[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] Great information enclosed!

Tue Aug 26 14:17:48 UTC 2025

Ohio,

Here are two great reads.

Suzanne

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Blind, Deaf, and DeafBlind Accessibility Day

Columbus Zoo 

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium will offer this special day for guests to
enjoy the Zoo in a more accessible environment for individuals who are
Blind, Deaf and DeafBlind. Be sure to stop by the event information tent by
the globe fountain just inside the entrance for information and wayfinding
of the event.

Local community partners will be set up in Conservation Courtyard with
hands-on activities and learning experiences and will be announced at a
later date. 

*	Some sounds and visuals are required for safety purposes and these
will not be altered during Quiet Hours. 
*	Sensory kits with noise-canceling headphones, sunglasses, and fidget
devices will be available at Guest Relations for a $10 refundable deposit.
*	Kindly note that the Zoo will be open to all guests, so there may be
large crowds during this experience.

This event is included with a general Day Pass purchase.

Date: September 7, 2025. I have attached a link to the Columbus Zoo and
Aquarium website for additional information regarding the event and event
hours.  

https://www.columbuszoo.org/events/blind-deaf-and-deafblind-accessibility-da
y

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'I want to be seen for my art, not my disability.'

News 5 Cleveland
August 25, 2025

CLEVELAND - The Kennedy Center recently brought an annual conference to
Cleveland that focused on expanding inclusive arts experiences and
environments.

It is especially meaningful as the number of Ohioans with vision loss is
increasing, according to Prevent Blindness Ohio.

Several Northeast Ohio artists were on display at the conference, including
Owen McCafferty <https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-owen-mccafferty> .

McCafferty creates mostly in acrylic, oil pastel, and digital art, and like
any artist, he has a signature style, "Bold you know, bold lines and colors,
and I think that's a way people could recognize, 'That's an Owen McCafferty
artwork,'" said McCafferty.

Bold and bright images of sailboats, cityscapes, and birds, all a reflection
of how McCafferty experiences and shares the world.

"It's a way of expressing myself," he said.

What makes his artwork even more remarkable is that McCafferty is legally
blind.

"I was born visually impaired and also slight cerebral palsy with my face,"
said McCafferty.

The 62-year-old has been creating since childhood.

"I'd get really close up to the chalkboard, put my face up to it, and draw,"
he said. "That's how they first knew I had some artistic talent."

Bold lines and bright colors are easier for McCafferty to see.

He said it's meaningful to have his artwork recognized and wants to be seen
for his art, not his disability.

"I want to be an artist and express my artwork, get it out there, and
disability should be just secondary," he said.

McCafferty was among seven Northeast Ohio artists whose work was displayed
during The Kennedy Center's annual Leadership Exchange in Arts and
Disability conference in Cleveland, a global meet-up with a goal of
designing more inclusive arts experiences and environments.

An example of that is happening at Future Ink Graphics
<https://futureinkgraphics.com/> , a screen printing and digital arts studio
in Cleveland.

"It's really about having these inclusive programs for artists with
disabilities, and without disabilities all within the same space," said
Stephanie Kluk, owner and director of Future Ink Graphics.

She said that it is important because she believes there are a lot of
wonderful artists who are not getting the opportunity to create work.

The artists who were on display, including McCafferty, are alumni of FIG's
creative residency. The Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities
<https://www.cuyahogadd.org/>  provides funding for the program.

"The artist can really get experience working in a studio space and as a
professional artist," said Kluk.

To make the artist exhibit during the conference accessible, FIG partnered
with Clovernook Center, one of the world's largest producers of braille,
based in Cincinnati, to create accessible signage that told each artist's
name and artwork in braille and had a tactile QR code with an audio
description.

There were also tactile graphics of the pieces and a braille booklet
explaining the exhibit.

Kluk said it's all about making every voice heard in art.

"I think sometimes artists with disabilities may not be looked at as
creating wonderful art and being professional artists," said Kluk. "I love
that this can showcase that that's not true and that art is for everyone."

"I've heard people say that, like, you can't get a job as an artist because
you're visually impaired, or it's not realistic," said McCafferty. "I've
heard comments like that, but I'm just trying to prove them wrong."

McCafferty recently started a new job in retail, joking that there is such a
thing as a starving artist, and he needed to eat!

He said he loves making art because it makes him happy, but that's not the
only reason.

"It makes people happy, not just me, and as long as they appreciate my art
that's all that matters," he said. "I feel blessed."

Creating and living, bold and bright.

McCafferty said he hopes to show what's possible.

"Just to encourage others to be creative even those who may be disabled," he
said.

McCafferty wanted to give a shout-out to Regina E. Dorfmeyer, a
visually-impaired Cleveland artist, and John Bramblitt of Texas, as his
inspirations

Suzanne M. Hartfield Turner

National Federation of the Blind of Ohio, Vice President

Ohio Legislative Director

Cleveland Chapter, President

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.

P: (216) 990-6199

W: NFBOhio.ORG

Facebook:  <https://www.facebook.com/ohiosblind/photos/>
https://www.facebook.com/ohiosblind/photos/

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