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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Three Good Reads<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><a href="https://governor.ohio.gov/media/news-and-media/ohios-state-parks-receive-national-gold-medal-award-for-excellence"><b>Ohio’s State Parks Receive National Gold Medal Award for Excellence</b></a><b><span style='color:#156082'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><a href="https://governor.ohio.gov/media/news-and-media/ohio-designated-as-13th-aarp-age-friendly-state"><b>Ohio Designated as 13th AARP Age-Friendly State</b></a><b><span style='color:#156082'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/17/cdc-work-from-home-remote-policy"><b>CDC stops work-from-home disability accommodations</b></a><b><span style='color:#156082'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:36.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Source Sans 3";color:#0E3F75;letter-spacing:-.5pt;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:ZH-TW'><img border=0 width=624 height=3 style='width:6.5in;height:.0312in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01DC2890.412CD0D0" alt="red line"></span><b><span style='color:#156082'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><a name="_Hlk207347046"><b><span style='font-size:20.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Aptos Display",sans-serif;color:#156082;mso-ligatures:none'>Ohio’s State Parks Receive National Gold Medal Award for Excellence<o:p></o:p></span></b></a></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'><b>Office of Governor Mike DeWine<br>September 17, 2025</b></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'>(COLUMBUS, Ohio)— Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Director Mary Mertz announced today that </span><a href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fohiodnr.gov%2Fdiscover-and-learn%2Fsafety-conservation%2Fabout-odnr%2Fdivision-parks-watercraft/1/01010199584e3b3e-1f06a152-4311-4d2e-9bae-1f17da132d20-000000/xjb5Wb2ZxS4cpyQTDSOQRO9VlYBO0GCotDLrWD6ktIs=423" target="_blank"><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'>Ohio State Parks</span><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'> has been named the best park system in the nation for providing excellent recreation programs and services.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'>Ohio was awarded the 2025 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management this morning from the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association. Ohio earned the Gold Medal Award over fellow finalists Florida and Wyoming.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'>“Our state parks protect Ohio’s natural resources while providing incredible opportunities for people to explore, learn, and connect with nature,” said Governor DeWine. “From protecting natural resources to creating once-in-a-lifetime experiences, Ohio state parks are truly for everyone. We are thrilled to be recognized as the best in the nation.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'>The award represents ODNR’s commitment to innovation, accessibility, and conservation. With free entry to all 76 state parks, Ohio offers more than 9,300 campsites, 1,200 miles of trails, 10 lodges, and over 7,100 educational programs annually. ODNR has also led the way in accessibility with adaptive kayak launches, inclusive playgrounds, and other creative programs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'>“Ohioans and visitors from across the country make our state parks their destination, and we are grateful for their support,” said Director Mertz. “Earning the Gold Medal is an extraordinary honor that highlights the pride, beauty, and enjoyment Ohio state parks bring to millions of people each year.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'>“This recognition belongs to the park managers, naturalists, officers, maintenance crews, and every staff member and volunteer who make our parks safe, welcoming, and memorable,” said Glen Cobb, chief of the ODNR Division of Parks and Watercraft. “They are the heartbeat of Ohio's park system, and this award reflects their passion and hard work.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'>State park systems were evaluated by a panel of experienced park and recreation professionals on long-range planning, community engagement, environmental stewardship, and the ability to innovate and adapt.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'>The judges also highlighted ODNR’s success in building Great Council State Park in partnership with the Shawnee, Eastern Shawnee, and Absentee Shawnee Tribes. The park, which honors Native American history and culture, as well as Ohio's pioneer past, welcomed more than 21,000 visitors and nearly 4,000 program attendees in its first five months.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'>Through strategic use of visitor data, expanded safety training, and strong public-private partnerships, ODNR continues to set a national standard for park management while advancing its mission of conservation, education, and recreation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'>For more information about Ohio’s state parks, visit </span><a href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fohiostateparks.gov/1/01010199584e3b3e-1f06a152-4311-4d2e-9bae-1f17da132d20-000000/jF0iuy0lNd_4kqtMRQA4Ki-1MlNFGL-04cbFe-Qquu4=423" target="_blank"><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'>ohiostateparks.gov</span><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'></span></a><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div align=center><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td style='padding:3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt'><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'></span></td><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'></span></tr></table></div><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:115%'><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'><b><hr size=2 width="100%" align=center></b></span></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'><b><span style='font-size:20.