NEW ALBANY, Ohio — Nearly one in six Ohio students has a documented disability and an individualized education plan, according to the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities in a 2024 report.
These students can sometimes use a little extra help learning what may come easily to others, and some Ohio lawmakers volunteered to give kids with special needs a chance to practice life skills in a safe space during the LifeTown Day of Service Thursday.
“It’s just a great reminder for all of us that every single person is rewarding,” Lt. Gov. Jim Tressel said. “And that’s what Governor DeWine talks about every day. And, just to see it in action. It’s one thing to say it, but it’s another thing to do it. And they do it here. So, it’s perfect.”
As the honorary mayor for the event, Tressel spent much of his time meeting with his constituents and taking photos with students, teachers and families, as he took on his second political position in less than a month. He was sworn in as Ohio’s 67th lieutenant governor about two weeks ago.
“Mayor of LifeTown’s even bigger, no doubt,” he said, before turning to a student to take their order in the deli at the 5,000-square-foot simulated village. Thursday was Tressel’s second time in the mock town after first visiting when it first opened in 2008.
“We had some little stores and stations, but I had no idea how this has grown,” he said. “And it’s special.”
He said he hopes the concept can expand to other areas of the state or find ways to allow more kids to experience the central Ohio location. An idea his fellow deli volunteer State Rep. Don Jones (R – Freeport) supports.
“I’m thinking, you know, kids from especially the Appalachia area, it would be great to bring them here because, you know, we don’t have things like that,” Jones said.
Jones, who graduated from Ashland University with a degree in special education, said kids need to know how to function in society once they leave high school.
“This is social interaction with people they don’t know,” he said. “I mean, you know, it gets them out of their home setting, their school setting and helps them to see what, you know, the real world is all about.”
And business was steady with the former Ohio State head football coach working the space.
“I tell you what, sales have gone up since we got here,” he said, while reaching for an order of apples.
Tressel said serving snacks was one of his first jobs.
“When I was a youngster I used to sell popcorn at the basketball games,” he said. “So I have a little bit of experience.”
While he moved merchandise, volunteers worked in other mock shops providing goods and services. Each storefront was designed by special education professionals to help reinforce skills like healthy habits and money management.
“It pains me to see students, to see kids who were just left without a chance,” said Rabbi Areyah Kaltmann. “If they’re alive, if they’re breathing, they need a chance to succeed. And we can’t withhold that from them.”
Kaltman is LifeTown’s executive director. He said it is the only simulation of its kind in Ohio and last year more than 4,400 students from around the state traveled to receive the hands-on experiences it provides.
“They were born the way they were, but now it’s up to us to make them progress, to make them reach their full potential,” he said. “And for me, this is a religious experience because we believe someone else’s physical problem is our spiritual obligation.”
Jones said he can see the impact of this learning experience and making a difference in these kids’ lives.
“Always been a soft spot in my heart for special ed students because, you know, they were born into a world that they didn’t choose,” he said. “I mean, and but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be productive members of society. And I think we all have to remember that.”
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