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Table of Contents for this Page:

• What's New
• Frequently Asked Questions and Topics
• Adapted Recreation and Play
• Advance Directives
• Advocacy Resources
• Assistive Technology
• Autism
• Blind/Low Vision
• Brain Injury
• Children's Issues
• Community Integration
• Coping and Support
• Deaf/Hard of Hearing
• Disability Rights and Laws
• Early Intervention for Children Ages 0-3
• Emergency Planning
• Employment/Vocational Rehabilitation
• Financial Resources
• Finding Help
• Future Planning
• Government Programs and Services
• Guardianship
• Housing
• Independent Living
• Learning Disabilities
• Legal Assistance
• Medicaid / Medicare
• Medical Information and Health Coverage
• Mental Health
• Mental Health - Children's Issues
• Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities
• Ohio Legal Rights Service (OLRS)
• OLRS Publications
• Public Input
• Respite
• Siblings, Spouse, and Other Family Members
• Special Education for Children Ages 3-22
• Transition Services Planning
• Transportation
• Waivers
• Veterans with Disabilities
• Voting

What's New

• Latest Disability-related News
• Ohio Legal Rights Service (OLRS) Headlines
• Upcoming Events
• Web Site Updates (OLRS)

Frequently Asked Questions and Topics

• Assistive Technology
• Guardianship FAQs
• Housing Accommodations
• Mental Health Rights
• Ohio Legal Rights Service (FAQs)
• Special Education
• Sign Language Interpreter During Appointments

Adapted Recreation and Play

• Arts
• Camps
• Parks
• Sports and Fitness
• Toys

Advance Directives

• Advance Directives - Topics, Forms, and Resources
• Advance Directives for Mental Health Treatment in Ohio (OLRS publication)
• Declaration for Mental Health Treatment Form (PDF file)

Advocacy Resources

• Advocacy Groups and Resources
• Advocacy Guide: Advocacy - The Act of Supporting and Promoting Rights and Recovery (OLRS publication)
• Advocacy - Lets Get Started! (OLRS publication)
• Budget Watch
• Latest Disability-related News
• Know Your Rights
• Law Permits Parents to Nominate Guardians
• Legislation and Policy
• Ohio Budget Process
• OLRS Speakers Bureau
• Person First Language
• Service Coordination: A Guide for Families (OLRS publication)
• Signs of Advocacy in the Mental Health System (OLRS publication)
• The Arc of Ohio - Training
• Upcoming Events

Assistive Technology

• Adapted Recreation
• Assistive Technology
• Assistive Technology
• Home Modifications
• Movement and Mobility Resources
• Protection and Advocacy for Assistive Technology
• Sign Language Interpreters and Auxiliary Aids and Services (OLRS publication)

Autism

• Autism Links and Resources
• Families of children with autism should contact OLRS if they experience a reduction in Medicaid benefits
• Parents' League for Effective Autism Services (PLEAS) Lawsuit

Blind/Low Vision

• Blind or Low Vision Resources
• Client Assistance Program (CAP)
• Judge certifies class of three million beneficiaries who are blind in Social Security Administration lawsuit
• OLRS assists vendor to restore his business, including $74,000 in damages
• Rights and Liabilities for People with Service Animals (OLRS publication)
• Social Security Administration ordered to provide notices in alternative formats to people who are blind or who have low vision (news article)

Brain Injury  (External links are in parentheses)

• Brain Injury and Neurological Resources
• Protection and Advocacy for Individual Rights (PAIR)
• Students with TBI - Thriving Beyond Injury (OLRS publication)
• The Housing Guides - A TBI and Disability Perspective (OLRS publication)
• The State of Ohio's Needs and Resource Assessment of Individuals with Brain Injuries and Their Families
  [report from OLRS]
  (http://olrs.ohio.gov/TBIReport/tbireport.htm)

Children's Issues

• OLRS Action Prompts Oversight by Federal Agency
• OLRS Publications Listed by Topic
• Special Education Information and Resources
• Federal Judge Gives Preliminary Approval of Consent Order in Partial Settlement
  of Doe v. State of Ohio Class Action Education Lawsuit

