ACBDD’s Year in Photos
Kyle (center) takes part in a recent Teen Time event focused on dance. The ACBDD’s Teen Time is an after-school social club for individuals with developmental disabilities. The club is designed to help transition-age youth develop social skills and to have fun. Each event has a different activity. For some of those events, the ACBDD partners with Ohio University students who are studying physical therapy. (ACBDD staff photo)
ACBDD’s Year in Photos
ACBDD’s ‘photo album’ commemorates annual Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
By Kevin Davis Superintendent, ACBDD
Every year, March is designated as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, which focuses on people’s diverse abilities and celebrates their contributions to our communities. For those of us at the Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities, we do that every day, all year round. But, for the month of March, we take a little extra time to promote who we are and what we do to a wider audience. We pick a theme each year to capture what has been going on in the developmental disabilities field locally or nationally. This year’s theme is “Inclusive Athens County.” That also happens to be the ACBDD’s vision statement.
We chose the theme as a way of celebrating our county’s efforts to make our community more inclusive for individuals with developmental disabilities.
The annual “Special Edition” is anoth-
er way we commemorate Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. It is an opportunity to showcase the work we do at the ACBDD. For this year’s Special Edition, we focused on telling our story in pictures. This is our “Year in Photos,” and it will highlight success stories, our dedicated staff, and our exceptional community partners. And this year, we are proud to include the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University and The Post, the independent student newspaper, as new community partners and collaborators in creating, publishing, and distributing this Special Edition in print and online.
We are proud to live and work in Athens County, where incredible things happen every day to support, protect and empower our neighbors with developmental disabilities. After looking through this special insert, we hope you have a deeper understanding and appreciation of this field and feel just as proud to support our work.
Thank you.
Kevin poses with Derek just before the start of the county’s first-ever Unified Basketball League at the Athens Community Center. Unified Leagues invite individuals with and without disabilities to come together to play, and is inspired by a simple principle – training and playing together is a quick and easy path to friendship and understanding.
(ACBDD staff photo)
LEFT: Team Heart & Soul enjoyed the beautiful autumn weather at the 2023 PawPaw Festival at Lake Snowden; champions Eli (seated at left) and Danny (seated at right) with their riders Kenny Ferguson and ACBDD board member Barry Oches. CENTER: Jason, a local artist, receives the proclomation of March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month from Athens County commissioners Lenny Eliason (second from left), Charlie Adkins and Chris Chmiel, with ACBDD Integrate Athens director Autumn Brown (left). RIGHT: Dan of Shady Dan’s Sunglasses is one of several regulars who host a table during the annual Developmental Disabilities Awareness Fest at the Athens Community Center. This year’s event will be on Thursday, March 21. (ACBDD staff photos)
ACBDD’s Year in Photos
LEFT: Participants gather at Ohio University’s Baker University Center for last year’s March on Court Street for Disability Awareness. RIGHT: Players in the inaugural Unified Basketball League pose to mark the occasion; from left are Kevin, Kyle, Brittany, Brady, Jadden, Maggie, Mike, Scott, Ben, Jared, Sam, Karyn, and Derek. (ACBDD staff photos)
ACBDD’s Year in Photos
Another banner year for the Beacon School
Beacon School, whose mascot is the Beacon Ray, is a special educational service provider for the five local school districts in Athens County. Students residing within Athens County’s school districts with identified developmental disabilities can be referred to the program.
While attending Beacon, students receive developmentally appropriate academic education in addition to essential services such as occupational therapy, physical therapy,
speech therapy, and adaptive physical education. Beacon School staff are dedicated to supporting students with the most significant disabilities.
Programming at Beacon School and Preschool is tailored to meet the needs of students ages 3 through 21 years.
