LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor
Since 2004

Tag: Best Buddies

The Table of Discussions Celebrates Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
Connie Mehlman • Cassie Mattia • Courtney Hineman

by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio – Did you know more than 6 million Americans have one or more developmental disabilities (DD)? That means about 15 percent of the United States population is living with DD. Over the few past decades, individuals with DD and DD advocates have been fighting for inclusion and equal opportunities within their communities and the workforce. Without help from leaders and social reformers like Dorothy Dix, Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr., Ronald Reagan, and George Bush, to name a few, both National Developmental Disabilities Month and the Americans with Disabilities Act wouldn’t exist.

“It’s just basic human needs not special needs.” – Courtney Hineman

In 1987, President Ronald Reagan made a public announcement asking Americans to provide individuals with DD “the encouragement and opportunities they need to lead productive lives and to achieve their full potential.” Reagan’s powerful message not only established the month of March as National DD Awareness Month, but his advocacy also led to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) being passed in 1990 by George Bush. The ADA officially made it illegal to discriminate against individuals with disabilities.

Once the ADA passed, DD advocates across the world began to take a stand, using their own experiences and success stories to promote equal rights. Although progress has been made in the DD community there are still many obstacles’ individuals with DD face every day. This is why National DD Awareness Month is a time to celebrate the achievements of those with DD and take the time to educate yourself and those surrounding you on the importance of including individuals with DD in all aspects of community life!

In light of this very special March celebration, I decided to again share an interview that I conducted in March of 2023 on my Loveland Magazine TV Table of Discussions with two of the most respected DD advocates in Ohio, Connie Mehlman now a Consultant with Best Buddies International and Courtney Hineman, the Community Outreach Advocate for Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities! Connie and Courtney have paved the way for inclusion and equality within the DD community giving them both a plethora of knowledge when it comes to educating others about how they too can advocate for individuals with DD. Connie has since retired from her job with Butler County.

I am pleased to rebroadcast my Table of Discussions episode featuring Connie Mehlman and Courtney Hineman! Happy DD Awareness Month!

This year’s Greater Cincinnati Best Buddies Friendship Walk is on Saturday, April 13 at Marcum Park, 116 Dayton Street in Hamilton.

REGISTER

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In celebration of National Developmental Disabilities Month, Courtney wrote an Opinion Editorial in 2023 about what it’s like to live with developmental disabilities and how the community created equal opportunities for her.

Click here to read Courtney’s Op Ed, “I want others with disabilities to have opportunities like I had!”

The gallery of photos below was provided by the Butler County Board of DD and Cassie Mattia.
What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?

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Courtney Hineman is a disability rights advocate. She is the Community Outreach Advocate at the Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities and was appointed by Governor DeWine to the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council for the second term. She is a member of Butler County’s self-advocacy group, and has enjoyed participating in Best Buddies.

Connie Mehlman is the Community Connections Coordinator for the Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities. She has more than 35 years of experience both working and volunteering in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities. She is currently serving as the Chairperson for Best Buddies Ohio and is very active in the Miami University Best Buddies Chapter.”

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Cassie Mattia is the President and Publisher of Loveland Magazine, Cassie Mattia is a resident of Historic Downtown Loveland and the Public Relations Coordinator at Butler County Board of DD. Cassie was awarded the Little Miami River Chamber Alliance 2021 Young Business Professional of the Year.
Mar 13, 2024
Cassie Mattia’s red carpet interview with movie star Joshua Felder

Managing Editor) David Miller (right) and Josh Felder at the Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities 2023 Community Recognition Awards.

by David Miller

“Interviewing Josh on the red carpet was a fantastic opportunity for our community to see via Facebook Live – what kind of a person Josh is. I think what he had to say was important for everyone to hear and quite frankly was inspirational,” Cassie told me after the interview.

Joshua Felder was one of the leading actors in the recently released movie Champions, starring Woody Harrelson, and was the keynote speaker at the 2023 Community Recognition Awards gala put on by the Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities (BCBDD) on September 28.