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Aptos Display",sans-serif;color:#156082;mso-ligatures:none'>Ohio Designated as 13th AARP Age-Friendly State<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'><b>Office of Governor Mike DeWine <br>September 18, 2025</b></span><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><span style='mso-bookmark:_Hlk207347046'></span><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today served as the opening speaker for the Governor’s Policy Summit on Healthy Aging.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The one-day summit, hosted by the <a href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Faging.ohio.gov%2Fhome/1/0101019958d6b307-cf4fe7a1-25be-4c09-8364-0e7de73b6f39-000000/r7EiKyxbRBjTqDIej4RGNEsg68Uwv7n1Z5lTd-fB3xc=423">Ohio Department of Aging</a> (AGE), brought together Ohio's foremost thought leaders, policy makers, and changemakers to help shape the state's strategy to support healthy aging.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“Older adults are the heart of our communities. They enrich our lives with their unique experiences, their wisdom, and their perspectives. I know firsthand the immense value that older Ohioans bring to our towns, our cities, and our economy,” said Governor DeWine. “We are ensuring that older Ohioans are included in our 'Heart of it All' mission. We are not only celebrating the contributions of older Ohioans, but we are investing in their future, as well as the future of the state.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Governor DeWine and AGE Director Ursel J. McElroy also received proclamations, designating Ohio as <a href="https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fstates.aarp.org%2Fohio%2Fage-friendly-ohio/1/0101019958d6b307-cf4fe7a1-25be-4c09-8364-0e7de73b6f39-000000/0Dn5xCr501S-kCX64tlC_ONOZMHaWHaBO5AGva3d_TE=423" target="_blank">American Association of Retired Persons' (AARP) 13<sup>th</sup> Age-Friendly state.</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The Age-Friendly designation, awarded by AARP in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO), recognizes states and communities committed to being great places to grow older. Ohio already has 36 AARP-certified Age-Friendly Communities.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>"This is another milestone in the administration’s vision of making Ohio the best place to age in the nation,” said Governor DeWine. "We are honored to receive this designation."<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>“The services and programs we have unveiled over the last several years are taking our roadmap and putting it into action,” Director McElroy said. “I could not be prouder to receive this designation from AARP, and I look forward to continuing our progress to make sure all Ohioans can age comfortably in their communities.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The Governor’s Policy Summit on Healthy Aging featured speakers Dr. Thomas Keane and Gary Bocher. Dr. Keane is assistant secretary for technology policy at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Bocher is the chief strategy officer at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>Held at the Hyatt Regency Columbus, the event included additional guest speakers and policy sessions covering preparing for complex care, shaping systems for lifelong wellness, enabling transformation through technology, and more.<o:p></o:p></p><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:115%'><b><hr size=2 width="100%" align=center></b></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b><span style='font-size:20.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Aptos Display",sans-serif;color:#156082;mso-ligatures:none'>CDC stops work-from-home disability accommodations<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>Axios<br>September 18, 2025</b><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is no longer allowing remote work for employees with disabilities or those with temporary health issues, including those who've requested to work from home since the <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2025/08/08/police-active-shooter-emory-university-campus-cdc-atlanta" target="_self">Aug. 8 attack</a> on the agency's Atlanta headquarters.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>Why it matters: </b>The legality of such a move is questionable, and it may violate a law that requires the government to offer reasonable accommodations to those with disabilities.<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:l2 level1 lfo1'>It's also angered and confused CDC staffers, who say they already feel under siege.<o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>Zoom in: </b>An agency-wide notice sent Wednesday morning and viewed by Axios says that the Health and Human Services Department, CDC's parent, has updated its policy to no longer include teleworking or long-term teleworking as a reasonable accommodation.