ADA-OHIO is a state wide non-profit organization that provides information, technical assistance and training about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to individuals, businesses, state and local government agencies or municipalities. 

ADA-OHIO information, materials and technical assistance are intended solely as informal guidance, and are neither a determination of your legal rights or responsibilities under the Act, nor binding on any agency with enforcement responsibility under the ADA.

As a way to help people learn about their responsibilities and rights under the ADA, ADA-OHIO provides training and speakers to groups, professional and business organizations, consumer organizations, conferences, workshops, seminars and support groups. If you would like more information about ADA-OHIO`s training services, please call.

Disability Rights Ohio is a non-profit corporation with a mission to advocate for the human, civil, and legal rights of people with disabilities in Ohio.

Easter Seals Project ACTION promotes cooperation between the transportation industry and the disabled community to increase mobility for people with disabilities under the ADA and beyond. They offer free resources such as a national accessible traveler`s database, as well as training and technical assistance, in an effort to make the ADA work for everyone, everyday.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person`s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. It is also illegal to discriminate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit.

Most employers with at least 15 employees are covered by EEOC laws (20 employees in age discrimination cases). Most labor unions and employment agencies are also covered.

The laws apply to all types of work situations, including hiring, firing, promotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits.

Fair Housing Accessibility FIRST is a new initiative sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) designed to promote compliance with the Fair Housing Act design and construction requirements. Call the number or use the Web site for fair housing instruction, resources, support, and technical guidance

The Fair Housing Act, as amended in 1988, prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, and national origin. Its coverage includes private housing, housing that receives federal financial assistance, and state and local government housing. It is unlawful to discriminate in any aspect of selling or renting housing or to deny a dwelling to a buyer or renter because of the disability of that individual, an individual associated with the buyer or renter, or an individual who intends to live in the residence.

The Fair Housing Act requires owners of housing facilities to make reasonable exceptions in their policies and operations to afford people with disabilities equal housing opportunities. Complaints of Fair Housing Act violation may be filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Title IV of Americans with Disabilities Act addresses telephone and television access for people with hearing and speech disabilities. It requires common carriers (telephone companies) to establish interstate and intrastate telecommunications relay services (TRS) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. TRS enables callers with hearing and speech disabilities who use text telephones (TTY or TDD), and callers who use voice telephones, to communicate with each other through a third party communications assistant. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has set minimum standards for TRS services.

Independent Solutions is locally owned; therefore, our Senior Care Advisors know the community and can help our client find the appropriate short and/or long-term living & care options and resources based on their preferences and requirements.  Our advisors listen to the client to gain an understanding of their needs; physical, emotional, social, financial and geographical preferences. They understand that any decision about alternative living is difficult and stand ready to lessen the confusion and frustration for the client and their loved ones.  

A Web site featuring kinship resources for Ohio "kin caregivers."   The Web site is hosted by Public Children Services Association of Ohio. For more information regarding available services and County contacts download the Ohio Kinship Care GuideBook: http://www.odjfs.state.oh.us/forms/num/JFS%2008146/pdf/

Long-term care ombudsmen are advocates for residents of nursing homes, board and care homes and assisted living facilities. Ombudsmen provide information about how to find a facility and what to do to get quality care. They are trained to resolve problems. If you want, the ombudsman can assist you with complaints. However, unless you give the ombudsman permission to share your concerns, these matters are kept confidential. Under the federal Older Americans Act, every state is required to have an Ombudsman Program that addresses complaints and advocates for improvements in the long-term care system.

The ombudsman program is administered by the Administration on Aging (AoA).  The network has 7,331 volunteers certified to handle complaints and 1,320 paid staff. Most state ombudsman programs are housed in their State Unit on Aging.  Nationally, in 2016 the ombudsman program investigated over 199,493 complaints on behalf of 125,642 individuals and provided information on long-term care to another 378,582 people.

Visit the AoA website for more information.

Whether through individual contact with residents or systemic advocacy, ombudsmen make a difference in the lives of residents in long-term care facilities everyday.

The Ohio Grandparent Kinship Coalition (OGKC) is an organization across Ohio which assists caregivers taking care of children other than their own when the parents are unwilling or unable to care for them. The OGKC is an organization consisting of kinship caregivers, kinship caregiver advocates and agencies throughout Ohio.

OGKC Purpose:

•     Educate kinship caregivers and agencies regarding state and national programs /issues affecting kinship caregivers
•     Advocate at local, state and national levels for support of kinship families
•     Provide a networking system for caregivers and agencies
•     Link caregivers with services in their communities
•     Connect new kinship care programs with speaker’s bureau
•     Conduct statewide conferences

LRS provides legal advocacy and rights protection to a wide range of people with disabilities. This includes assisting individuals with problems such as abuse, neglect, discrimination, access to assistive technology, special education, housing, employment, community integration, voting and rights protection issues with the juvenile and criminal justice systems.

As Ohio's chief elections officer, the Secretary of State oversees the elections process and appoints the members of boards of elections in each of Ohio's 88 counties. The Secretary of State supervises the administration of election laws; reviews statewide initiative and referendum petitions; chairs the Ohio Ballot Board, which approves ballot language for statewide issues; canvasses votes for all elective state offices and issues; investigates election fraud and irregularities; trains election officials, and works with counties to train poll workers. The Elections Division of the Secretary of State's office also compiles and maintains election statistics, political party records and other election-related records.

The Secretary of State's website has a special section for voters where you can check your voter registration, update your registration information or register to vote; connect to your local Board of Elections office; get information about early voting in-person or by mail; find your polling location; learn about identification requirements at the polls; and get information for overseas military personnel, disabled and hospitalized voters. 

The office publishes several publications, including:

2012 Voter's Access Guide

2012 Options for Voting

book

Air Carrier Access Act
The Air Carrier Access Act prohibits discrimination in air transportation by air carriers against qualified individuals with physical or mental impairments. For questions pertaining to air transportation contact U.S Department of Transportation Aviation Consumer Protection Division

The Access Board is an independent Federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities.  Created in 1973 to ensure access to federally funded facilities, the Board is now a leading source of information on accessible design.  The Board develops and maintains design criteria for the built environment, transit vehicles, telecommunications equipment, and for electronic and information technology.  It also provides technical assistance and training on these requirements and on accessible design and continues to enforce accessibility standards that cover federally funded facilities.

The Board is structured to function as a coordinating body among Federal agencies and to directly represent the public, particularly people with disabilities.  Half of its members are representatives from most of the Federal departments.  The other half is comprised of members of the public appointed by the President, a majority of whom must have a disability.

The transportation provisions of Title II within the Ameicans with Disabilities Act, cover public transportation services, such as city buses and public rail transit. Questions and complaints about public transportation should be directed to the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration.

The Mission of Warren County Children Services is to serve families in need and protect children who are abused, neglected, or dependent through collaboration with our partners and the support of the community.

Contact the Program Director at 513.233.4806 or visit http://www.co.warren.oh.us/ChildrenServices/Care/Default.aspx for information about how and when to report suspected child abuse, adoption and foster care.