About Us

Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) is the State of Ohio agency that partners with Ohioans with disabilities to achieve quality employment and independence. We are also charged with making determinations on Social Security disability.

Overview of Services

• Job Development

• ​Job Coaching

• Summer Youth Programming

​• Summer Work Evaluations / Career Exploration

Eligibility for Services

• Applicant has a physical or mental impairment which causes or results in a substantial impediment to employment

• Applicant needs job training to obtain and maintain competitive employment

Apply for Services

• The application can be found on the OOD website (Sycamore students can fill this out during the initial meeting)

Print Application

When to Apply for Services

• OOD can be invited to the IEP team meeting starting when the student turns 14

• OOD generally will open a case within 3 years of the student accepting their diploma (this will differ student to student depending on

Description of Services

• Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS)

  • Job Exploration Counseling: Discuss career options and learn about in-demand jobs. Students will identify where they are in the career planning process, complete interest inventories and conduct informational interviews. Students will communicate why employment matters.

  • Work-Based Learning: Experience and gain knowledge about the workplace. Students will participate in work-site tours and job shadowing experiences at community businesses obtaining first-hand knowledge of work settings. Students will learn to display appropriate worksite behaviors and begin applying the knowledge and tools they learned.

  • Instruction in Self-Advocacy: Learn skills needed for greater independence. Students will have an increased awareness of their rights and responsibilities. Students will learn leadership skills to support success in the workplace, explore and connect with leadership or peer mentoring groups in their communities to expand networks.

  • Counseling on Post-Secondary Opportunities: Explore training options available after graduation. Students will understand post-secondary opportunities, including college/university and other adult learning options. Students will learn about financial literacy including budgeting, work incentives, and information about student aid options like the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and scholarships. Students will also articulate differences between secondary and postsecondary support improving understanding of how accommodations work on campus (e.g., interpreting services, service animals, etc.)

  • Workplace Readiness Training: Improve social and independent living skills. Students will understand appropriate work behaviors and demonstrate the ability to meet employer expectations. Students will participate in mock interviews, complete applications and resume templates, and may attend job fairs. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the impact of personal social media profile and other communication (e.g., appropriate email address, voicemail message, etc.)

• Career Exploration

  • Summer Program (for transition aged youth): This program spans over 3 weeks in the summer where students are taken out to look at different job environments in their community (usually 2-3 days per week for about 2-3 hours per day). This takes place in a small group setting with 1 staff per 4-6 young adults.

  • Individualized Career Exploration: Some individuals may have unique needs relating to career exploration. These needs will be determined on an individual basis by the OOD counselor.

• ​Summer Youth Programming

  • Summer Youth Program is a 5-week summer program for transition aged youth. The first week of the program is a classroom based curriculum called Skills to Pay the Bills. The next 4-weeks are community based employment where individuals are taken in small groups to job sites to work for 20 hours per week (paid minimum wage). Groups are usually one job coach per 3-6 individuals.

• Job Development / Job Coaching

  • This service is designed to assist individuals in looking for a job. Activities in job development may include building a cover letter/resume, working on job interview skills), applying for jobs and attending interviews.

  • After an individual finds a competitive job, a job coach can be provided for up to 90 days to train the individual to be independent at the job site. The individual's case will be closed after 90 days of successful employment.

    • After a case is closed with OOD, if the individual is connected to DDS they can request job follow along services through DDS (you do not need a waiver to receive job follow along). Job follow along means that someone from DDS will check in with the individual and their employer 1-3 times per month to ensure that things are going smooth at work.

• Community Based Assessment

  • A community based assessment is used as an evaluation to determine if an individual is ready for employment. This is determined on an individual level by the OOD counselor.