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Career Counselors Coming To Ohio College Campuses To Help Students With Disabilities

By Karen Kasler

Published October 25, 2019 at 4:14 PM EDT

Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities director Kevin Miller announces the College2Careers program, with the assistance of a sign language interpreter. [Karen Kasler] — Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities director Kevin Miller announces the College2Careers program, with the assistance of a sign language interpreter.

Ohio’s 15 public colleges and universities will each have a full time counselor dedicated to helping students with disabilities.

The Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities agency says 1.6 million Ohioans identify as having a disability – and many of them go to college.

“And these universities are finding more and more students coming from high school on IEPs, which is an Individualized Education Program. And so they need that additional assistance," said OOD director Kevin Miller.

Miller said 10 percent of those in the higher education system could be on IEPs or have disabilities, and he added that many of them may have come to college but not graduated because they couldn't get the help they needed.

Miller said counselors paid for in the state budget will help with career exploration, assistive technology, and accommodations for internships and jobs – with the goal of getting those students into positions where they can make higher salaries and have greater independence.

Ohio's 15 colleges and universities are all participating in the Ohio College2Careers program.