrequent special sessions. (For instance, there wasn't a single benefit adjustment during the 1940s, which was followed by the largest-ever COLA of 77% in 1950.)<o:p></o:p></p><h3>Social Security's 2026 cost-of-living adjustment will make history<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Based on multiple independent estimates, the <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/news/en/cola/factsheets/2026.html">2.8% COLA increase</a> in 2026 will make history by <a href="https://www.fool.com/retirement/2025/06/28/social-security-2026-cola-do-something-not-seen/?utm_source=usa-today&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article&referring_guid=02dcd335-de87-4db0-a4d0-bae60b92a78a" target="_blank">reaching or surpassing 2.5% for a fifth consecutive year</a>. The last time beneficiaries received at least a 2.5% payout bump for a half-decade was a 10-year stretch from 1988 through 1997, during which COLAs varied between 2.6% and 5.4% on an annual basis.<o:p></o:p></p><h3>Potential double whammy awaits many of Social Security's 70 million beneficiaries in 2026<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Things look great on paper, but the practical application of Social Security's 2026 COLA is a long way from perfect.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The <b>first problem</b> that aged beneficiaries are going to run into is an expected loss of purchasing power. According to a TSCL analysis released last year, the buying power of a Social Security dollar fell 20% from 2010 to 2024.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The CPI-W generally does a poor job of accounting for the expenses that matter most to seniors. It tracks the spending habits of "urban wage earners and clerical workers," who in many instances are working-age Americans not currently receiving a Social Security benefit. These people spend their money quite differently from Social Security recipients, the majority of whom are older than 62.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The <b>second part of the double whammy</b> pertains to seniors dually enrolled in Social Security and traditional Medicare. Most of these dual enrollees have their Part B premium, which is the segment of Medicare responsible for outpatient services, automatically deducted from their monthly benefit.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>According to estimates in the Medicare Trustees Report, <a href="https://www.fool.com/retirement/2025/07/27/social-security-2026-cola-missing-silver-lining/?utm_source=usa-today&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=article&referring_guid=02dcd335-de87-4db0-a4d0-bae60b92a78a" target="_blank">the Part B premium is expected to rise</a> in 2026 to $206.20 per month (up more than 11%). This follows more modest increases of 5.9% in back-to-back years. Most aged beneficiaries will see some or all of their 2026 cost-of-living adjustment offset by this sizable jump in the Medicare Part B premium.<o:p></o:p></p><h3>How much will your Social Security benefit be? Use a Social Security COLA calculator<o:p></o:p></h3><ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3'><a href="https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/quickcalc/">See current potential payments using the Social Security Adminis</a><a href="https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/quickcalc/" target="_blank">t</a><a href="https://www.ssa.gov/OACT/quickcalc/">ration's benefits quick calculator.</a><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo3'><a href="https://www.northstatebank.com/calculator/social-security" target="_blank">See the North State Bank's calculator to adjust for inflation.</a><o:p></o:p></li></ul><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:115%'><hr size=1 width="100%" align=center></div><h2>Popular influencer’s TikTok video spotlights Miami University's accessible ‘foot button’ elevators<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>Miami University<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>December 17, 2025<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Dan Darkow, director of the <a href="https://miamioh.edu/academic-programs/resources-services/student-disability-services/index.html">Miller Center for Student Disability Services</a>, said he was “genuinely shocked” when he was first sent a TikTok video praising Miami University’s accessible elevator at Shriver Center that features floor panel buttons.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The glowing review came from influencer Shane Burcaw, who along with his wife, Hannah Burcaw, are known to their 634,000 social media followers as “Squirmy and Grubs.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Darkow MA ’17 — credited with advocating for enhanced elevator accessibility at Shriver and elsewhere on campus — said the video came after the center welcomed the popular influencers to Miami for <a href="https://events.miamioh.edu/event/breaking-barriers-a-conversation-with-squirmy-and-grubs">“Breaking Barriers: A Conversation with Squirmy and Grubs.”</a><o:p></o:p></p><h3>‘Wow! That’s so cool’<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Shane Burcaw, who has spinal muscular atrophy, runs a <a href="https://www.laughingatmynightmare.com/">blog and nonprofit organization</a> dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for individuals with disabilities and providing medical equipment to people with neuromuscular diseases.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>He shared his experience using the accessible elevator at Shriver Center.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“I’m about to use an elevator completely by myself, for the first time ever, thanks to adaptation!” he said in the <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@squirmyandgrubs/video/7561570221190827295?_r=1&_t=ZT-90b92okzrMk">TikTok video</a> as he demonstrated using the exterior floor panel buttons showing UP and DN.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“But wait! There’s more!” he said as he entered the elevator, in which wheelchair users can use a wheel to select the floor they would like to go to because the floors are numbered on the interior floor panel buttons. Burcaw demonstrated using his wheel to select going down to the first floor. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“Wow! That’s so cool. I wish every elevator ON EARTH had foot buttons. That’d be so helpful!” he said in the video.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Darkow, who advocated for getting the floor panel buttons installed, said, “I had no idea they had captured that video while visiting and was excited to see how they appreciated the intentional design we brought to campus. Hannah and Shane have incredible reach from their social media platforms, and I was glad Miami could be featured in implementing universal design.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Darkow added, “We currently have these types of elevators in Shriver, Armstrong, and Clinical Health Sciences.”<o:p></o:p></p><h3>A wheelchair-friendly campus<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>In 2021, Miami was named <a href="https://www.miamioh.edu/news/top-stories/2021/01/miami-named-one-of-20-wheelchair-friendly-colleges.html">one of 20 colleges that create wheelchair-friendly campuses</a> and cultures that promote an inclusive college experience by Wheels on Campus, in the first-of-its-kind guide.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Darkow, who earned his master’s in Student Affairs in Higher Education, said he first learned of this innovative and highly accessible concept during his graduate studies while researching disability rights in the United States for one of his classes.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Mitzie Willis, administrative assistant for the Miller Center for Student Disability Services, praised Darkow for always identifying ways to support the Miami community’s accessibility needs, including when the center team moved to the Shriver Center in 2017.