MANSFIELD – Twenty-five people representing businesses, schools, and agencies in Richland County on Thursday participated in the 19 th Annual Community Awareness Day sponsored by Richland Newhope/Richland County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
The event is one of several activities marking Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.
The purpose of Community Awareness Day is to increase knowledge and understanding of how people with developmental disabilities are supported in Richland County. More importantly, it serves as an opportunity to highlight a person’s abilities and to show that people with disabilities can be valuable members of the community when given the opportunity.
“People with developmental disabilities work, attend school, volunteer, and are an integral part of the community just like everyone else,” said Richland Newhope Manager of Community Education Troy Smith. “This annual event gives us a chance to address misconceptions, build awareness, and hopefully increase inclusion in all aspects of our community for those we support.”
During Community Awareness Day, participants first had an opportunity to learn how adaptive equipment can assist people with disabilities in the challenges they face daily. Then they were paired with hosts and taken to provider agencies, and into the community where individuals who receive county board supports work, live, or attend school.
These locations included: RNI, Inc. at 150 E. 4th St; RNI, Inc. at 985 W. Longview Ave.; Element of Art Studio/Gallery at 96 N. Main St.; Goodwill at 2154 W. 4 th St.; Choice Express at 1500W. Fourth St.; and Open Arms at 928 Springmill St. The Community Awareness Day event ended with a luncheon where the participants shared their experience.
This year’s participants are members of the Mansfield-Richland Area Educational Foundation’s 2019-2020 Leadership Unlimited class. Those taking part in Awareness Day were: Kelly Blankenship, Harmony House; Chris Clark, Ohio Health Mansfield Hospital; Candace Coffman, Nationwide Children’s Hospital; Bo Evans, MTD; Dennis Fox, ES Consulting; Jennifer Fry, Ohio State University-Mansfield; Jill Haring, Haring Realty; Christian Harris, Richland Bank; Hannah Jarvis, Spherion Mid-Ohio; Kristi Lord, Mechanics Bank; Kevyn Morehead, RNI, Inc.; Larry Phillips, Richland Source; Nichole Rogers, Directions Credit Union; Erich Schroeder, J & B Acoustical; Melissa Shannon, Therm-O-Disc; Matthew Stanfield, Field9: architecture; Jamie Starkey, Catalyst Life Services; Edwin Tharp, Mansfield Metropolitan Housing Authority; Michael Thoma, Southeastern Equipment; Ashley Throckmorton, Richland Bank; Mindi White, Huntington National Bank; Rodney Willis, Richland Newhope; Jordon Wurthmann, Purdy Construction; and Stephanie Zader, Wilson Realty.
