ElevateDD

July is Disability Pride Month, a time to celebrate the disability community and recognize the contributions of people with disabilities while reaffirming the importance of building a world where everyone belongs.

Disability Pride is about embracing disability as a natural and valuable part of human diversity. It challenges stigma and reminds us that true inclusion happens when people with disabilities have equitable opportunities to participate fully in their schools, workplaces, and communities.

ElevateDD believes that inclusion is more than a goal. It's an ongoing commitment to removing barriers so every person has the opportunity to belong and thrive.

This Disability Pride Month, we encourage you to learn from the lived experiences of people with disabilities and consider how you can help create a more inclusive Ohio.

Happy Social Media Day!

Social media gives us the opportunity to connect with people across Ohio, share resources, amplify the voices of people with developmental disabilities, and encourage action toward a more inclusive future.

We're grateful you're here.

Tell us in the comments: What post, resource, or story from ElevateDD has made the biggest impact on you? Or share why you follow along. We'd love to hear what keeps you connected.

Thank you for being part of this community and for helping make inclusion possible through every conversation, share, and connection.

Keep the pages turning this summer!

Adult Literacy Ohio's Summer Reading Challenge invites readers of all ages to set their own goals and read what they enjoy to help expand literacy opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities across Ohio.

Whether you pick up a novel, listen to an audiobook, or flip through a favorite magazine, every page counts. Participants can also earn raffle entries just for signing up or by making a donation of any amount.

The challenge runs through August 3 and wraps up with an Ice Cream Social fundraiser at Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams in Clintonville.

Learn more and register today: https://adultliteracyohio.org/summerreadingchallenge/

ElevateDD is excited to welcome our summer interns!

Cameron Hogan is an occupational therapy student at the University of Findlay with a passion for helping individuals feel confident, included, and successful in their daily lives. Through her experience with assistive technology, adaptive equipment, and her work at Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities, she has developed a strong interest in finding creative ways to make activities more accessible and engaging.

Throughout the summer, Cameron will support programs and initiatives across ElevateDD, bringing an occupational therapy lens to our work and helping strengthen accessibility, engagement, and inclusive participation for learners and community members of all ages and abilities.

We are thrilled to have Cameron with us this summer and look forward to the insight and enthusiasm she will bring to our communities.

Families play a critical role in shaping their student's educational journey.

Our latest blog post, written by DSACO: Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio's Program Manager of Education & School Age Services, Sara Rainey, offers practical guidance for navigating the IEP process. Learn how to prepare for meetings, ask questions, review proposed changes, and access additional support when needed.

If you have a student with an IEP, these tips can help you approach your next meeting with greater confidence and clarity.

Read more: https://www.elevatedd.org/news/iepsupport

Every child deserves access to child care settings where they can learn, belong, and thrive.

Ohio's Special Needs Enhanced Rate helps eligible child care programs access additional funding to support children with identified special needs. Recent rule changes now require programs to obtain the Ohio PROMISE Designation in order to receive this enhanced reimbursement.

Join ElevateDD on July 29 at 4:30 PM for a webinar to learn:
• What the Special Needs Enhanced Rate is
• Who may qualify
• How families and providers can apply
• What documentation may be needed
• How Ohio PROMISE connects to inclusive child care

Whether you're a family member, child care provider, or community partner, this webinar will help you better understand the process and support more inclusive opportunities for children with developmental disabilities across Ohio.

Register today: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ntA3iPrQR1K2Spf22efJYw

ElevateDD was proud to sponsor this year’s CEC Ohio Conference and connect with special education professionals and partners working to strengthen learning opportunities for students with disabilities across Ohio.

Learning Aid Ohio connects students with disabilities to individualized tutoring support designed around their needs, strengths, and goals. Since its inception, Learning Aid Ohio has reached 82 counties, supported more than 6,900 students, and provided 236,051 hours of tutoring.

We wouldn’t be able to do that without our tutors. Special education professionals are an important part of that system, and we are thankful for the support, connection, and professional learning CEC provides to those serving students every day.

We are also excited that the national Council for Exceptional Children Convention & Expo will be in Columbus in March 2027. See you there!

Learn more here: https://cecconvention.org

ElevateDD is excited to welcome our interns!

Lee Dinovo is an MSW student at The Ohio State University and has been involved with the greater disability community in Central Ohio for approximately six years. As an autistic self-advocate, Lee has worked to support and elevate the voices of autistic people and has also advocated within the LGBTQIA+ community as a nonbinary self-advocate.

Driven by a desire to give back to the communities that have provided support throughout their life, Lee is pursuing an education and internship experience that will help build the skills and knowledge needed to make a lasting impact through advocacy and community engagement.

Please join us in welcoming Lee to ElevateDD!

This Father’s Day, we’re celebrating the dads whose experiences help shape stronger, more inclusive communities.

In our latest guest blog, Patrick Kilbane shares how fatherhood deepened his understanding of disability advocacy and strengthened a lifelong commitment to supporting people with developmental disabilities. From his early days as an educator to his experiences raising children with complex support needs, Patrick reflects on the people and moments that have shaped his journey.

Read Patrick’s story and learn how family, advocacy, and community continue to inspire his work: https://www.elevatedd.org/news/afathersjourney

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads, caretakers, and father figures! Wishing you a great day.