Ohio is participating in a national project to assist state TANF agencies in developing collaborative interagency systems to move TANF clients from welfare to work. This project, initially funded through the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL), is a partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education. The purpose of the project is to build program capacity in meeting the needs of TANF clients with learning disabilities by using appropriate screening instruments to identify clients with probable disabilities, providing the appropriate referral for diagnosis, and ensuring equal access with accommodated services. The National Council on Disabilities estimates that between 20-30% of persons receiving TANF benefits are learning disabled. It is further estimated that as many of 50-80% of persons in adult education, social service programs, or employment-seeking programs may have some form of a learning disability that has prevented them from achieving academic and employment success in their lives. In Ohio, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) in partnership with the Ohio Department of Education's Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE) unit and the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission (ORSC) has established a Learning Disability Training Team.
