History

The history of Ohioans with developmental disabilities has changed significantly over the years. The timeline below highlights a few of the many important milestones that have shaped our system and our society into what it is today. The information shared below is featured from the work of the Ohio Association of County Boards Always There campaign.

the Horn Report

In 1960, the Horn Report, prepared by committee chair Dr. Raymond Horn, recommended a county system be established to serve persons with mental retardation. This set the stage for the legislation that would later create the County Boards of Mental Retardation. While some wanted to relocate programs under the auspices of the Department of Education, in the end, programs were left under what was then called the Department of Mental Hygiene and Correction, with a recommendation to expand the programs to serve adults. (This department has evolved several times to become what is called, as of 2009, the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.)

1960

1961

President’s Panel Established

President John F. Kennedy established the President’s Panel on Mental Retardation to recommend policy changes to better serve people with developmental disabilities. This lead to recommendations from the panel for federal and state agencies to begin supporting community-based services and in 1963, President Kennedy signed the Community Mental Health Act. The Act directed federal funds for the construction of facilities for people with developmental disabilities and paved the way for comprehensive community mental health centers. For many, it meant they could move out of a hospital or institution and back into their communities.

Senate Bill 169

In 1967, Ohio’s 88 county boards of mental retardation were created by the Ohio General Assembly through amended Senate Bill 169, which was signed into law by Gov. James Rhodes. The county boards were established to raise funds and provide services and support to people with developmental disabilities, as well as further the training and education of professional personnel.

1967

1976

House Bill 455

Amended Substitute House Bill 455, Ohio’s “Education for All Handicapped Children Act,” was approved by Gov. James Rhodes in May of 1976. This legislation mandated that school-age programs be chartered by the State Department of Education.

Early Intervention defined

Early Intervention was defined in the 1986 amendments to EHA. In addition to strengthening support for special education for preschool-age children, it provided grants to states to serve eligible infants and toddlers (ages birth through 2 years) and their families in accordance with a written Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP).

1986

1987

National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

In 1987, President Ronald Reagan designated March as National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The month focuses awareness on the potential of citizens with developmental disabilities to work, contribute, and enjoy typical lives, and asking Americans to provide the “encouragement and opportunities” vital for them to reach their full potential. Programs supporting employment opportunities and inclusion into the community began to develop for people with developmental disabilities, with the goal of being able to lead secure, productive, and self-directed lives.

Americans with Disabilities Act

In 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) establishing the most comprehensive civil rights law prohibiting unjustified discrimination based on disability in employment, public services, public accommodation, and telecommunications. Disabilities included both mental and physical impairments, and do not need to be severe or permanent to be a disability.

The Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities was the first county in Ohio to remove the words “mental retardation” from our name. Senate Bill 79, a law which changed the names of the county boards and state level cabinet removing “mental retardation” from their names, wasn’t signed for 19 more years in 2009.

1990

1999

Olmstead v. L.C.

In the summer of 1999, the United States Supreme Court in Olmstead v. L.C., held that unjustified segregation of persons with disabilities constitutes discrimination in violation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

New Freedom Initiative

In February 2001, President Bush announced the New Freedom Initiative, a comprehensive program designed to ensure full participation of people with disabilities in all areas of society. The initiative assisted with increasing access to the power of assistive technologies and removing financial barriers to the acquisition of these technologies; expanding educational opportunities; helping to integrate Americans with disabilities into the workforce; and enabling full, self-empowered participation in communities. The administration also pledged its commitment to the enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

2001

2007

Senate Bill 79

On April 24, 2007, the Ohio General Assembly eliminated the words “idiot,” “lunatic,” and “imbecile” as descriptions of people with developmental disabilities from the Ohio Revised Code. Before the end of the decade, Senate Bill 79 would change the name of the Ohio County Boards of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities to the County Boards of Developmental Disabilities, and the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities to Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities.

Employment First

In 2012, Gov. John Kasich launched Employment First, an initiative to create greater opportunities for working-age people with developmental disabilities. Through an executive order, Kasich charged the Employment First Task Force with reviewing policies and programs, and making recommendations to increase employment opportunities in Ohio. These strategies focused on empowering people with developmental disabilities to tap their strengths and talents in order to increase their economic independence, have a sense of accomplishment, and create their own social identity.

2012

2018

Technology First

In 2018, Gov. John Kasich signed the Technology First Executive Order making Ohio the first state in the country to place an emphasis on expanding access to technology for people with developmental disabilities.