[Ohio-Communities-of-Faith] Three good reads

Thu Sep 18 15:34:55 UTC 2025

Three Good Reads

<https://governor.ohio.gov/media/news-and-media/ohios-state-parks-receive-na
tional-gold-medal-award-for-excellence> Ohio's State Parks Receive National
Gold Medal Award for Excellence

<https://governor.ohio.gov/media/news-and-media/ohio-designated-as-13th-aarp
-age-friendly-state> Ohio Designated as 13th AARP Age-Friendly State

 <https://www.axios.com/2025/09/17/cdc-work-from-home-remote-policy> CDC
stops work-from-home disability accommodations

Ohio's State Parks Receive National Gold Medal Award for Excellence

Office of Governor Mike DeWine
September 17, 2025

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)- Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Natural
Resources (ODNR) Director Mary Mertz announced today that
<https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fohiodnr.gov%2Fdiscover-and-
learn%2Fsafety-conservation%2Fabout-odnr%2Fdivision-parks-watercraft/1/01010
199584e3b3e-1f06a152-4311-4d2e-9bae-1f17da132d20-000000/xjb5Wb2ZxS4cpyQTDSOQ
RO9VlYBO0GCotDLrWD6ktIs=423> Ohio State Parks has been named the best park
system in the nation for providing excellent recreation programs and
services.

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.

"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."

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.

"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."

"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."

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.

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.

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.

For more information about Ohio's state parks, visit
<https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fohiostateparks.gov/1/010101
99584e3b3e-1f06a152-4311-4d2e-9bae-1f17da132d20-000000/jF0iuy0lNd_4kqtMRQA4K
i-1MlNFGL-04cbFe-Qquu4=423> ohiostateparks.gov.

  _____  

Ohio Designated as 13th AARP Age-Friendly State

Office of Governor Mike DeWine  
September 18, 2025

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)-Ohio Governor Mike DeWine today served as the opening
speaker for the Governor's Policy Summit on Healthy Aging.

The one-day summit, hosted by the Ohio Department of Aging
<https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Faging.ohio.gov%2Fhome/1/010
1019958d6b307-cf4fe7a1-25be-4c09-8364-0e7de73b6f39-000000/r7EiKyxbRBjTqDIej4
RGNEsg68Uwv7n1Z5lTd-fB3xc=423>  (AGE), brought together Ohio's foremost
thought leaders, policy makers, and changemakers to help shape the state's
strategy to support healthy aging.

"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."

Governor DeWine and AGE Director Ursel J. McElroy also received
proclamations, designating Ohio as American Association of Retired Persons'
(AARP) 13
<https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fstates.aarp.org%2Fohio%2Fag
e-friendly-ohio/1/0101019958d6b307-cf4fe7a1-25be-4c09-8364-0e7de73b6f39-0000
00/0Dn5xCr501S-kCX64tlC_ONOZMHaWHaBO5AGva3d_TE=423> th Age-Friendly state.

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.

"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."

"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."

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. 

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.

  _____  

CDC stops work-from-home disability accommodations

Axios
September 18, 2025

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 Aug. 8 attack
<https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2025/08/08/police-active-shooter-emory-
university-campus-cdc-atlanta>  on the agency's Atlanta headquarters.

Why it matters: 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.

*	It's also angered and confused CDC staffers, who say they already
feel under siege.

Zoom in: 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.

*	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.

It's not yet clear 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.

*	"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.
*	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.
*	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.

Between the lines: 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.

*	Bullet holes in windows from some of the hundreds of rounds that
were fired are currently covered up with tape, CDC employees say.
*	"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.
*	Another CDC employee tells Axios that the policy feels like a direct
assault on the agency's workers.
*	"People who were literally hiding from a shooter are now being
forced to go to the office where it happened."
*	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."

Between the lines: The federal government employs a slightly higher share
<https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/disabl.pdf>  of workers with
disabilities than the private sector.

*	In previous administrations, hiring individuals with disabilities
was a part of the government's diversity, equity, inclusion and
accessibility (DEIA) strategy.
*	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.
*	There are already signs that's happening, as the unemployment rate
for workers with disabilities is back to 2022 levels.
<https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LNU04074597> 

The big picture: President Trump called federal workers back to the office
earlier this year.

*	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.
*	The law requires government employers to provide accommodations - as
long as they're not overly burdensome.
*	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.
*	However, the rationale has not yet been tested in court, says
Ives-Rublee.

The unions representing CDC employees say in a statement that the change
"represents the most sweeping civil rights violation against federal
employees in decades."

*	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.
*	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.

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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