News Archive
REM Ohio Inc. Expands Day Center and Supported Employment Services
The Joy of a Family Home
May 1, 2011
AKRON, OHIO – There is no limit on caring. Most people are familiar with the need for foster care for children. But how many realize that there are adults with disabilities who need a foster home as well?
April 2, 2011
AKRON, OHIO – REM Ohio Inc., and other related organizations celebrate Autism Awareness Month in April, and invite you to promote awareness within your communities. Autism Awareness plays a vital role in improving the quality of life for people on the spectrum and their families.
March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
2010 Ripple of Hope Winners Honored
November 17, 2011
The individuals who live at REM Ohio’s Michigan and University homes in Elyria, Ohio, know they have something special in their Program Coordinator Diane Goodwin. For almost 16 years, Diane has overseen her homes with a special mix of commitment, care, dedication and affection. “The individuals I care for are just so special to me,” she says. “They’re family.”
October 28, 2010
SPRINGFIELD — For 11 years, Carl Davis has worked part-time washing dishes, pots and pans and kitchen utensils at the Pizza Hut at 2792 E. Waterloo Road. Davis, who is in his mid-60s, is disabled and works four times a week for about two hours a day in the late afternoon. He dons an apron and uses a hose to rinse kitchen items before placing them into a commercial dishwasher.
Employment Program Benefits Disabled Adults and Employers – David Ash
October 21, 2010
CINCINNATI, OH – October is National Disability Employment month, and at a time when many people in southwest Ohio are having trouble finding suitable work or any employment at all, David Ash is happy to be working at a job he loves. Since 2007, Ash has been employed at the Kroger’s in Forest Park; bagging groceries, collecting shopping carts and helping out wherever he can. To create a perfect-fit for Ash, who has developmental disabilities (DD), Kroger worked with REM Ohio, a service provider to adults with DD that facilitates finding job opportunities and supporting individuals upon community employment. “I like what I do because I get to help people out,” said Ash. “I’ve met a lot of nice people here and I know all of their names.”
Employment Program Benefits Disabled Adults and Employers – Robert Harmon
October 14, 2010
CLEVELAND, OH – October is National Disability Employment month, and at a time when many people in northeast Ohio are having trouble finding suitable work or any employment at all, Robert Harmon is happy to be working at a job he loves. Since 2005, Harmon has been employed at the Giant Eagle in Westlake; bagging groceries, collecting shopping carts and helping out wherever he can. To create a perfect-fit for Harmon, who has developmental disabilities (DD), Giant Eagle worked with REM Ohio, a service provider to adults with DD that facilitates finding job opportunities and supporting individuals upon community employment. “It feels good to work in a place where you get to know the customers and they get to know you,” said Harmon. “I like to walk, so standing on my feet all day while I’m working is not hard to do at all.”
President Obama Signs Rosa’s Law
October 6, 2010
President Barack Obama has signed into law Rosa’s Law, which will change references in federal law from mental retardation to intellectual disability, and references to a mentally retarded individual to an individual with an intellectual disability.
House Approves Bill Removing ‘Mental Retardation’ From Law
September 23, 2010
The House of Representatives unanimously approved a bill Wednesday evening paving the way for the term “mental retardation” to be replaced with “intellectual disability” in many areas of federal law.
REM Ohio Recognizes and Seeks Support for Direct Support Professionals
In honor of National DSP Week, REM Ohio has selected four individuals in the Akron area, from many nominations received throughout the year, to honor as their 2010 Outstanding Direct Support Professionals.
Governor Ted Strickland recognizes September 12-18, 2010 as “National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week.” In his letter, he discusses the vital role of DSPs and how they enhance the lives of those they serve. Thank you to all DSPs for your continued hard work!
Foster Mentor of the Year hosts adults with special needs
WELLINGTON, Ohio — In 1988, Barbara Watters told her husband, Bill, she was looking for a career change. For three years she had been working at Weber’s Health Care in Wellington, but wanted to be home with their three children.
Watters saw a small newspaper advertisement from Ohio Mentor looking for mentors willing to open their homes to individuals with intellectual and developmental needs. The ad boasted a work-from-home job with a paycheck.
The DD Awareness Month Kick-off event was held on March 4, in Columbus, Ohio. The event brought over 300 people from all around the state. Those in attendance included individuals with disabilities, family members, service providers and advocates. REM Ohio was proud to be a part of this event.
REM Ohio Team To Be Recognized for Outstanding Service and Achievement
AKRON, OH – REM Ohio, a provider of human services to adults living with developmental disabilities, announced today that a team of employees from their Cleveland office, will receive the Outstanding Team Award from the Ohio Provider Resource Association (OPRA) at the organization’s annual awards ceremony, in Columbus, Ohio on October 28, 2009. The outstanding team will be honored for the work they have done with adults with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS).
The team is comprised of Mary K. Ziccardi, area administrator; Sara Clemson, regional director; Laura Orozco, program director; and Tina DiDino, health services nurse.
REM Ohio Program Director To Be Recognized for Outstanding Achievement
AKRON, OH – REM Ohio, a provider of human services for adults living with developmental disabilities, announced today that program director, Kathryn Redding, from their central region office in Columbus, will receive the Outstanding Front Line Supervisor Award from the Ohio Provider Resource Association (OPRA) at the organization’s annual awards ceremony, in Columbus, Ohio on October 28, 2009.
