Collaborative Partners

The Outreach Center has an established collaborative partnership with various agencies across Ohio. By working together, we build Ohio’s capacity to increase communication, access, and equity for all.

Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities

The Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD) oversees a statewide system of supports and services for people with developmental disabilities and their families. DODD does this by developing services that ensure an individual’s health and safety, encourage participation in the community, increase opportunities for meaningful employment, and provide residential services and support from early childhood through adulthood

The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, Office for Exceptional Children

The Office for Exceptional Children provides leadership, assistance and oversight to school districts and other entities that provide differentiated instruction for students with disabilities and gifted students. Among its responsibilities, the office administers state and federal funds; coordinates and administers programs to improve outcomes for students with disabilities and gifted students; implements a statewide monitoring and complaint-resolution system designed to assess district/ educational agency compliance with applicable federal and state laws and regulations; and provides technical assistance to districts and educational agencies around issues of compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA).

Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities

Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) is the State of Ohio agency that partners with Ohioans with disabilities to achieve quality employment and independence. We also make determinations on Social Security disability.

Ohio Center for Deafblind Education

The Ohio Center for Deafblind Education (OCDBE) is a grant-funded project awarded to the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services, University of Cincinnati, by the U.S. Department of Education with support from the Ohio Department of Education. The project provides services in Ohio to individuals, birth through 21 years, with deafblindness, including collaborative technical assistance to families, educational personnel and services providers through training and information dissemination. The OCDBE is dedicated to offering innovative approaches to improving the education of children and youth with deafblindness.

Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Hearing Program

Once a child has been diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss, the child’s family is often faced with questions and decisions they do not feel equipped to address. The Hearing Program at Nationwide Children’s offers a multidisciplinary team approach to supporting our patients and families navigate this process. Our mission is to provide families with evidence-based hearing and language care and lead advancements in research, education and training so that all children can achieve their full potential. We provide a family-centered visit where patients and families leave feeling educated and supported as they work to help their child with hearing loss.

Ohio Deans Compact on Exceptional Children

The Compact promotes shared understanding and implementation of effective practices that contribute to improved results for all children and youth in Ohio. While primarily focused on strategies that build the capacity of the P-16 system to improve outcomes for children and youth with disabilities and other marginalized groups of learners. The Compact promotes collective conversation among education professionals at all levels of the system.

The University of Cincinnati Systems Development & Improvement Center (SDI)

The University of Cincinnati Systems Development & Improvement Center (SDI) fosters the development, implementation, and evaluation of PK20 education research and demonstration efforts that improve conditions and outcomes for students with disabilities. Special emphases include supporting the following: systems improvement activities that result in increased equity and improved capacity to meet the educational needs of all learners, technical assistance and dissemination activities, personnel preparation and continuous learning activities, program evaluation activities and other efforts consistent with the priorities of the Center and of University of Cincinnati College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH).

Ohio’s Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities (OCECD)

The Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities (OCECD) is Ohio’s statewide nonprofit organization that supports families of children of all ages with disabilities. It provides families with knowledge about laws, resources, rights, and responsibilities, so that they are better able to work with agencies to ensure that appropriate services are received for the benefit of their children. The OCECD is particularly well known for its Parent Mentor program. The Parent Mentors have their own children with disabilities, and are trained to provide direct assistance to other families experiencing similar circumstances.

American Printing House for the Blind

Empowering people who are blind or low vision by providing accessible and innovative products, materials, and services for lifelong success. Empowering people who are blind or low vision by providing accessible and innovative products, materials, and services for lifelong success.

Ohio Department of Health

The Ohio Department of Health’s mission is advancing the health and well-being of all Ohioans by transforming the state’s public health system through unique partnerships and funding streams; addressing the community conditions and inequities that lead to disparities in health outcomes; and implementing data-driven, evidence-based solutions.

Ohio Deaf and Blind Education Services

The Ohio Deaf Blind Education Services (ODBES) agency is one agency with multiple divisions including the Ohio State School for the Blind (OSSB), the Ohio School for the Deaf (OSD), Statewide Services and Outreach (SSO), and the Early Learning Center (ELC).