October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

#BetterTogether is brought to you by the Tuscarawas County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

“A community is better when all people are working together.” The Tuscarawas County Board of Developmental Disabilities believes in this mantra, as well as promoting choice, advancing careers, and offering meaningful work experiences for people with disabilities.

TuscBDD Employment Navigator states, “We work with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) to help people gain community employment. TuscBDD does not provide direct services, instead, we facilitate and coordinate the services and are a part of the team. It is important that we have qualified providers that offer excellent services, and we are lucky because we have those in our county.” Employers in the community are hiring people with disabilities and job coaches are providing services to increase employment opportunities.

TuscBDD Employment Navigator

While TuscBDD services all ages, the Transition Services focus on youth and their natural progression into the community and workforce. TuscBDD Employment Navigator offers:

• Employment services and assistance with a support team to focus on outcomes
• Individual support services and support for loved ones in identifying, prioritizing, and designing desired services and supports
• Resources necessary to meet needs and foster desired outcomes- including assistance in the development of individual budgets
• Assistance for job-seekers and their supporters to understand how having a career and a life in the community fit together
• Short and long-term support to assist job-seekers in progressing toward vocational goals including career advancement

The Tuscarawas County Board of Developmental Disabilities (TuscBDD) has resources for children and adults with developmental disabilities. TuscBDD provides Early Intervention for children birth to three years old, Service and Support Administration for people of all ages, family support services, family mentorship, and more! To learn more about these services and others, visit TuscBDD online at www.tuscbdd.org or call them at (330) 308-7173.

Audrey Mattevi
Reporting