Meet ODDC Community Ambassador Andy Barrett

Andy Barrett of Licking County, Ohio recently completed his work as an Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council (ODDC) Community Ambassador. The Community Ambassador Program gives Ohioans with developmental disabilities (DD) a platform to lead projects and raise awareness about issues that affect their communities.

Andy used his project to increase epilepsy awareness and help more people understand how to support someone who has a seizure, especially in sports settings.

At 13 years old, Andy is also our youngest Community Ambassador to date. His work shows that advocacy and leadership can begin at any age.

Epilepsy 101 for Coaches

As an athlete, Andy participates in a lot of team sports. When coaches learn that he has epilepsy, they often feel unsure about what to do if he has a seizure. That uncertainty can create barriers and make it harder for people with epilepsy to take part in sports and other recreational activities.

It can also leave people with epilepsy and their families responsible for explaining seizure response steps to every new coach.

In partnership with Epilepsy Alliance Ohio, Andy created a short video to make that easier. It explains what different seizures may look like and how to respond calmly and safely. The video focuses on sports, but the information is useful for anyone. Seizures can happen anywhere, and the video only takes 2 minutes to watch.

Andy's goal is to help coaches feel prepared and confident. When they know what to do, they can actively welcome and support players with epilepsy instead of seeing epilepsy as a reason to leave them out.

“Epilepsy doesn’t stop me from doing the things that I love," Andy said. "This is important to me and my community because it brings awareness and helps. All kids and coaches feel safe and supported.”

3D-Printing with Purpose

Andy Barrett's printed with purpose flyer

Andy also raises epilepsy awareness by 3-D printing and selling fidget toys and other tactile gadgets. The toys are sold in vending machines, and his proceeds go towards Epilepsy Alliance Ohio and help fund future student projects through the Experience Learner Mastermind Program.

To date, Andy has sold more than 150 items and raised over $500 for Epilepsy Alliance Ohio. Each sale creates another opportunity to start a conversation about epilepsy while supporting people and families affected by it.

Through education, fundraising, and advocacy, Andy is showing that epilepsy should not prevent anyone from taking part in the activities they enjoy.

Resources Provided by Epilepsy Alliance Ohio

About the Community Ambassador Project: The Community Ambassador Project is a storytelling initiative of the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council. The project features individuals from across Ohio who lead their own stories on what's happening in their town within their DD community, along with issues faced and positive change happening to improve community inclusion. Community Ambassadors choose one or two topics to focus on and provide an outline of how they will approach the topics. Then, the ambassador works on building stories around those topics to share with their entire community and beyond. Storytelling includes interviews, research, photos, videos, and more. The goal is to have people with DD in front of their communities and telling their stories in an authentic and positive way while raising awareness about issues and successes. For more information, visit the Ohio DD Council's website.

This project is supported, in part by the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council, under a grant from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects with government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official ACL policy.

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