Ohio SAFE Merges With Ohio TASH

The Times They Are A-Changin' -- Bob Dylan

When Ohio SAFE burst onto the state education scene in the early 1990s, children with disabilities were routinely excluded from access to the same educational opportunities as school-age children without disabilities. Students with disabilities were assigned to separate classrooms or schools and often excluded from taking part in extracurricular activities. Throughout the 1990s Ohio SAFE worked to develop inclusive educational communities in all of Ohio's public schools. Although we have not yet reached our vision of fully inclusive schools, we are broadening our efforts to build inclusive schools and communities.
Yes, the times they are a-changin'.

The board of Ohio SAFE realizes that the success of efforts to develop and support inclusive school communities must be part of the effort to include each individual with a disability in the community as a whole. The students who Ohio SAFE advocated for during the 1990s have grown up. They are trying to go to college, work and live in the community, and developing adult relationships. They often encounter obstacles to having meaningful lives in the community. Sometimes these community values are reflected in the schools where barriers to inclusion continue. Therefore, Ohio SAFE has joined with Ohio TASH, under the banner of Ohio TASH, to change this cycle and develop a seamless focus on the opportunity for all individuals with disabilities to have meaningful “ordinary” lives.

The board of Ohio SAFE envisions that this action will strengthen efforts to ensure that
the times keep a-changin' for the better
for all individuals in our communities.