Each state sets eligibility ages for services to children and youth with disabilities. For current information concerning this state, please contact the office listed under Department of Education: Special Education.

State Department of Education: Special Education
Michael Armstrong, Director
Office for Exceptional Children
Ohio Department of Education
25 S. Front Street, 2nd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 466-2650 
E-mail: mike.armstrong@ode.state.oh.us
Web: www.ode.state.oh.us/SE/

State Coordinator for NCLB (No Child Left Behind)
Office for Exceptional Children 
Ohio Department of Education
25 S. Front Street, 2nd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 466-2650 
Web: www.ode.state.oh.us/SE/

Programs for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities: Ages Birth through 2 
Debra Wright, Chief
Bureau of Early Intervention Services
Ohio Department of Health
246 N. High Street, 5th Floor
Columbus, OH 43266-0118
(614) 644-8389; (800) 755-4769 
E-mail: dwright@gw.odh.state.oh.us
Web: www.odh.state.oh.us

Programs for Children with Disabilities: Ages 3 through 5 
Sandra Miller, Director 
Office of Early Childhood
Ohio Department of Education 
25 S. Front Street, Mail Stop 305
Columbus, OH 43215-4183 
(614) 466-0224; (800) 644-6338 
E-mail: sandy.miller@ode.state.oh.us
Web: www.ode.state.oh.us

State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency
John M. Connelly, Executive Director
Rehabilitation Services Commission 
400 E. Campus View Boulevard, SW3 
Columbus, OH 43235-4604
(614) 438-1210 (V/TTY)
E-mail: john.connelly@rsc.state.oh.us
Web: www.state.oh.us/rsc

Coordinator for Transition Services 
Lawrence Dennis, Educational Consultant/ Project Life 
Ohio Department of Education 
Office for Exceptional Children 
25 S. Front Street, 2nd Floor 
Columbus, OH  43215-4183 
(614) 466-2650
E-mail: lawrence.dennis@ode.state.oh.us
Web: www.ode.state.oh.us/exceptional_children/

Office of State Coordinator of Vocational Education for Students with Disabilities 
Joyce Brouman, Educational Consultant
Office for Exceptional Children
Ohio Department of Education 
25 S. Front Street, 2nd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 466-2650
E-mail: joyce.brouman@ode.state.oh.us
Web: www.ode.state.oh.us

State Mental Health Agency 
Michael F. Hogan, Ph.D., Director 
Ohio Department of Mental Health 
30 E. Broad Street, 8th Floor 
Columbus, OH 43215-3430 
(614) 466-2596
E-mail: hoganm@mh.state.oh.us
Web: www.mh.state.oh.us

State Mental Health Representative for Children and Youth 
Kay Rietz, Assistant Deputy Director
Sharon Aungst, Assistant Deputy Director
Office of Children’s Services and Prevention
Ohio Department of Mental Health 
30 E. Broad Street, 8th Floor 
Columbus, OH 43215-3430 
(614) 466-1984 
E-mail: rietzk@mh.state.oh.us
E-mail: aungsts@mh.state.oh.us
Web: www.mh.state.oh.us

State Mental Retardation Program
Kenneth W. Ritchey, Director 
Ohio Department of Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities
1810 Sullivant Avenue
Columbus, OH 43223-1239 
(614) 466-5214
Web: www.state.oh.us/dmr

Councils on Developmental Disabilities 
David Zwyer, Executive Director
Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council
8 E. Long Street, Atlas Building, 12th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 466-5205
E-mail: david.zwyer@dmr.state.oh.us
Web: www.ddc.ohio.gov

Protection and Advocacy Agency 
Carolyn S. Knight, Executive Director 
Ohio Legal Rights Services 
8 E. Long Street, 5th Floor 
Columbus, OH 43215-2999 
(614) 466-7264; (614) 728-2553 (TTY)
(800) 282-9181 (in OH) 
E-mail: olrs@olrs.state.oh.us
Web: www.state.oh.us/olrs/

Client Assistance Program 
Carolyn S. Knight, Executive Director
Ohio Legal Rights Services
8 E. Long Street, 5th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-2999
(614) 466-7264; (614) 728-2553 (TTY)
(800) 282-9181 (in OH) 
E-mail: olrs@olrs.state.oh.us
Web: www.state.oh.us/olrs/

