Lima Senior High School Intervention Specialist Jill Radler is a member of the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council and is headed to Washington D.C. this week to advocate for people with disabilities.
Radler, who has been with the Lima City Schools for three years, will be in Washington, D.C. Sept. 25-27. She will first attend sessions with others agency representatives from around Ohio who advocate and help people with disabilities and their families.
On the following day, the groups will go to Capitol Hill to participate in meetings with members of Congress and the Senate.
Radler said she is looking forward to the opportunity to be an advocate for students with developmental disabilities and their families.
“I am honored to represent Lima City Schools too. I feel very blessed to be on this Council,” she said. “My son is on the autism spectrum and I am a teacher in the self-contained classroom so this is my passion in life. It has changed my life and given me many opportunities I might not have had.”
With about 30 members, the council meets in Columbus several times throughout the year. Sixty percent represent people with developmental disabilities, and parents and guardians of people with developmental disabilities.
The remaining members include representatives from state agencies, non-profit organizations and agencies providing services to people with developmental disabilities. Members are appointed by the Governor. Radler was appointed by former Gov. John Kasich a couple of years ago.
The council advocates for people with developmental disabilities and their families, initiate programs that enrich their lives and try to educate people about disability rights and the importance of self-determination. The council also works on grant projects.