Community Integration

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Breaking the notion that once people have settled into a nursing home, they will be there forever (news article)
• Housing Accommodations
• Know Your Rights
• Martin v Strickland
• Medicaid and Medicaid Waivers
• Mental Disabilities and the ADA: Questions and Answers to Employment Issues (OLRS publication)
• Olmstead and the ADA: A Guide to the Decision (OLRS publication)
• OLRS comments on rules to prevent placement of people with disabilities in nursing facilities
• OLRS Files Complaint in U.S. District Court; Seeks Community Placements for Residents Living at Fairfield Center
• Opening the Doors: Confronting Housing Discrimination (OLRS publication)
• Rights and Liabilities for People with Service Animals (OLRS publication)
• The Housing Guides - A TBI and Disability Perspective (OLRS publication)
• Vocational Services and Independent Living: Programs and Services Available in Ohio through the Rehabilitation Act (OLRS publication)
• Your Mental Health Rights: How They Protect and Support Your Recovery (OLRS publication)
• Federal Judge Gives Preliminary Approval of Consent Order in Partial Settlement
  of Doe v. State of Ohio Class Action Education Lawsuit

Coping and Support

• Caregiver Support Organizations
• Foster, Kinship, and Adoptive Family Resources
• Siblings Resources

Deaf/Hard of Hearing

• Deaf or Hard of Hearing Resources
• Ohio Supreme Court hears arguments in State v. Speer
• OLRS Submits Comments on Proposed Amendments to the Rules of Superintendence
• Sign Language Interpreter During Appointments
• Sign Language Interpreters and Auxiliary Aids and Services (OLRS publication)
• Signs of Advocacy in the Mental Health System (OLRS publication)
• Supreme Court of Ohio accepts State of Ohio v. Speer case

Disability Rights and Laws

• ABA evaluates Ohio's death penalty system; recommends excluding individuals with serious mental disorders from being sentenced to death and/or executed
• ADA Amendments Act of 2008
• Advocacy for Mental Health Services for Persons in Ohio's County and Regional Jails (OLRS publication)
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Disability Rights Resources
• Individuals with Disabilities and the Death Penalty (Amicus Brief filed by OLRS et al)
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA)
• Know Your Rights
• Law Permits Parents to Nominate Guardians
• Let Olmstead Ring: A Public Forum
• Martin v Strickland
• Mental Disabilities and the ADA: Questions and Answers to Employment Issues (OLRS publication)
• No Child Left Behind Act
• Ohio Supreme Court Rules Defendant with Intellectual Disabilities May Not Be Executed
• Olmstead and the ADA: A Guide to the Decision (OLRS publication)
• OLRS Action Prompts Oversight by Federal Agency
• Opening the Doors: Confronting Housing Discrimination (OLRS publication)
• Rights and Liabilities for People with Service Animals (OLRS publication)
• Rights in Ohio's Public Mental Health System
• Target Web Accessibility Lawsuit Settlement Notice
• Victims of Crime Who Have Disabilities
• Voting Information and Resources
• What About Health Insurance? (OLRS publication)

Early Intervention for Children Ages 0-3

• Complete the U.S. Department of Education Parent Survey (news article)
• Early Intervention Services
• FAQs about Early Intervention Services, Payment for Services
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA)

Emergency Planning  (External links are in parentheses)

• Emergency Management Be Prepared Kit
  (http://olrs.ohio.gov/beprepared/beprepared.htm)
• Emergency Preparation Resources and Links
• Future Planning (Estate Planning)

Employment/Vocational Rehabilitation

• Client Assistance Program (CAP)
• Employment and Vocational Rehabilitation
• First Lady Frances Strickland Leads Ohio's Disability Employment Awareness Celebration (event)
• Latest DD Quarterly newsletter focuses on employment and people with disabilities (news article)
• Medicaid Buy-In for Workers with Disabilities
• Mental Disabilities and the ADA: Questions and Answers to Employment Issues (OLRS publication)
• New regulations will make it easier to establish disability under ADA
• OLRS comments on proposed rule changes to vocational rehabilitation program
• OLRS wins client's employment discrimination appeal; case returned to lower court
• OLRS Client Assistance Program (CAP) Brochure
• Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security (PABSS)
• Social Security Administration is recruiting and hiring people with disabilities
• Ticket to Work
• Vocational Rehabilitation Services and Motor Vehicles (OLRS publication)
• Vocational Services and Independent Living: Programs and Services Available in Ohio through the Rehabilitation Act (OLRS publication)
• Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA) Program

Financial Resources

• Cash rebate available to low-income workers, and people who get certain disability and retirement benefits
• Consumer guide helps those dealing with medical debt (news article)
• Medicaid Waiver Programs in Ohio
• Other Benefits or Assistance Resources
• Respite Care
• Social Security Disability Benefits

Finding Help

• Frequently Asked Questions
• Know Your Rights
• Special Education Resources - Other Agencies That Can Help You