For more information, call (740) 5943539, ext. 229 or visit the website at athenscbdd.org/beaconschool/ — ACBDD staff
LEFT: In September, Beacon School participated in the “Paint the Plow” contest sponsored by the Ohio Department of Transportation with the theme “Beacon Rays Love Snow Days.” After a community vote, the snowplow won the first-place award in Athens County. RIGHT: Every Spring, students from the Intermediate 2 and Young Adult classrooms extend an invitation to special education classes from local districts to participate in a prom. Students and staff from the Young Adult classroom pose to mark the occasion. (ACBDD staff photos)
LEFT: Anna Goen, Preschool 1 Teacher, and student Gibson enjoy their weekly swim sessions. CENTER: Members of Albany VFW Post 9893 participate in the ribbon cutting for the renovated sensory rooms, paid for in part by the $15,000 raised by the VFW’s annual Polar Bear Plunge fundraiser last year. RIGHT: Shirley and Blaycee take tea and coffee to staff members as part of the Intermediate I classroom’s vocational skills program. (ACBDD staff photos)
Early Intervention
ACBDD’s Year in Photos Service & Support
The Athens County Early Intervention program is a collaboration of several agencies serving parents and caregivers of children (3 or younger) who have developmental delays or disabilities. Services are provided in a setting that best meets the needs of the family.
ABOVE: Developmental Specialist Jodi Mitchell enjoys some cuddle time with Joyce while counseling Joyce’s grandparents. TOP RIGHT: Roselyn enjoys the sunshine during her family’s outdoor session. BOTTOM RIGHT: Mitchell imitates how Roselyn is playing, which encourages her to engage in back-and-forth interactions through everyday play routines. (ACBDD staff photos)
The Service and Support Administration division (SSA) serves more than 420 children (3 years or older) and adults in Athens County. SSAs support individuals in determining and pursuing life goals by providing coordination across all life areas and across all systems.
TOP LEFT: Doug Latz was named Recycling Hero for 2023 after 20 years of collecting and recycling cans. ABOVE: Dar and a member of the Nelsonville-York Varsity Volleyball team pause for a quick photo. BOTTOM LEFT: Sara Pelfrey, SSA, poses with student Shay during Teen Time, the ACBDD’s new social club for enrollees between the ages of 13 and 21. (ACBDD staff photos)
ACBDD’s Year in Photos
Integrate Athens promotes inclusion in the region
Integrate Athens is a division of ACBDD that supports the agency, the community, and the people we serve to help us all learn about the value of inclusion. Among some of Integrate Athens’ many accomplishments in 2023 were:
• Inclusion Pledge: The ACBDD’s vision, “Inclusive Athens County,” inspired a new initiative: the Inclusion Pledge. The Inclusion Pledge is an effort to recruit others in
the community who want to help make Athens County even more inclusive for people of all abilities.
The ACBDD has invited individuals, groups, organizations, and businesses to sign the pledge and identify action steps that help improve awareness of what inclusion means and/or improve inclusiveness.
Athens County Commissioners were some of the first to sign the pledge. Other groups that have signed include the City of Athens,
Family & Children First Council, Athens County Children Services, Athens City-County Health Department, Alexander Local Schools, and the Athens-Hocking-Vinton Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services Board.
• Sibshops: Last year, the ACBDD’s Office of Integrate Athens launched a new program called Sibshops. Sibshops is a support group for youth ages 8-17
who have siblings with a developmental disability. The experience provides siblings with information and support in a highly recreational setting. This effort is in partnership with Ohio Sibs and the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.
• ATCO Legacy Fund awards: Altogether, the ACBDD approved $20,371 in projects in 2023 to seven local organizations. The ATCO Legacy Fund was created to
carry on the compassion and philosophy developed at ATCO Inc., a much-beloved adult services program, well into the future. Recipients in 2023 included the Athens County Community Singers, Athens City-County Health Department, the Alexander PTO, Nelsonville-York City Schools, Havar Inc., The Dairy Barn Arts Center, and the ABC Players.