Champions is the story about a Des Moines, Iowa young adult basketball team whose players all have developmental disabilities. Joshua played the role of Darius. The film stars Woody Harrelson as an unpredictable, minor-league basketball coach who after an arrest for drinking while driving and hitting a police car was ordered to coach a team of players with intellectual disabilities as community service. By the way, Harrelson is a 1979 graduate of Lebanon High School.

Cassie also told me that having Josh as their keynote speaker for the awards ceremony and getting the chance to spend time with him while he was in Hamilton was something she will always treasure. Besides the on-air interview, Cassie was also able to spend the day with him and her cohorts as he toured the city and learned about the things BCBDD does. “Josh is definitely going to achieve big things in his life. What a great role model for many many individuals out there,” she said.

In the movie, Joshua plays Darius, the teammate who had a promising basketball career before he was involved in a terrible car accident caused by a drunk driver and ended up with brain damage. He refuses to play for Harrelson’s team. However after getting to know the new coach, Darius realized he needed to be able to forgive the woman who hit him and the character played by Harrelson and decided to join the team that went to the Special Olympics finals in Winnipeg.

In real life, Joshua is a Global Ambassador and is on the International Board of Directors for Best Buddies International. He was the first person with a disability to be a dancer in a Super Bowl halftime show. He appeared with The Weeknd and was featured in a Showtime Original, which outlined the making of the Super Bowl LV Halftime Show. Additionally, Joshua was featured on CBS This Morning with Gayle King. Joshua has “high-functioning” autism.

Cassie, besides being the president and co-owner of Loveland Magazine is the Public Relations Coordinator for the Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities and was given the responsibility to do interviews on the red carpet as guest celebrities arrived for the the Hollywood-themed annual awards celebration.

Cassie continued, “Planning and putting on an annual event like the Community Recognition Awards can be tough, but after you see the results of the awards and how the event brings the community together is truly the icing on the cake.”

I attended the event to be inspired by the award winners, meet a star in what is now one of my all-time favorite movies, and volunteer to record videos and take still photos for Cassie and the BCBDD.

Cassie Mattia interviewing movie star Joshua Felder.

Josh said that while he toured Hamilton he was glad he finally got to stand under the famous Alexander Hamilton statue. He picked up a Joe Burrow jersey even while proclaiming he a “forever” Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan and enjoyed Skyline Chili.

According to Cassie, “Josh is an incredible advocate for the DD community and is living proof of what someone with a developmental disability can achieve.”

Thank you Josh and Cassie for the lessons you teach me and your exciting inspiration.

Savannah Guthrie, Woody Harrelson, and members of the cast of “Champions” talk about the bond they made during the production of the movie Champions.

I encourage you to view the BCBDD story with other highlights of their 2023 Community Recognition Awards“Hollywood” style gala.

The Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities supports over 3,700 people to live, work, and learn successfully in their community. Supports and services are available life-long through contracts with partner agencies or directly provided by the Board.

If you believe that you, someone in your family, or someone you know might benefit from a local DD Board, here are some links:

Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services

Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities

Clermont County Board of Developmental Disabilities Best Buddies International is a dynamic and growing organization, thanks to the people who help advance its mission every day. From the Board of Directors to the summer interns, everyone on the Best Buddies team shares their energy and enthusiasm as they work to enhance the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Oct 10, 2023
The Table of Discussions Celebrates Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
Connie Mehlman • Cassie Mattia • Courtney Hineman

by Cassie Mattia

Loveland, Ohio – Did you know more than 6 million Americans have one or more developmental disabilities (DD)? That means about 15 percent of the United States population is living with DD. Over the few past decades, individuals with DD and DD advocates have been fighting for inclusion and equal opportunities within their communities and the workforce. Without help from leaders and social reformers like Dorothy Dix, Helen Keller, Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr., Ronald Reagan, and George Bush, to name a few, both National Developmental Disabilities Month and the Americans with Disabilities Act wouldn’t exist.

“It’s just basic human needs not special needs.” – Courtney Hineman

In 1987, President Ronald Reagan made a public announcement asking Americans to provide individuals with DD “the encouragement and opportunities they need to lead productive lives and to achieve their full potential.” Reagan’s powerful message not only established the month of March as National DD Awareness Month, but his advocacy also led to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) being passed in 1990 by George Bush. The ADA officially made it illegal to discriminate against individuals with disabilities.