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“Dan advocated for making elevator use more inclusive and intuitive for individuals with disabilities, aligning with our shared commitment to fostering an equitable and accessible campus environment,” Willis said. “He is the reason Miami has those fabulous elevators.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Miami is now piloting a new style of accessible push button at an accessible entrance for Upham Hall and at the entrance to Patio Grill on East Quad.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“These accessible push buttons offer a vertical design accommodating a wider range of access needs,” Darkow said.<o:p></o:p></p><h3>How the elevators came about<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Darkow learned about Ed Roberts, an international leader and educator in the independent living and disability rights movements based in Berkeley, California.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“Following his passing in ’95, the <a href="https://www.edrobertscampus.org/">Ed Roberts Campus</a> was created and designed to be a center dedicated to fostering collaboration and improving services and opportunities for people with disabilities,” he said.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>In those videos, Darkow said he first saw the floor panel buttons installed and “knew that if I had an opportunity to improve elevator access on campus, this would be a part of my plan.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Darkow was a graduate student at Miami when initial discussion occurred about moving Student Disability Services from the ground level of Nellie Craig Walker Hall (formally the Campus Avenue Building) to the third floor of the Shriver Center.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“I was asked for my input regarding the placement of a Disability Services office on the third floor of a building,” he said. “It was important for me to consider the benefits and challenges that may present themselves with the new location.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Darkow knew that Shriver’s central location on campus greatly increased access for students because it is across from the Armstrong Student Center.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“This location would also provide an opportunity for Student Disability Services, the Rinella Learning Center, RLC Testing Center, and the AccessMU Center to all be located together on the third floor, creating an academic and accessibility support hub for students,” he said.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>At the same time, Darkow said he knew from personal experience that it was important to consider barriers that students with disabilities may face in accessing the office on a non-ground level.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“Ultimately, we reached a consensus that the third floor of Shriver would be a great location if we could ensure the elevator had additional accessibility features, ensuring it could be used independently by the widest range of people,” he said.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Darkow said he had personal experience with a horizontal panel at waist height at his undergraduate institution. He called that incredibly helpful and “wanted to adopt additional accessibility, mirroring the design I had seen on the Ed Roberts campus.”<o:p></o:p></p><h3>Miami leaders supported the vision<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Darkow said, “We had incredible support from our Physical Facilities department to bring this vision to fruition.” After the Shriver elevator was installed, they received positive feedback from users about the additional accessibility features.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“These additional panels not only supported folks with physical access needs, but it also was helpful for anyone who had their hands full or would prefer not to physically touch the elevator button in hopes of avoiding unnecessary germs,” he said.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>With the support from the President's Office and Armstrong Student Center, in collaboration with Physical Facilities, a project to install additional accessibility panels in the student center was done in fall 2019.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Darkow noted that these types of buttons were part of the initial building design for the Cleveland Clinic Clinical Health Sciences and Wellness facility, which opened in 2023.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>He hopes Burcaw’s TikTok video inspires other campuses and businesses to adopt the foot panel elevators.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“I hope anyone who saw the video will be inspired the next time they are a part of a remodel or a new construction project and they remember the major impact that can be felt from a small design shift, increasing elevator access for not only people with disabilities but everyone,” he said.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Darkow is always looking for ways Miami can further support the community's accessibility needs.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“Physical accessibility is just one aspect of the larger accessibility landscape here at Miami that we are consistently working to improve and make better for everyone,” he said.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“Over the past year, we have addressed uneven sidewalk barriers, added a few power operator doors to various locations on campus, increased navigation access with additional accessible features being highlighted on the campus map, and are finishing up renovating a new accessible restroom with an adult changing table on the third floor of Armstrong.”<o:p></o:p></p><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:115%'><hr size=1 width="100%" align=center></div><h2>How clinical depression leads as the top cause of disability in the United States<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>Dayton 24/7 Now<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>December 17, 2025<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>DAYTON, Ohio (WKEF) -- Major Depressive Disorder, MDD, or clinical depression, is one of the most common psychiatric disorders, affecting about 22 million adults in the U.S.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>It is the leading cause of disability in the U.S., affecting a person's thoughts, feelings, and actions.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Amy Belnap, shares her perspective on this complex condition and how to find a treatment option for you. <a href="https://dayton247now.com/news/local/how-clinical-depression-leads-as-the-top-cause-of-disability-in-the-united-states">View the news segment at the Dayton 24/7 Now website.</a><o:p></o:p></p><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:115%'><hr size=1 width="100%" align=center></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> Suzanne M. Hartfield Turner</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>National Federation of the Blind of Ohio, Vice President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Ohio Legislative Director<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Cleveland Chapter, President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-top:24.0pt'><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The National Federation of the Blind advances the lives of its members and all blind people in the United States. We know that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. Our collective power, determination, and diversity achieve the aspirations of all blind people.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:18.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#333333'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>P: (216) 990-6199<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>W: NFBOhio.ORG<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ohiosblind/photos/"><span style='color:#0563C1'>https://www.facebook.com/ohiosblind/photos/</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>