BOWLING GREEN -- Wood County has the best record in the state for putting residents with disabilities to work, though local officials said Thursday that challenges remain.

"Wood County is a shining light," John Martin, director of the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities, told county commissioners and staff from Wood Lane, the county agency that provides educational, residential, and employment services for children and adults with disabilities. "How you've done such a nice job of integrating folks with disabilities into all segments of community life is really something to be admired. It allows the community to benefit from these wonderful gifts and abilities that folks with disabilities have."

In March, Gov. John Kasich signed an executive order known as the Employment First Initiative, which is aimed at getting more people with disabilities competitive jobs in the work force.

"We wanted to go around and look at where people were already doing it, examples of where it is working well, so that through our literature and other things we can promote best practices and show examples for other parts of the state where it's not working as well as it is here," Mr. Martin said during his visit.

Ben Hollinger, an assistant deputy director in the department's Division of Policy and Strategic Direction, said that statewide, county boards of developmental disabilities have an average of 15 percent of their adults clients employed in the community though some have zero percent employed. In Wood County, that figure is 40 percent -- the highest in the state -- and that figure does not include those employed at Wood Lane Industries, a sheltered workshop where clients do piece work for a variety of customers.

In all, Wood Lane has 225 individuals working in the community for minimum wage or better, while 130 work at Wood Lane Industries.

Jay Salvage, Wood Lane's director of adult services, attributed much of his agency's success to the board's commitment to human resources, employing 23 job coaches who work with clients, transition specialists who work with individuals as young as 14 to prepare for jobs upon graduation, and an employment services coordinator who constantly meets with area businesses and organizations in search of employment opportunities.

Despite its successes, Mr. Salvage said providing transportation for clients to get to work remains a challenge. He also would like to be able to provide tangible incentives to employers beyond offering them qualified, capable employees.

While he was in Bowling Green, Mr. Martin and his staff spent time with Andrew Bullerjahn, a 24-year-old autistic man who has been employed full-time for five years in the Wood County Records Center, scanning documents and transferring the digital images to microfilm.

His mother, Ann Bullerjahn, said her son is smart but has communication challenges.

"He feels comforted by routine, but he pays a lot of attention to detail," she said. "This is just a fabulous job. It's perfect."

Staff members also visited Heritage Corner Health Care, where some Wood Lane clients are employed in food preparation.

This weekend, Wood Lane Industries is celebrating its 50th anniversary with an open house from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Junior Fair Building at the county fairgrounds that will feature displays featuring past and current employers as well as an historical exhibit on services for individuals with disabilities.

Contact Jennifer Feehan at: jfeehan@theblade.com or 419-724-6129.

First Published August 24, 2012, 4:37 a.m.