Future Planning

• Advance Directives for Mental Health Treatment in Ohio (OLRS publication)
• Advance Directives - Topics, Forms, and Resources
• Guardianship FAQs
• Future Planning (Estate Planning)
• Law Permits Parents to Nominate Guardians

Government Programs and Services

• Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) Program
• Important Benefits for Medicaid Eligible Children: Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) (OLRS publication)
• Medicaid and Medicaid Waivers
• Medicaid Waiver Programs in Ohio
• Medicare Part D Resources
• Ohio Developmental Disabilities Profile (ODDP) and Funding for Individual Options Waiver - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and Answers by Ohio Legal Rights Service (OLRS publication)
• Other Benefits or Assistance Resources
• Programs Offered by State Agencies in Ohio
• Social Security Disability Benefits
• Ticket to Work

Guardianship

• Guardianship FAQs
• Guardianship Resources
• Law Permits Parents to Nominate Guardians
• Supreme Court of Ohio accepts appeal in guardianship case
• Take Charge of Your Life: Know About Guardianship (OLRS publication)

Housing

• Accessible design/construction and third-party landlord liability disputes now handled by HUD
• Housing Accommodations
• Home Modifications
• Housing for People with Disabilities
• Landmark housing discrimination case involving a person with a disability settled in Connecticut (news article)
• Ohioans with disabilities and Ohio's Consolidated Plan: OLRS comments on Ohio's housing plan
• Opening the Doors: Confronting Housing Discrimination (OLRS publication)
• The Housing Guides - A TBI and Disability Perspective (OLRS publication)
• Week of May 18 is Visitability Awareness Week

Independent Living

• Assistive Technology
• Client Assistance Program (CAP)
• Housing for People with Disabilities
• The Housing Guides - A TBI and Disability Perspective (OLRS publication)
• Vocational Services and Independent Living: Programs and Services Available in Ohio through the Rehabilitation Act (OLRS publication)

Learning Disabilities

• ADD/ADHD Resources
• Learning Disability Resources

Legal Assistance

• Know Your Rights

Medicaid / Medicare

• Congress passes moratorium on implementing proposed rules related to Medicaid rehabilitative services and school-based services
• Disability Medical Assistance medical coverage ends October 31, 2009 (news article)
• Early Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) Program
• Families of children with autism should contact OLRS if they experience a reduction in Medicaid benefits
• HHS announces final rule to eliminate Federal Medicaid payment for costs of certain school-based administrative and transportation activities
• Important Benefits for Medicaid Eligible Children: Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) (OLRS publication)
• Medicaid and Medicaid Waivers
• Medicaid Buy-In for Workers with Disabilities
• Medicaid in Schools Program fact sheet
• Medicaid Waiver Programs in Ohio
• Medicare Part D Resources
• New procedure helps individuals applying for medical assistance programs
• OLRS Action Prompts Oversight by Federal Agency

Medical Information and Health Coverage

• Dental Health Care
• Diagnosis and Health Information
• Future Planning (Estate Planning)
• H1N1 (Swine Flu) Information for People with Disabilities
• Important Benefits for Medicaid Eligible Children: Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) (OLRS publication)
• Insurance and Prescription Coverage
• Medicaid and Medicaid Waivers
• Medicaid Waiver Programs in Ohio
• Medicare Part D Resources
• Other Benefits or Assistance Resources
• What About Health Insurance? (OLRS publication)

Mental Health

• A Closer Look: Trauma Informed Treatment in Behavioral Health Settings (OLRS publication)
• Abuse and Neglect: Awareness and Reporting for Individuals Labeled as Mentally Ill (OLRS publication)
• Advance Directives for Mental Health Treatment in Ohio (OLRS publication)
• Advocacy for Mental Health Services for Persons in Ohio's County and Regional Jails (OLRS publication)
• Advocacy Guide: Advocacy - The Act of Supporting and Promoting Rights and Recovery (OLRS publication)
• Advocacy - Lets Get Started! (OLRS publication)
• Civil Commitment: Information about the Process for People Alleged to be Mentally Ill (OLRS publication)
• Mental Disabilities and the ADA: Questions and Answers to Employment Issues (OLRS publication)
• Mental Health
• Mental Health Rights Grievance Procedure
• Mental Health Rights in Community Mental Health Centers
• Mental Health Rights in Forensic Settings
• Mental Health Rights in Private Psychiatric Hospitals or Units
• Mental Health Rights in Regional Psychiatric Hospitals (State Hospitals)
• Mental Health Rights in Residential Centers
• National survey seeks input from people about mental health needs in school (news article)
• OLRS files motion with Supreme Court to reconsider decision to suspend attorney due to mental illness
• OLRS PAIMI Advisory Council
• Ombuds Program
• Opening the Doors: Confronting Housing Discrimination (OLRS publication)
• Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI)
• Rights in Ohio's Public Mental Health System
• Senate hearings held on mental health care in prisons
• Signs of Advocacy in the Mental Health System (OLRS publication)
• When a Person Wants to Be Released from a Psychiatric Hospital
• When You Don't Want to Take Medication in the Hospital
• Your Mental Health Rights: How They Protect and Support Your Recovery (OLRS publication)