Once the ADA passed, DD advocates across the world began to take a stand, using their own experiences and success stories to promote equal rights. Although progress has been made in the DD community there are still many obstacles’ individuals with DD face every day. This is why National DD Awareness Month is a time to celebrate the achievements of those with DD and take the time to educate yourself and those surrounding you on the importance of including individuals with DD in all aspects of community life!

In light of this very special March celebration, I decided to invite two of the most respected DD advocates in Ohio, Community Connection Coordinator Connie Mehlman and Community Outreach Advocate Courtney Hineman, both with the Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities to my Loveland Magazine TV Table of Discussions! Connie and Courtney have paved the way for inclusion and equality within the DD community giving them both a plethora of knowledge when it comes to educating others about how they too can advocate for individuals with DD.

I am pleased to present my latest Table of Discussions episode featuring Connie Mehlman and Courtney Hineman! Happy DD Awareness Month!

Check out Episode 1 of Courtney’s BCBDD VLOG, “Courtney Explains It All!”

The video below features Courtney as she discusses Neurodiversity with the BCBDD staff!

Below Courtney was invited to be the keynote speaker at the Best Buddies Ohio Annual Gala!

In celebration of National Developmental Disabilities Month, Courtney wrote an Opinion Editorial about what it’s like to live with developmental disabilities and how the community created equal opportunities for her.

Click here to read Courtney’s Op Ed, “I want others with disabilities to have opportunities like I had!”

The gallery of photos below was provided by the Butler County Board of DD and Cassie Mattia.
What is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?
Mar 16, 2023
I want others with disabilities to have opportunities like I had

by Courtney Hineman

March is Developmental Disabilities (DD) Awareness Month which makes it the perfect time to share how my community created opportunities for me and partly because of that, I’ve been able to flourish. As someone who lives with a developmental disability, I want others with disabilities to have similar opportunities for employment, leadership, and friendship.

When I was younger, I got to be a part of a summer work program through the Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities (BCBDD). My first job was cleaning toilets and tables at Barn N Bunk, and I cleaned at Camp Campbell Gard as well. Later, I worked at the East Butler YMCA at the customer service desk.

I really enjoyed getting to interact with people and learn new things. For many people with disabilities, building friendships or gaining leadership skills can be difficult. For me, these work experiences helped create opportunities for both leadership and friendship. I feel my past work experiences lead me to the job I have now because I was able to learn how to interact with customers and show others that I’m a hard worker.

Sometimes, it can be hard for people with disabilities to develop friendships. For me, Best Buddies helped bridge that gap. Best Buddies is an international organization that matches people with and without disabilities for friendship. Through Best Buddies I have learned how to grow in a relationship with a friend, I’ve been able to try new things, and I’ve learned leadership skills. One of my favorite experiences through Best Buddies was painting pumpkins with my new friend.

Through Best Buddies, I have attended leadership trainings which helped me in my role as Community Outreach Advocate at BCBDD. At those leadership trainings we learned how to share our story. We learned how to write a speech and how to present in front of others. This has given me confidence not only at work but also in my personal life. I now know that I can speak up for myself and that sharing my experience can help others with disabilities and their families.

These opportunities helped me tremendously. You can create that for someone in your community. I hope that you take the time this month and every month to give someone with a disability an opportunity to grow in their skills and help them live the best life they can live.

Mar 7, 2023
Talented artist, cook, and advocate leads by example!

by Cassie Mattia and the Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities

Everyone experiences challenges in their lives whether it’s having a not-so-great work week, overcoming an illness, or getting into an argument with someone you care about. In the grand scheme of things, those challenges are often ones you can quickly overcome and grow from! Some obstacles in life can be so challenging that when one overcomes them it is not only inspirational to see but also serves as a beautiful example for those experiencing the same obstacles. Meet Kathryn (Kat) Feldmann, a 21-year-old who has not only never backed down from a challenge but has also been a source of motivation for others in the developmental disability community to pursue their dreams.

