Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities or OOD, partners with Ohioans with disabilities to achieve quality employment, support their desire for independence and assist them with Social Security disability determination outcomes.

OOD works with partners from the business community, education and non-profit organizations to facilitate customized employment plans for Ohioans with disabilities. helps Ohio companies to recruit and retain employees with disabilities, and is the sole agency determining medical and vocational Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income programs, better known as SSDI and SSI.

Vocational Rehabilitation Helps People with Disabilities Find or Keep a Job

OOD’s Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation and Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired provide vocational rehabilitation services to eligible Ohioans with disabilities. With employment services like job coaching, vocational rehabilitation can help people with physical, intellectual, mental health and sensory disabilities to get a job or keep the job they have now. To learn more or find out if you might be eligible, take this online self-assessment. 

Teens 14 and older who have a disability can also get support as they transition from high school into college or work. Transition teams work with students to develop activities and experiences designed to provide new skills to help them reach their post-secondary goals.

Determining Medical Eligibility for SSI and SSDI

In agreement with the Social Security Administration, OOD’s Division of Disability Determination determines medical eligibility for Ohioans applying for Social Security Disability Insurance or Social Security Income, better known as SSDI or SSI. It is federally regulated and receives 100% of its funding from the Social Security Administration. For SSDI or SSI eligibility, the term “disability” is based on a person’s ability to work.

Ohioans can apply for SSI or SSDI

• Online at www.ssa.gov
• By calling 800-772-1213 (TTY 800-325-0778)
• Or in-person at a local SSA office.

Supporting Ohio Employers

The Division of Employer and Innovation Services division works with employers to raise awareness of OOD’s mission to promote a pool of job-ready candidates, and to support businesses in the hiring and retention of individuals with disabilities. It is instrumental in the development and implementation of the agency’s strategic plan; to ensure that client and stakeholder expectations are met while providing value to Ohio taxpayers through efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of services.

Learn more about tax incentives, accessibility services and OOD’s free, interactive disability-inclusion training, designed to help businesses enhance awareness of cultural diversity and examine personal attitudes and biases toward people with disabilities.