March 4, 2020

Welcome! 2020 Developmental Disabilities Awareness and Advocacy Day!

Every year we celebrate March as National Developmental Disabilities

Awareness Month. This year we are celebrating, “Live, Work, and Go

Where We Want.”

Today’s event is the kickoff of a month-long effort to help others un-

derstand who we are as individuals with disabilities, family members,

or stakeholders, and how we are all changing the way we can partici-

pate in our communities as friends, neighbors, and co-workers.

The DD Awareness & Advocacy Day Planning Committee

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Agenda & Speakers

10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.

Welcome – Shari Cooper

Live

Patti Ruble

Work

Joseph Trisler

Go

Nicholas Comstock

Advocacy

Marci Straughter

DODD Update

DODD Director Jeff Davis

Closing – Shari Cooper

Shari Cooper

Director Jeff Davis

Patti Ruble

Joseph Trisler

Nicholas Comstock

Marci Straughter

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SHARI COOPER

Shari is a strong advocate for everyone who lives with a disability, and her resume proves it. In her position as Public Relations Assistant for

Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley, Shari is their, “blogger-in-chief.” (Check out her blog at https://gesmv.org/category/make-things-

happen.) She’s also a columnist for the Dayton Daily News Editorial pages, and an award-winning speaker. She even gave a TED talk at

TEDx Dayton in 2014 called, “Are You OK with Yourself?” But the role she cherishes most is that of disability awareness advocate.

Shari’s impact as an advocate is far-reaching. She has served on the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council, and currently serves on The

Disability Foundation Board.

JOSEPH TRISLER

Joseph Trisler has a cognitive disability. He was not born with this disability; some damage to his brain happened because of an accident at 3

days old, some from hydrocephalus, and some from years of seizures. But, with years of very hard work and the support of his parents,

family and friends, Patti Moore and Project Search, and SCBDD and OOD. He has been able to get his 1-year landscaping and 2-year auto

services certificates AND his high school diploma from Upper Valley Career Center, complete a year of Project Search, and finally, get a full-

time job at Wappoo Wood Products. Joseph is here as living proof that a "diagnosis" does not have to mean "disaster." Life is good!

PATTI RUBLE

In 1984, Patti graduated from the Ohio State University College of Social Work with a master’s degree, preparing her to teach independence and self-

advocacy to persons with physical and intellectual disabilities. She also worked with those who fought profound depression due to economic circumstances,

homelessness, or lack of motivation to make their own lifestyle choices. Through Jobs and Family Services she was able to help these clients find and get all

the things they would need to begin life from square one with rent, food, furniture, etc. It was a wonderful adventure to watch many of them reclaim the

independence necessary to fly and again successfully live on their own.

Then, in 2010, Patti had the opportunity to work with the founder of Ohio At Home Healthcare Agency and Medforall Technologies. The founder of both is

an engineer, Ali Rahimi, and while he takes care of the high-tech concerns of his clients (which include the remote support and assistive technology they

need), the rest of the staff makes sure the hands-on services with clients are kept up and working well. As a quadriplegic woman, she personally benefits

from these advantages and is truly blessed to live in a time when they are available to her. There are many other conceptual ideas waiting down the road

for those whose time may not have come yet, and she can’t wait to see the miracles that are waiting in the pipeline. What a wonderful world of technology

is evolving for those developmentally disabled persons who need them.

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DIRECTOR JEFF DAVIS Jeff Davis was appointed Director of the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities by Governor Mike DeWine in January of 2019. Davis previ-

ously worked for the Department of Developmental Disabilities from 1991 to 2007. He returns to the Department of Developmental Disabilities after

serving as the director of the Ohio Provider Resource Association and as director of integrated health services for Buckeye Community Health Plan.

Throughout his career, Davis has been an advocate for Ohioans with developmental disabilities and their families. He previously served as a City

Council Member for Grove City.

NICHOLAS COMSTOCK Nick Comstock, will be 30 years old on March 24, 2020. He has CMV; they are linking it to cerebral palsy. He has been living in the state of Ohio for

the last four years; Nick has been living in Columbus, Ohio since August 2019. Since living in the state of Ohio, he has become an advocate for

people with disabilities; he speaks up for those who cannot speak up for themselves. He was a part of the Richland County Human Rights

Committee. Nick was also a part of the People First Ohio board representing Richland County. He was the first person with a disability while

receiving services to be appointed to the Richland County Board of DD in the Board's 50-year history. Now that Nick is living in Columbus, he is

working with the Empowerment Center for People with Disabilities on an initiative called the Family Network Project. This project is designed to

help people with disabilities and their families become more integrated with the folks in their communities.

MARCI STRAUGHTER

Marci Straughter is a passionate advocate from Franklin County. She was appointed by Governor Kasich to the DD Council in April 2014 where she

served for 6 years. Marci works with Nisonger Center on the Disability Experience Expert Panel and currently serves as a self-advocate representa-

tive on the State ISP workgroup. Marci is active with the Ohio Self Determination Association (OSDA) as both a Statewide Project STIRTM trainer and

a member of the OSDA Council of Ohio Leaders (COOL). Marci also represents on the Self-Advocate Advisory Council for Franklin County Board of

Developmental Disabilities with Superintendent Jed Morison. Recently, Marci was appointed to the APSI board. Marci graduated in May 2015 from

Columbus State Community College. She currently works at ARC Industries East as a Human Services Assistant. She has a second job with Ohio At

Home as a Self-Advocate Consultant. She is a highly sought after speaker and has traveled across the state to present at different events and con-

ferences. In the past year, Marci started a cooking blog which focuses on how to be a better self-advocate. She has 200+ followers! Marci is proud

she is achieving her dream of helping people with disabilities live the lives they want.

Arrive on Time

Be sure to keep to

your scheduled

time.

Introduce Yourself

Shake their hand, say

“Hello,” and tell them

your name.

Reason for Visit

Tell them why you’re

there to visit with

them.

Explain Your Topic

Briefly explain your

topic and tell a story

about your topic.

Tips For Legislative Visits

Answer Questions

If you don’t know the

answer, offer to get the

answer later.

Give a Fact Sheet

Leave a copy of the Fact

Sheet about your topic or

issue.

Thank Legislators

Remember to thank them

for meeting with you.

Ask for Support

Ask the legislator to

support or vote for your

topic or issue.

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Food, Map, Social Media

6 H

igh Stree

t

Broad Street

State Street

Tim Hortons

Pizza Rustica

Potbelly

Einstein Bagels

Zoup

Riffe Café (19th Floor)

Subway

Cinco

Elia Athenian Grill

Café Napolitana

Jack & B

enn

y’s

Din

er M

arket 65

Jimmy John’s

Starbu

cks Burgerim

Don’t Forget to Share Your

Pictures on Social Media!

#liveworkgo B

road

Street

Bagels

Tell Us How We Did!

Point the camera on your phone at the QR Code

to take a quick survey about today’s event

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BBPSTZB