Note: This Superintendent’s Message accompanies the summer edition of the LCBDD newsletter Momentum, which will be available in August. If you would like to receive this newsletter and be added to our mailing list, contact Anna Jeffries at 740-322-6911 or anna.jeffries@lcountydd.org. For a digital PDF version of the newsletter, click here.

It is hard to believe that back in May 2018, former 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.
I can remember thinking then how much more access could help the people and families we support while also making our operations more efficient.
Just as we had hoped, shortly after the order was signed, we began to see more and more people express interest in technology as a way to live more independently.
But none of us could have predicted how much 2020 would change how we thought about technology.
COVID-19 has made technology more critical than ever before. This pandemic has put us in a position where we need technology to keep our operations moving forward.
Over the past five months we have learned so much about the positive benefits to virtual meetings.
While I cannot predict the future, I do believe that it is easy to see that the use of technology will continue to grow and expand.
I truly appreciate the flexibility everyone has provided us as we quickly moved to a virtual environment. The support of our community and staff helped us successfully maintain our operations during this challenging time.

Virtually yours,
Jason L. Umstot

Contact Superintendent/CEO Jason L. Umstot by calling 740-349-6588 or email: Jason.Umstot@lcountydd.org.