Mental Health - Children's Issues

• Children's Rights: The Rights of Children and Their Families Who Need or are Receiving Community Services (OLRS publication)
• Mental Health Resources
• National survey seeks input from people about mental health needs in school (news article)
• OLRS Action Prompts Oversight by Federal Agency
• Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI)
• Service Coordination: A Guide for Families (OLRS publication)

Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities

• Brain Injury and Neurological Resources
• Developmental Disability Resources
• Ohio Supreme Court Rules Defendant with Intellectual Disabilities May Not Be Executed
• Ombuds Program
• Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities (PADD)
• Syndromes Resources

Ohio Legal Rights Service (OLRS)

• Become a Funding Partner with OLRS
• Contact OLRS
• Directions to Ohio Legal Rights Service
• Input to OLRS
• Ohio Legal Rights Service (FAQs)
• Ohio Legal Rights Service (OLRS) Headlines
• OLRS Annual Report
• OLRS Brochure
• OLRS Client Assistance Program (CAP) Brochure
• OLRS Commission
• OLRS faces another budget cut of 5.75%
• OLRS Home Page
• OLRS Newsletters
• OLRS PAIMI Advisory Council
• OLRS Performance Audit Progress Report (PDF file)
• OLRS Speakers Bureau
• President of Senate Appoints OLRS Commissioner
• Privacy Policy and Disclaimer Notice (OLRS)
• Publications about OLRS
• Request for Help from OLRS
• Statement of Philosophy

OLRS Publications

• A Closer Look: Trauma Informed Treatment in Behavioral Health Settings (OLRS publication)
• Abuse and Neglect: Awareness and Reporting for Individuals Labeled as Mentally Ill (OLRS publication)
• Advance Directives for Mental Health Treatment in Ohio (OLRS publication)
• Advocacy for Mental Health Services for Persons in Ohio's County and Regional Jails (OLRS publication)
• Advocacy Guide: Advocacy - The Act of Supporting and Promoting Rights and Recovery (OLRS publication)
• Advocacy - Lets Get Started! (OLRS publication)
• Children's Rights: The Rights of Children and Their Families Who Need or are Receiving Community Services (OLRS publication)
• Civil Commitment: Information about the Process for People Alleged to be Mentally Ill (OLRS publication)
• Important Benefits for Medicaid Eligible Children: Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) (OLRS publication)
• Mental Disabilities and the ADA: Questions and Answers to Employment Issues (OLRS publication)
• Negotiation Skills For Parents: How To Get The Special Education Your Child With Disabilities Needs (OLRS publication)
• Ohio Developmental Disabilities Profile (ODDP) and Funding for Individual Options Waiver - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and Answers by Ohio Legal Rights Service (OLRS publication)
• Olmstead and the ADA: A Guide to the Decision (OLRS publication)
• OLRS Client Assistance Program (CAP) Brochure
• OLRS Newsletters
• Opening the Doors: Confronting Housing Discrimination (OLRS publication)
• Rights and Liabilities for People with Service Animals (OLRS publication)
• Service Coordination: A Guide for Families (OLRS publication)
• Sign Language Interpreters and Auxiliary Aids and Services (OLRS publication)
• Signs of Advocacy in the Mental Health System (OLRS publication)
• Students with TBI - Thriving Beyond Injury (OLRS publication)
• Take Charge of Your Life: Know About Guardianship (OLRS publication)
• The Housing Guides - A TBI and Disability Perspective (OLRS publication)
• Vocational Rehabilitation Services and Motor Vehicles (OLRS publication)
• Vocational Services and Independent Living: Programs and Services Available in Ohio through the Rehabilitation Act (OLRS publication)
• Voter Rights and Assistance (OLRS publication)
• What About Health Insurance? (OLRS publication)
• Your Mental Health Rights: How They Protect and Support Your Recovery (OLRS publication)

