Work with someone who is going above and beyond to serve our clients, students and Oklahoma taxpayers?
You can honor them by nominating them for Oklahoma Commission for Rehabilitation Services Award. The award recognizes outstanding job performance and productivity within the State Department of Rehabilitation Services.
Go to the nominating form to begin the process. Nominations close Nov. 1.
DRS staff, friends, family and partners will celebrates the 30th anniversary of the agency from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 17 in the parking lot at the state office.
The theme is “Come Home to DRS: Celebrating 30 Years of Service to Extraordinary People.”
DRS staff and event partners Oklahoma Rehabilitation Council and Oklahoma ABLE Tech have combined plans for carnival games and information about DRS’ programs with food trucks and entertainment.
Program highlights include messages from Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, Secretary of Human Services Executive Director Deborah Shropshire, DRS Executive Director Melinda Fruendt, DHS Hope Ambassador Tammy Williams and performances by OSB Jazz Band and OSD cheerleaders.
DRS became a standalone agency on July 1,1993 when then Gov. David Walters signed Senate Bill 356, establishing DRS. It was formally part of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. Thirty years later, DRS continues to make a difference in a client’s life while building state’s workforce stronger.
Staff can go to the registration page to reserve their spot at the event.
Also, a special shirt was designed to celebrate the event. You are unlikely to receive the shirt before the event.
First person to correctly identify the people in the photo below will receive a $10 Braum's gift card. Good luck!
 Commission Assistant Larry Bishop proposes to Services to the Deaf Specialist Traci Prince in a skit during a Deaf Awareness Week performance in American Sign Language at the Oklahoma State Fair. Traci has worked for DRS for 25 years, 8 years at Vocational Rehabilitation Services to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and 17 years at Oklahoma School for the Deaf. She is currently OSD director of outreach and will retire on September 1.
As many of you are probably aware, October of every year is celebrated as National Disability Employment Awareness Month. This year, there seems to be some things that can truly be celebrated.
After the challenges of the pandemic, employment in the United States has rebounded. In August 2023, the employment-to-population ratio, a statistic that measures the civilian labor force currently employed against the total working-age population of the country, rose to 60.4 %, almost back to the pre-pandemic level of 61.1% in February 2020.
More importantly, for our purposes, the employment-to-population ratio of people with disabilities in August was 37.9%, significantly higher than its February 2020 rate of 31.7%. This is its highest rate since the Bureau of Labor Statistics started to collect this data. It’s important to note the employment-to-population ratio of people without disabilities was 75.5% in August so a sizeable employment gap remains between the two groups, although the gap has been shrinking post-pandemic.
Breaking down the numbers a little further, and looking at the employment-to-population ratios of different age groups of people with disabilities in the first full year since lockdown, from April to March, the group of individuals from 16 to 24 had a ratio of 35%, those from 25 to 34 were at 49%, individuals from 25 to 44 were at 43.1%, those from 45 to 54 were at 37%, and individuals from 55 to 64 were at 27.5%.
These are quite encouraging numbers, but a necessary caveat must be made here. It appears rates of disability prevalence are also on the rise. Disability prevalence is a statistic which measures the number of individuals who self-identify as having a disability. Are more individuals now disclosing disabilities that they had not disclosed before? Are such disclosures driving up the employment-to-population ratio? This might be responsible for some of the higher ratios we’re seeing but likely doesn’t explain all the increase.
Regardless of the reasons for this increase, the purpose of DRS is to do our best to contribute to further increases in this ratio. To that end, there are some resources available to help us complete our mission.
First, the ADA National Network has organized some of its material into a webpage called the “Employment Resource Hub.” It contains links to various FAQs, step-by-step guides, and other information. It’s worth a visit to learn how to better prepare our consumers for things they will encounter in the hiring process and on the job.
Second, the Center for Research on Disability does a monthly Lunch & Learn Webinar Series presented by their National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) team. On the first Friday of every month, after the Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report is released, they dig into and explain the numbers, like those included in this article, and host speakers to talk about the real-life implications. I have found these sessions to be very instructive in many ways.
For DRS, every month is about disability employment, but the National Disability Employment Awareness Month gives us an excellent opportunity to highlight disability employment to other organizations and people who are not as focused on this objective.
David Hankinson did a great job doing a series of interviews regarding the recent Deaf Awareness Week. Interviews done with media outlets included with KSWO TV in Lawton, KJRH TV in Tulsa, KOCO TV in Oklahoma City and with the Oklahoma Voice. Pictured above is Hankinson with KOCO Anchor Shelby Cashman.
Connor State student Cole Denney was paired with OSB's Macey Millar.
Students from the Oklahoma School for the Blind spent Sept. 27 in Haskell for their annual Western Heritage Day.
The students were paired with college students from Connors State while they enjoyed a taste of the Wild West.
Here are some photos from the event.
  Connors State College volunteers (from left) Tess Mortenson, Judy Roberts-McNeely and, Madison Miller help Oklahoma School for the Blind student Genevieve Owens get ready to ride the stagecoach at the 2022 Western Heritage Day at the Silver Spur Western Lodge in Haskell.
From a submitted DRS Client Success story
Ada’s Christian Maloy, who has a psychosocial disability, received services from DRS, allowing him to get a college education and a career.
Maloy received services including training, job readiness training, counseling, guidance, job placement and information and referrals.
“DRS in Ada has helped me in many ways to get my college degree and then getting a good job,” Maloy wrote. “My counselor McKenzie (Ramer) was easy to get in touch with and was always very supportive.”
Do you have a former client that is building a life of independence?
We want to share their stories with DRS Commissioners and in the DRS Annual Report.
Email Brett Jones at bjones@okdrs.gov, and tell us their story.
 This Halloween take photos of your little ones dressing up for trick or treating. Then send them to us and we will celebrate them in November's first edition of Breaking Barriers. Send them to bjones@okdrs.gov.
Here are some of the new people you may meet soon at an upcoming event. Take some time to welcome the following to their new positions and see who's retired.
New hires or new jobs:
MSD – