Proposed Budget Increases Services to High School Students with Disabilities

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s and Lt. Governor Jon Husted’s biennial Executive Budget for Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025 highlights their dedication to making Ohio a Disability Inclusion State and Model Employer of Individuals with Disabilities. The proposed budget will allow OOD to secure the largest investment in its history to positively impact the lives of Ohioans with disabilities.

 

The Ohio Transition Support Partnership (OTSP), which began in 2015 with the Ohio Department of Education, ensures that students with disabilities have access to OOD’s Vocational Rehabilitation services. In FY 2022, OOD assisted nearly 16,000 young people with disabilities, including approximately 4,500 students through the Ohio Transition Support Partnership, to work toward their employment goals. Governor DeWine’s Executive Budget will expand OTSP to serve an additional 2,250 students with disabilities annually. This will empower more students with disabilities as OOD supports their successful transition from secondary education to post-secondary education and employment. 

 

In addition, OOD will focus on increasing services to students with disabilities enrolled in Career-Technical Education in Ohio. A greater number of these students can benefit through help from OOD for individualized work experiences, assistive technology, tools, licensure/certification fees, work clothing, and job placement in their chosen field.