Learn more at: integrate.athenscbdd.org
LEFT: The ACBDD’s ATCO Legacy Fund approved $20,371 in projects in 2023 for several local organizations. CENTER: Carrie performs at the 2023 ATCO Idol event at Stuart’s Opera House. RIGHT: During ACBDD’s free summer camp, Shay had the opportunity to help Susan Kristofco (left) and Cressie Chaney (right) in the kitchen. (ACBDD staff photos)
Emily is welcomed to the team at El Camino restaurant one month after graduating from Beacon School. Emily achieved that goal through her own hard work and with support from an extensive team who helped her prepare for finding and landing her first job.
(ACBDD staff photo)
ACBDD’s Year in Photos Transition Services Transportation & Facilities
ACBDD’s Transition Services program offers opportunities for young adults to prepare to make a smooth transition from high school to the community after graduation by connecting individuals to work training programs, volunteering opportunities, educational options, transportation services, or the Teen Time social club for those aged 13 to 21.
ABOVE: ACBDD’s drivers consistently provide safe passage for students to and from school and field trips (from left) Gary Alfman, Greg Grimm, Chris Linscott, Paul Richard, Kyle Wagner, John Castle, and Jayne Hart (not pictured are mechanic Wes Kline and assistant Zach Daniels). BELOW LEFT: ACBDD’s roof was in desperate need for a replacement. The work last summer will protect individuals for years to come. BELOW RIGHT: Wade is an alumnus of Beacon School and current employee; he takes pride in his work and said he plans to work at Beacon until the day he retires. (ACBDD staff photos)
WE’RE SOCIAL!
Follow the ACBDD and each of our divisions on facebook to stay up to date with our programs and special announcements. You can also scan to watch and click to subscribe to our YouTube channel. facebook.com/athenscbdd | facebook.com/PersonnelPlus | facebook.com/IntegrateAthens
LEFT: During a field trip to Zonez, Peyton (center) shows off the shirt he just made. RIGHT: Bryan Hinkle, HAPCAP’s Mobility Coordinator, shows a Beacon School student how to use the mobile application for tracking Athens Public Transit buses. (ACBDD staff photos)
PersonnelPlus
ACBDD’s Year in Photos
PersonnelPlus is a no-cost, no-obligation employment service of the Employment Options division of the ACBDD. Since 1983, PersonnelPlus has helped our region’s employers to hire reliable and dependable employees with disabilities.
ACBDD in 2024 and beyond
It is important to pause and reflect on where we’ve been and how far we have come. We appreciate the opportunity to do so through this project. As we look to 2024 and beyond, we look forward to doing more great things, in collaboration with our community partners and with the support of Athens County residents.
TOP LEFT: Employment Specialist Heather Clemons helps student Jackie scan an item for sale during Beacon Brew Café, a monthly job-skills training program. TOP RIGHT: Students work together to paint a bench at the West State Street Park during the Summer Youth Employment Program. BOTTOM LEFT: Students prepare pots to grow plants and flowers to sell later in the year as a fundraiser. BOTTOM RIGHT: During Job Club at Beacon School, Angela Carter explains to Aiden how a loofah is grown and how it can be used. (ACBDD staff photos)
ens Community Center. We hope you’ll consider joining us in this celebration of community partners and friends!
The 2024 Developmental Disability Awareness Fest will be on Thursday, March 21, from 6-8 p.m. at the Ath-
And we will continue to promote the Inclusion Pledge. If you or someone you know is interested in getting involved, please let us know. We look forward to finding new and creative ways to make Athens County even more inclusive.
— Kevin Davis, ACBDD superintendent
Acknowledgements
The highlights from this year and featured in this Special Edition would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the ACBDD staff and the county’s provider staff. We thank you for all that you do, every day, to support individuals with developmental disabilities.
The print version of Special Edition was produced
for The Post by Andrea Lewis, Director of Student Media in the Scripps College of Communications at Ohio University, supported by the efforts of Gia Sammons and Molly Wilson from the sales staff to cover the cost of printing and distribution. Layout and design was provided by Bill Reader of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.