Kat, who lives with her mom, Kristen, her dad, Kurt, and her brother, Konrad in Liberty Township has overcome a lot of medical challenges in her life. As a baby, Kat was diagnosed with an Atrial Septal Defect that was eventually corrected through surgery. Kat was also diagnosed with autism, Pierre Robin Sequence, anxiety, Craniofacial Anomalies, and a speech delay. Though Kat deals with challenges daily due to her disabilities, she has successfully managed to not only exceed her goals, but also receive many awards/honors along the way for her outstanding achievements.

Kat, as a very young girl, loved being involved in the community and supporting organizations that she truly believed in.

“Throughout her school age years, she participated in Butler County 4H doing mostly food and nutrition projects and even competed at the state fair twice,” Kat’s mother Kristen said. “Kat was also involved in Girl Scouts since first grade and earned the Girl Scout Gold award. For this, she earned a multiyear grant from Katie’s Krops and grew a garden from which she donated her entire harvest to a local food pantry. She also identified and printed recipes to donate alongside the produce so that the recipients would have a better idea of how to cook it.”

Kat and her many accomplishments, awards, and honors!

Kat’s determination and dedication to the environment, her community, and cooking delicious, healthy, fresh food earned her multiple 4H awards and a trip to Washington DC where she served as the “Citizens Focus” Club’s Treasurer. Little did Kat realize she was becoming one of the biggest local advocates for those with developmental disabilities!

As time went on, Kat began to really enjoy researching things that interested her, often watching YouTube videos to learn as much as she could about topics that she was passionate about. This led to Kat diving into many hobbies such as collecting American Girl Dolls, reading books, cooking, music, dancing, spending time with her Siamese cats, and art.

Kat, her brother Konrad, and her mother Kristen (Photo top left), Kat and 1 of her 3 Siamese cats (Photo top right), Kat and her SSA, Teresa Rouff (Photo bottom left), Kat in Pittsburgh (Photo bottom right).

Kat successfully graduated from Lakota East and shortly after became a part of Butler Tech’s Project Life, a comprehensive, multi-year transition program where students develop, practice, and strengthen skills that increase adult independence and successful integrated employment in the community, and Butler Tech’s Project Search, a school-to-work program for students with disabilities who are serious about working hard and getting a job.

“Kat completed both Project Life and Project Search in May of 2022. For Project Search she completed rotations in the emergency department and the lab at West Chester Hospital,” Kristen explained. “She is now working with Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) to secure employment in the future.”

Once Kat finished Project Search she realized she had an interest in Hospitality which led her to enrolling in the Tartan TOPS program at Sinclair College, an educational/career pathway program for part-time students who have an intellectual disability.

Kat in front of Sinclair College, where she currently takes classes in the Tartan TOPS program.

BCBDD Service and Support Administrator (SSA), Teresa Rouff, began working with Kat in April and couldn’t be more impressed with Kat’s progress!

“On top of all the amazing things Kat is doing, she recently began a vocational habilitation program at InsideOut Studio where she creates various art pieces,” Teresa said. “She loves art and is VERY talented. She has a few pieces for sale on the InsideOut Studio website that show how gifted she is at art!”

Kat enjoys all aspects of art and is currently working with fiber and crocheting knits at InsideOut Studio. Kat said she hopes to sell some of her creations through the online store.

“Kat is also involved in SpeakUp and was recently matched with a buddy through Best Buddies and looks forward to fun times ahead with her new friend,” Kristen said. SpeakUp is a BCBDD self-advocacy group and Best Buddies is a non-profit organization that offers one-on-one friendship and leadership development programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Kat’s “Happiness” acrylic on canvas that she created at InsideOut Studio (Photo top left), Kat’s white pumpkin garden stone that she created at InsideOut Studio (Photo top right), Kat with advocate Jodi Mann, Director Kimberly Hauck from the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD), advocate Cassie Sullivan, and Steve Beha, the Chief Policy Officer for the DODD, Kat was on an advocate panel when DODD’s Director Hauck visited the BCBDD (Bottom right photo).

Kat says her main hope and dream is to become as independent as possible and to live with roommates and friends for socialization. She says she would like to get a job that allows her to make a difference in the world and continue doing what she’s passionate about!

Watch the on-camera interview with Kat Feldmann, BCBDD SSA Teresa Rouff, and Kat’s mother Kristen Feldmann below!

Nov 16, 2022