Programs for Children with Special Health Care Needs
James Bryant, M.D., Chief 
Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps
Ohio Department of Health 
P.O. Box 1603 
Columbus, OH 43216-1603 
(614) 466-1549; (800) 755-4769 (parents only)
E-mail: JBryant@gw.odh.state.us
Web: www.odh.state.oh.us

State CHIP Program
(health care for low-income uninsured children)
Healthy Start Healthy Families 
(800) 324-8680; (800) 292-3572 (TTY) Consumer Hotline
Web: http://jfs.ohio.gov/ohp/bcps/hshf/index.stm

Programs for Children and Youth who are Blind or Visually Impaired, Deaf or Hard of Hearing, or Deaf-Blind
John Connelly, Executive Director
Rehabilitation Services Commission
400 E. Campus View Boulevard
Columbus, OH 43235-4604
(614) 438-1200; (800) 282-4536 (in OH)
Web: www.state.oh.us/rsc

Telecommunications Relay Services for Individuals who are Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or with Speech Impairments
(800) 750-0750 (V)
(216) 476-6001 (V/TTY); 711 (TTY)
(877) 750-9097 (Speech to Speech)

State Education Agency Rural Representative
Michael Armstrong, Director 
Office for Exceptional Children
Ohio Department of Education
25 S. Front Street, 2nd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215 
(614) 466-2650 
E-mail: mike.armstrong@ode.state.oh.us
Web: www.ode.state.oh.us

Regional ADA & IT Technical Assistance Center 
Robin Jones, Director
Great Lakes ADA and Accessible IT Center
University of Illinois/Chicago
Institute on Disability and Human Development
1640 W. Roosevelt Road
Chicago IL, 60608-6902
(312) 413-1407 (V/TTY); (800) 949-4232 (V/TTY)
E-mail: gldbtac@uic.edu
Web: www.adagreatlakes.org

University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
Sonya Oppenheimer, Director
University Affiliated Cincinnati Center for Developmental Disabilities
Pavilion Building
3333 Burnet Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039
(513) 636-8383
E-mail: oppes0@chmcc.org
Web: www.cincinnatichildrens.org/svc/dept-div/disabilities/default.htm

Steven Reiss, Director 
The Ohio State University
University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
357B McCampbell Hall
1581 Dodd Drive 
Columbus, OH 43210 
(614) 292-2390
Web: http://nisonger.osu.edu

Technology-Related Assistance 
Doug Huntt, Director
Assistive Technology Ohio
445 E. Dublin-Granville Road, Building L
Worthington, OH 43085
(614) 293-9133; (800) 784-3425 (V/TTY, in OH)
E-mail: atohio@osu.edu
Web: www.atohio.org 

State Mediation System 
Nabil Sharabi, Coordinator
Office for Exceptional Children
Ohio Department of Education
25 S. Front Street, 2nd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 466-2650
E-mail: bill.sharabi@ode.state.oh.us
Web: www.ode.state.oh.us

Special Format Library 
Donna Foust, Librarian
The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County 
Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped 
800 Vine Street, Library Square 
Cincinnati, OH 45202-2071 
(513) 369-6999; (800) 582-0335
(513) 369-3372 (TTY) 
E-mail: lfb@cincinnatilibrary.org 
Web: www.plch.lib.oh.us/info/main/lb/ 

Disability-Specific Organizations

Attention Deficit Disorder
To identify an ADD group in your state or locality, contact either:

Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD)
8181 Professional Place, Suite 150
Landover, MD 20785
(301) 306-7070
(800) 233-4050 (Voice mail to request information packet)
Web: www.chadd.org

Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA)
P.O. Box 543
Pottstown, PA 19464
(484) 945-2101
Web: www.add.org

Autism
To identify an autism group in your state, contact:
Autism Society of America
7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 300
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 657-0881; (800) 3-AUTISM
Web: www.autism-society.org

Blind/Visual Impairments
Jay Stiteley, Director
American Foundation for the Blind-Midwest
401 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 350
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 396-4420
E-mail: chicago@afb.net
Web: www.afb.org

Brain Injury
Suzanne Minnich, Executive Director
Brain Injury Association of Ohio
1335 Dublin Road, Suite 217D
Columbus, OH 43215-1000
(614) 481-7100; (866) 644-6242 (in OH)
E-mail: help@biaoh.org
Web: www.biaoh.org

