Transforming Services, Transforming Lives: New Logo, New Look

The words “community” and “connect” have been featured in many of ODC’s materials over the past few years, and with good reason. ODC has been transforming from a “place” where people with disabilities go to receive services to a “resource” that provides individuals with disabilities the opportunities and support they need to connect to their communities in both work and life.

It was almost 10 years ago when we first made the decision to move toward a more community-based model of services. We implemented more services and added more staff to assist individuals in our center-based programs in exploring their interests, evaluating their skills, and obtaining and maintaining community employment.

The next stage of our transformation was about creating new ways for people in our center-based programs to explore and become more active citizens in their communities. We implemented Community Prevocational Skills Training, which offers soft skills training, job shadowing, internships at local businesses and volunteer opportunities. Community Day Services, which helps individuals explore their communities, make connections with others who share their interests and increase their independent living skills, has also been very successful in helping people connect with their communities and take steps toward community employment.

We continue to transform, and our ODC team has done an amazing job of developing options outside of our center-based programs. We are a very different organization than we were ten years ago, and yet we have always vowed to never leave anyone behind. We will continue to serve individuals in our Beginnings program, which includes center-based and community-based one-to-one goals, strengths and skills exploration, training and support for individuals with significant challenges in adjusting to social or work environments. Our Center-Based Day Services program will continue to be there for those who prefer engaging, skill-building activities that take place primarily in our centers.

Throughout our transformation, we have also grown to serve more people than ever – over 900 in 2019. We will continue to support all of the individuals we serve in a very person-centered way, to identify what THEY want to achieve in their work and their life outside of work. What we’ve learned over the last many years is that people can grow beyond what they – and we – ever believed possible in the past.

New Look, New Logo!

We hope you like our new look! We will be implementing the new logo on all materials and signage over the next few months. As we transform as an organization, we need a “fresh” image, one that signifies the growth and “movement” that ODC opportunities bring to those we serve. The logo, which can be used with the graphic symbols in a number of different ways, represents the fact that not everyone’s journey toward their highest level of independence is the same. Our mission – to empower people with disabilities to achieve their work and life goals – is accomplished by “Connecting People and Communities”, the new tagline that describes our fundamental goal.

Thanks to all for your support of ODC!