<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:l3 level1 lfo2'>The email says the policy took effect Aug. 13, just five days after the shooting at CDC. Since then, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ousted CDC director Susan Monarez and multiple senior scientists have resigned, accusing Kennedy of undercutting the agency's expertise.<o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>It's not yet clear</b> whether the policy is permanent or how it's being enforced. Complicating matters, the officials who oversee reasonable accommodation requests were fired in April as part of a sweeping reduction in force, employees say.<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:l4 level1 lfo3'>"Until additional clarification is received, all approvals for long-term telework — as well as reasonable accommodation (RA) telework — are paused until further notice," the notice says.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo3'>A separate frequently-asked questions document also viewed by Axios says CDC's office of human resources is awaiting clarification from HHS. In the meantime, different managers are giving employees different guidance on continuing remote work, multiple employees say.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo3'>HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said CDC is following HHS policy and a January executive order President Trump issued on returning to in-person work. HHS did not respond to specific questions from Axios about the policy.<o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>Between the lines: </b>Many CDC workers feel unsafe coming into work since last month's shooting, which they say was stoked in part by Kennedy's anti-vaccine rhetoric.<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 lfo4'>Bullet holes in windows from some of the hundreds of rounds that were fired are currently covered up with tape, CDC employees say.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo4'>"They've sent emails about what to expect when you're on campus — like, here are the visual things that you might see when you get there. And also, as a reminder, don't lean on the windows," one CDC scientist, speaking anonymously due to concerns about backlash, tells Axios.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo4'>Another CDC employee tells Axios that the policy feels like a direct assault on the agency's workers.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo4'>"People who were literally hiding from a shooter are now being forced to go to the office where it happened."<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo4'>There's long been telework at the CDC, this employee tells Axios. There's a training every year. "Generally for most scientists it was a normal thing."<o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>Between the lines: </b>The federal government employs a slightly <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/disabl.pdf" target="_blank">higher share</a> of workers with disabilities than the private sector.<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 lfo5'>In previous administrations, hiring individuals with disabilities was a part of the government's diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) strategy.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo5'>Meanwhile, the rise of remote work coming out of the pandemic led to a historic rise in employment rates for those with disabilities. Return to office policies, in general, could reverse that trend.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo5'>There are already signs that's happening, as the unemployment rate for workers with disabilities is back to <a href="https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LNU04074597" target="_blank">2022 levels.</a><o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>The big picture: </b>President Trump called federal workers back to the office earlier this year.<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:l5 level1 lfo6'>But it was believed that those with disabilities could still get a reasonable accommodation under a 1973 law that was a precursor to the Americans with Disabilities Act, says Mia Ives-Rublee, senior director for the Disability Justice Initiative at the progressive Center for American Progress.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo6'>The law requires government employers to provide accommodations — as long as they're not overly burdensome.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo6'>Since the pandemic, the general belief was that remote work wasn't a burden. In fact, the CDC's telework training notes that it improves productivity, a CDC employee tells Axios.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo6'>However, the rationale has not yet been tested in court, says Ives-Rublee.<o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%'><b>The unions representing </b>CDC employees say in a statement that the change "represents the most sweeping civil rights violation against federal employees in decades."<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:l6 level1 lfo7'>The unions say it also violates Trump's federal worker return-to-work order, which requires agencies to follow all applicable laws when bringing employees back to campus.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:115%;mso-list:l6 level1 lfo7'>They "will explore every legal remedy and recourse to prevent or reverse these abhorrent violations and stand ready to fight these targeted attacks on the most vulnerable among us," the unions' statement says.<o:p></o:p></li></ul><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>