CENTRAL REGION 2009 APPRECIATION PICNIC
In honor of the central regional staff and the individuals we serve, REM Ohio hosted an appreciation picnic on September 24th, 2009 at Blacklick Woods Metro Park. REM Ohio’s individuals and employees came out to partake in this luau themed celebration. It was a memorable day and we would like to thank everyone who made this experience possible.REM Ohio would like to thank all employees and the individuals we serve for making this organization great!!
Ohio’s Direct Support Professionals in the Spotlight
September 16, 2009
As noted in the September 2 issue of Pipeline, the week of September 14 is National Direct Support Professionals Week — recognizing the important contribution that Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) make in communities throughout the nation. The designation also provides an opportunity to spotlight the role Direct Support Professionals play, every day, in enhancing the lives of people with disabilities of all ages, as well as the challenges faced in recruiting and retaining a competitively paid, quality workforce.
Ripple of Hope Award
By Crystal Erickson
September 14, 2009
REM Ohio’s Opportunities Social & Vocational Program CenterActivities at our Social Opportunities Program Center focus on identifying each individuals interests, goals and needs from which a customized itinerary of community-based programs and activities are developed.
Activities at our Vocational Opportunities Program Center focus on assisting individuals in acquiring skills needed to pursue work-related goals.
Champion Of Disability Rights, Sen. Edward Kennedy Dies At 77
By Michelle Diament – www.disabilityscoop.com
August 26, 2009
Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., who spearheaded passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act and was a leader in health care reform efforts, died Tuesday night after battling brain cancer for more than a year.
Kennedy, 77, was the youngest and the last living of his politically active siblings who helped shape American politics and the the way that this country views people with disabilities. His brothers, John and Robert, served as president and senator, respectively. Just two weeks ago, Kennedy’s sister, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, died. She founded Special Olympics, which was inspired in part by their sister Rosemary who had an intellectual disability and died in 2005.
Alliance Sets Goal of Doubling Employment Among People with Developmental Disabilities
August 25, 2009
WASHINGTON, DC-The Alliance for Full Participation has announced that the goal of its new campaign, “Real Jobs – It’s Everybody’s Business,” is to double the employment rate for people with disabilities by 2015. The Alliance has also outlined the issues that will guide the work of stakeholder teams in each state and the District of Columbia, leading up to the 2011 Summit.
Obama To Sign Disability Rights TreatyBy Michelle Diament
July 22, 2009
President Barack Obama is expected to announce this Friday that he will sign the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, White House aides say.
The move is set to coincide with the 19th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Garfield-Maple Sun Person of the Week: Iona Pinkston
REM Ohio Begins Construction on New Opportunities Program Center
Local Advocate Speaks at Statehouse
REM Ohio Recognizes the Important Role Foster Mentors Play During National Foster Care Month
REM Ohio Recognizes the Important Role Foster Mentors Play During National Foster Care Month
NORTHEAST, OHIO – There is no limit on caring. Most people are familiar with the need for foster care for children. But how many realize that there are adults with disabilities who need a foster home as well?Through hardships or circumstances beyond their control, a growing number of adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities find themselves in need of “a family home”. For these adults, their fondest wish is for a stable, nurturing home environment, and quality care to meet their special needs.
April 29, 2009
Cleveland Plain Dealer – Whenever I hear the word “retarded,” my mind’s eye focuses on a single image: Uncle Francis. All these years later, I can still see my mother’s only brother, her oldest sibling, humming and playing with his little toy cars at my grandmother’s house, where he lived until the year he died. In my earliest memories, he is already in his 30s, but with the mental reach of an 8-year-old. That’s how Mom put it when I was 8.
YMCA to Offer Ready, Fit & Able Exercise Class for People with Disabilities
Providing a place to exercise that is safe, structured and welcoming to people with disabilities is the focus of a new 7-week program that will be offered at the Lake Anna YMCA Community Center in conjunction with Ready, Fit & Able, a wellness and recreation program tailored to the needs of people with disabilities in our community. The new class will be offered Wednesdays from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. beginning April 8, 2009.
Answering the Call to Bring Fitness Options to Citizens with Disabilities in our Community
The merits of exercise – from preventing chronic health conditions to boosting confidence and self-esteem – are hard to ignore. And these benefits are there for the taking, regardless of age, gender or physical ability. Yet there is a segment of our community, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), that too often face enormous obstacles in accessing the the kind of basic recreation and wellness programs that many of us take for granted.
REM Ohio Completes Acquisition of Group Home Provider – RIA Inc.January 2, 2009
REM Ohio, a human services provider for adults with intellectual and development disabilities headquartered in Akron, Ohio, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of RIA (Respect, Integrity & Acceptance), Inc., a developmental disability residential services provider based in Cambridge, Ohio.
REM Ohio Celebrates National Direct Support Professionals Recognition Week.September 4, 2008
AKRON, OH – REM Ohio is gearing up to celebrate a historic first for the direct support workforce. To honor and show their deep appreciation for a workforce of quiet heros, earlier this year the U.S. Senate unanimously approved Senate Resolution 613 (S.Res. 613). This legislation designates the week beginning September 8 as “National Direct Support Professional (DSP) Recognition Week.”
REM and Ohio MENTOR Celebrate 25 Year of Service