[Ohio-Talk] Fwd: Daily Clips 10-1-20

[Carolyn Peters]

Informational read. Period. Carolyn Peters

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From: "shirley.marchi at ood.ohio.gov" <shirley.marchi at ood.ohio.gov>
Date: October 1, 2020 at 9:54:40 AM EDT
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Cc: "Kim.Jump at ood.ohio.gov" <Kim.Jump at ood.ohio.gov>
Subject: Daily Clips 10-1-20


Good morning. Please find below the Daily Clips. 
 
In today's clips:
 
Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities: Release: 9/1/20, 8:42 a.m.: OOD Recognizes National Disability Employment Awareness Month with Virtual Hiring Events and Employer Awards
 
13 Action News: the Ability Center's four-legged heroes
 
Hannah News Service: Ohio's Minimum Wage to Increase in 2021
 
 
OOD Recognizes National Disability Employment Awareness Month with Virtual Hiring Events and Employer Awards
 
October 1, 2020
 
[https://lnks.gd/2/M3wvZb ]
 
 
(COLUMBUS, OH)- -National Disability Employment Awareness Month is a campaign held every October to celebrate the many contributions of America’s workers with disabilities and raise awareness regarding the employment of people with disabilities. Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) is leading the state’s efforts across Ohio to promote the benefits of hiring individuals with disabilities. Specifically, the agency is hosting virtual hiring events to facilitate job interviews for OOD job seekers and employers with available positions.
 
“Ohio is home to approximately 870,000 working-age individuals who identify as having a disability,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “Ensuring that Ohio’s workplaces continue to include and accommodate people with disabilities is vital to our economic recovery."
 
“This month is about increasing access and opportunity for Ohioans with disabilities,” said Kevin Miller, OOD Director. “We partner with Ohio businesses to increase the hiring of dedicated and qualified people – who happen to have disabilities. Last year, we assisted nearly 6,000 individuals with disabilities in finding employment successfully.”
 
During October, OOD will host virtual hiring events for OOD job seekers and employers specifically looking to hire individuals with disabilities. The virtual hiring events are for the Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Canton, and Toledo areas, providing individuals with disabilities a unique opportunity to connect one-on-one with employers. These events will provide an opportunity for up to 300 interviews for OOD job seekers with up to 50 employers. OOD recently concluded a round of five virtual hiring events in the Akron, Athens, Dayton, Lima, and Youngstown areas, facilitating 112 interviews with 25 employers.
 
Also, OOD will host a no-cost webinar, Accessibility Hour with OOD, on October 21 at 10 a.m., to answer employers’ questions about navigating Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the accessibility guidelines for the physical and digital environments, and general ideas for reasonable accommodations in the workplace. More information, including the link to join, can be found at
bit.ly/2G73GPO.
 
In addition, the annual OOD Employer Partners of Inclusion Awards will recognize and honor businesses that hire individuals with disabilities. To be considered for an award, businesses must be an employer partner with OOD, have hired at least five OOD job seekers during the one-year evaluation period, and meet specific criteria to demonstrate their level of diversity and inclusion. Awards will be presented for Champion of Inclusion, Platinum Level, Gold Level, and Silver Level.
 
OOD is the state agency responsible for empowering Ohioans with disabilities through employment, disability determinations, and independence. www.OOD.Ohio.Gov
 
###
 
 
 
13 Action News: the Ability Center's four-legged heroes
 
9-30-20
 
[https://www.13abc.com/2020/10/01/the-ability-centers-four-legged-heroes/]
 
TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - The Ability Center of Greater Toledo has been helping make life better for people with disabilities for 100 years. One of the many ways the organization does that is through its Assistance Dogs Program. September is National Service Dog month.
 
The pandemic has of course changed the program, but the need for the specially-trained animals has not slowed down a bit. The dogs spent about two years in training. The training had to be done virtually for awhile. However, in-person sessions with safety protocols have started up again.
 
This has been a life-changing program for so many including the fosters who devote countless hours to the dogs. Karin Johnstone has been a foster for a couple years.
 
“A part of your heart goes with the dog, but the reward is seeing how they make a difference in someone’s life. It has been a wonderful experience. It is a community. I have made great friends. We work with each other, and together. It is fantastic. It has added a dimension to my life I did not know was missing or needed,” says Johnstone.
 
One of the many four-legged heroes to come out of the program is Ginny. For the last year, she has been a true lifeline for Tom Dussel and his wife Sherry. The three-year- old Lab/Retriever mix can bring Tom his clothes in the morning, pick up things he drops and she sometimes helps him get on his feet by pulling him up.
 
“She is always so happy to help. I think she gets up in the morning thinking about what she can do for me. Ginny is the best dog we have ever had. She loves everyone and everything. She loves to train, but she also loves to play. The Ability Center has done so many wonderful things through the years for so many people. I think adding the Assistance Dogs Program is one of the best things they ever did,” said Dussel.
 
Some of the dogs are trained by inmates at the Gus Harrison Correctional Facility in Adrian. That' s been put on hold because of the pandemic. So there’s a growing need for fosters.
 
If you’d like to learn more about the Assistance Dogs Program, or any other services of The Ability Center, log on to www.abilitycenter.org.
 
 
 
Hannah News Service: Ohio's Minimum Wage to Increase in 2021
 
9-30-20
 
Ohio’s minimum wage is scheduled to increase on Jan. 1, 2021 to $8.80 per hour for non-tipped employees and to $4.40 per hour for tipped employees, the Ohio Department of Commerce announced Wednesday. The minimum wage will apply to employees of businesses with annual gross receipts of more than $323,000 per year.
 
The current 2020 Ohio minimum wage is $8.70 per hour for non-tipped employees and $4.35 for tipped employees. The 2020 Ohio minimum wage applies to employees of businesses with annual gross receipts of more than $319,000 per year.
According to the department, the constitutional amendment (II-34a) passed by Ohio voters in November 2006 states that Ohio’s minimum wage shall increase on Jan. 1 of each year by the rate of inflation. The state minimum wage is tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) for urban wage earners and clerical workers for the 12-month period prior to September. This CPI-W index increased by 1.4 percent over the 12-month period from Sept. 1, 2019, to Aug. 31, 2020. The constitutional amendment is available online at https://tinyurl.com/ycb9gmw9.

For employees at smaller companies with annual gross receipts of $250,000 or less per year after Jan. 1, 2021, and for 14- and 15-year-olds, the state minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. For these employees, the state wage is tied to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, which requires an act of Congress and the president’s signature to change.
 
Employers can access the 2021 Minimum Wage poster for display in their places of business by visiting the Ohio Department of Commerce’s website at
at https://tinyurl.com/yacyx863.