What to know before you go!  Good Evening, Just a few days now until the 2018 DD Awareness & Advocacy Day event at the Ohio Statehouse. We wanted to share a few things with you and also send you some reminders.

REGISTRATION Registration will open at 8:30 a.m. at the Statehouse Museum Gallery. (Lower Level of the Statehouse) This is where you will pick up your name badges, your meeting location and time for the legislative meeting. (Only if you have requested a meeting.) Complimentary breakfast items, juice and coffee will also be available in the Statehouse Atrium.

AGENDA The program will begin at 10:00 a.m. in the Statehouse Atrium. The program is expected to last 1 hour and will feature speakers with disabilities. Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities Director John Martin will also be a featured speaker. Legislative visits (Only if you have requested one.) will follow the program.  Lunch is on your own.

STATEHOUSE Due to security, the Statehouse has closed many entrances into the building. We have been asked to encourage everyone to use the 3 rd Street entrance. This is the only accessible entrance that is located on the outside of the Statehouse. There is an accessible entrance from the Statehouse Garage. Please remember that parking in the Statehouse Garage is limited to vehicles that are less than 6’6” in height. There is an entrance to the Statehouse on the State Street side, but it is only accessible via stairs. ALL boxes and bags are subject to inspection upon entrance into the Statehouse. There will be many people coming through the 3 rd Street Entrance at the same time, so please allow for possible delays when planning your travel time and arrival.

LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS If you registered to meet with your legislator, please click here for your meeting information. When you check in at the registration desk, be sure to check for the final meeting time and location for your visit. If your time or location says “TBD”, it means we’re still trying to finalize a meeting time with your legislative offices.  SCHEDULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE!!! Please understand that legislative schedules can change at the last minute. If for any reason, you end up meeting with a staff person instead of the legislator, please treat them with the same respect and importance you would if it were your representative or senator.   IMPORTANT: If your meeting is in the Riffe Center, you will need to provide a photo ID to the security attendant.  Walking Directions to Riffe:  Go to the Statehouse Garage, go straight across the garage, through a tunnel and that’s the Riffe Building.

WEATHER We have been monitoring the forecast because we know it’s a major factor when considering travel.  Please click here for the updated forecast!