Public Input

• Input to OLRS
• National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights Video Contest
• Public hearings scheduled for pending electric rate increase plan

Respite

• Caregiver Support Organizations
• Child Care
• Medicaid Waiver Programs in Ohio
• Respite Care

Siblings, Spouse, and Other Family Members

• Foster, Kinship, and Adoptive Family Resources
• Siblings Resources

Special Education for Children Ages 3-22

• Complete the U.S. Department of Education Parent Survey (news article)
• Deal v. Hamilton County Department of Education
• Doe v State of Ohio
• ECOT Changes Surrogate Parent Policy in Response to OLRS Complaint
• FAQs about Special Education, Private Insurance and Medicaid
• Federal Judge Gives Preliminary Approval of Consent Order in Partial Settlement
  of Doe v. State of Ohio Class Action Education Lawsuit
• How do I get Extended School Year (ESY) services for my child?
• How do I get my school-aged child evaluated for special education?
• How do I get related services for my child?
• Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA)
• Interagency Agreement Between the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission
• Medicaid in Schools Program fact sheet
• Negotiation Skills For Parents: How To Get The Special Education Your Child With Disabilities Needs (OLRS publication)
• No Child Left Behind Act
• OLRS comments on Medicaid Schools Program proposed rules revisions
• OLRS comments on proposed rules affecting special education services
• OLRS Files a Friend of the Court Brief in the Winkelman Case
• OLRS files brief in case involving a school district suing the family's special education attorney for attorney fees
• OLRS provides comments on ODE's revised draft evaluation and IEP forms
• OLRS submits comments to the Ohio Department of Education on proposed IDEA rules
• Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities (PADD)
• Rights of Students Who are Homeless and Eligible for Special Education Services
• Special Education Information and Resources
• Special Education Resources - Other Agencies That Can Help You
• Special Education Services
• Students with TBI - Thriving Beyond Injury (OLRS publication)
• Surrogate Parents for Children with Disabilities
• Transition Planning for Students with Disabilities
• Transition Services Planning
• What can I do if my child with a disability is being harassed in school?
• What can I do if my child with a disability is having behavior problems in school?
• What can I do to get my school to follow my child's Individualized Education Program (IEP)?
• Winkelman Decision: Supreme Court decides that Ohio parents do not need a lawyer to sue public school districts

Transition Services Planning

• Interagency Agreement Between the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission
• Planning for the Transition from School to Adult Life - Lima (training)
• Transition Planning for Students with Disabilities
• Transition Services Planning
• U.S. Department of Education issues new regulations for post-secondary programs for students with disabilities (news article)

Transportation

• Accessible Parking and Disability Parking Permits
• Accessible Vehicles
• Air Travel
• Let your voice be heard about how to improve transportation (new article)
• Public Transportation for People with Disabilities
• School Transportation
• Vocational Rehabilitation Services and Motor Vehicles (OLRS publication)

Waivers

• CMS Approves Individual Options (IO) Waiver Amendment
• Medicaid and Medicaid Waivers
• Medicaid Waiver Programs in Ohio
• Ohio Developmental Disabilities Profile (ODDP) and Funding for Individual Options Waiver - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and Answers by Ohio Legal Rights Service (OLRS publication)
• OLRS Action Prompts Oversight by Federal Agency
• Programs Offered by State Agencies in Ohio
• Public hearing for ODJFS' Medicaid reimbursement rules will be held on November 9 (news article)

Veterans with Disabilities

• Assistive Technology, Adaptive Equipment, Home Modifications
• Disability Compensation
• Employment and Education
• Family Support Resources
• Getting Started
• Health Care
• Homeless Veterans
• Mental Health
• Service members who are disabled encouraged to apply for Social Security benefits (news article)
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
• VA recognizes more illnesses that may be related to Agent Orange (news article)
• Veterans Organizations and Advocacy Groups
• Veterans with Disabilities

Voting

• Individuals with Disabilities and Voting
• Is your polling location accessible?
• Know the Candidates; Know the Issues
• OLRS and SOS provide voter rights training to board of election officials
• OLRS Voter Alert - Register to Vote - Frequently Asked Questions
• Online guide allows Ohio voters to learn about judicial candidates (news article)
• Places that Can Help with Voter Rights and Assistance
• Protect Your Right to Vote
• Protection and Advocacy under the Help America Vote Act (PAVA)
• Vote Before Election Day: Early Voting and Absentee Voting
• Voter Rights and Assistance (OLRS publication)
• Voters can now access information online from all County Elections Boards (news article)
• Voting Information and Resources