Cerebral Palsy 
Beverly Johnson, Executive Director
Cerebral Palsy Association of Ohio, Inc. 
4550 Indianola Avenue
Columbus, OH 43214-2246
(614) 267-5071; (800) 796-8498
E-mail: cpo@iwaynet.net

Down Syndrome
Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio
2879 Johnstown Road
Columbus, OH 43219
(614) 475-6440, ext. 311
E-mail: office@dsaco.net
Web: www.dsaco.net

Epilepsy 
Kelley Needham, Executive Director 
Epilepsy Association
2800 Euclid Avenue, Room 450
Cleveland, OH 44115 
(216) 579-1330
E-mail: info@epilepsyinfo.org
Web: www.epilepsyinfo.org

Mental Health 
Terry Russell, Executive Director
NAMI Ohio 
747 E. Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43205
(614) 224-2700; (800) 686-2646
(866) 924-1478 (TTY)
E-mail: amiohio@amiohio.org
Web: www.namiohio.org 

Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities 
Gary Tonks, Executive Director 
The Arc of Ohio
1335 Dublin Road, Suite 205-C 
Columbus, OH 43215 
(614) 487-4720; (800) 875-2723
E-mail: TheArcOhio@aol.com
Web: www.thearcofohio.org

Speech and Hearing
Nancy Bailey, Executive Director
Ohio Speech-Language-Hearing Association
P.O. Box 309
Germantown, OH 45327
(800) 866-6742
E-mail: OSLHAoffice@aol.com
Web: www.ohioslha.org

Tourette Syndrome
Tourette Syndrome Association of Ohio
P.O. Box 28345
Columbus, OH 43228
(614) 272-1824; (800) 543-2675 (in OH)
E-mail: admin@tsaohio.org
Web: www.tsaohio.org

Organizations Especially for Parents and Caregivers

Parent Training and Information Center (PTI) 
Margaret Burley, Executive Director 
Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities 
Bank One Building
165 W. Center Street, Suite 302
Marion, OH 43302-3741
(740) 382-5452
(800) 374-2806 
E-mail: ocecd@gte.net
Web: www.ocecd.org

Parent Teacher Association (PTA) 
Barbara Sprague, Executive Director
Ohio Congress of Parents and Teachers
40 Northwoods Boulevard, Suite A
Columbus, OH 43235
(614) 781-6344
E-mail: oh_office@pta.org
Web: www.ohiopta.org

Other Parent Organization

Cathy Heizman, Director
Educational Advocacy Services
Memorial Inc.
3000 Vernon Place
Cincinnati, OH 45219 
(513) 621-3032
E-mail: cheizman@memorialinc.com
Web: www.memorialinc.com

Other Disability Organizations

Sheila M. Dunn, President
Easter Seals Northeast Ohio
1929A E. Royalton Road
Cleveland, OH 44147
(440) 838-0990 (V/TTY); (888) 325-8532
E-mail: info@eastersealsneo.org
Web: www.eastersealsneo.org

Karen Zuckerman, Chief Operating Officer
Easter Seals Central and Southeast Ohio
565 Children's Drive West
P.O. Box 7199
Columbus, OH 43205
(614) 228-5523

Dr. John Opperman, Communications Officer
Ohio Association of Pupil Services Administrators (OAPSA)
3880 Ridge Road
Medina, OH 44256
(330) 239-1901, ext. 1226
E-mail: opperman@highlandschools.org
Web: www.highlandschools.org/oapsa

Jessie Cannon, Chief of Staff
Ohio Family and Children First Initiative
17 S. High Street, Suite 550
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 752-4044
E-mail: info@ohiofcf.org
Web: www.ohiofcf.org

Kimberly Murray, Executive Director
VSA arts of Ohio
77 S. High Street, 2nd Floor
Riffe Center for Government and the Arts
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 241-5325
E-mail: info@vsao.org
Web: www.vsao.org

Independent Living 

To find out the contact information for the Statewide 
Independent Living Council (SILC) in your state, contact:
Independent Living Research Utilization Project
The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research
2323 South Sheppard, Suite 1000
Houston, TX 77019
(713) 520-0232 (V); (713) 520-5136 (TTY)
E-mail: ilru@ilru.org
Web: www.ilru.org

To find out the contact information for centers for 
independent living (CILs) in your state, contact:
National Council on Independent Living
1916 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 209
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 525-3406; (703) 525-4153 (TTY)
E-mail: ncil@ncil.org
Web: www.ncil.org