Portage Developmental Disabilities board planning three months of awareness

The Portage County Board of Developmental Disabilities will begin celebrating Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month with a lineup of events starting in February, including the return of Limitless Art.

“Even though it’s during the month of March, we like to promote disability awareness 365 days a year, 12 months, seven days a week, 24/7 – we are always, always promoting disability awareness,” said Michelle Dolensky, Portage County Board of Developmental Disabilities director of community and provider relations.

The Board of Developmental Disabilities provides 1,387 Portage County residents with its services, a 400-person increase from 2020, she said.

The services Portage DD offers includes providing supplementary activities and information to schools, as well as assisting adults with employment, housing, transportation and support. The amount of support Portage DD gives a person varies, depending on their needs.

Tiffany Jones, community employment coordinator for the board, said that “people with disabilities are part of your community.”

“They exist. They live here. They work here. They learn here,” she said.

To help prepare for its 5th annual Limitless Art Show on April 28, Portage DD will kick off celebrations early with Art Nights at various locations during the months of February and March.

During Art Nights, attendees can create art to later be on display at the art show or sold during the sale. A few Art Night locations include Jake’s Eats in Mantua on Feb. 3, Happy Day Services on Feb. 10, the Kent Free Library on Feb. 16, the Reed Memorial Library on Feb. 23 and the Pierce Streetsboro Library on March 2. 

As part of Limitless Art, art will be on display at West Main Street Winery in Ravenna, Kent Free Library, Reed Memorial Library, Pierce Streetsboro Library, Hometown Bank in Kent and University Hospital Portage Medical Center.

“We wanted to share, have that message of DD awareness out into the community: We are all very aware of people with disabilities and all the great things that they can do,” Dolensky said.

A new addition to this year’s lineup of events will be a Transition Fair at 11 a.m. March 7 for people with disabilities ages 14 to 22 who are transitioning from high school to adulthood, Jones said. Jones said the board is “trying to be all-inclusive, so it is not just work or school.”

“So, Special Olympics, our recreational program. At this stage in a teen’s life, who can support them?” she said.

Other events during March include a Silent Disco open to the public on March 10, a movie night on March 12, a talent show on March 19 and a Hike Club outing on March 23. Portage DD also anticipates organizing a Family Fun Day at Spins Bowl for those they provide support to in March. 

Dolensky said they are still finalizing details, but that individuals will be able to bring three members of their family with Portage DD covering the costs of shoes and a few rounds of bowling.

“People with disabilities have all sorts of talents, abilities,” Jones said. “So, our talent show or art show – they can do so many things, and their disability doesn’t define them.”

To conclude March, Portage DD will gather in downtown Ravenna for its DD Awareness Rally, open to the public, at 10 a.m. March 27, depending on weather conditions.

During the rally, advocates will have the opportunity to share their stories about their lives and how decisions they made impacted them, Dolensky said.

One year, a man recounted advocating for himself to be able to move into his own apartment, away from his family, leading to him participating in the Special Olympics, she said.

“Every year, we have different people who speak along those lines. There’s stories of how advocacy has been put to work for their lives,” Dolensky said.

For more information about the Portage DD’s events, as well as registration information, visit portagedd.org.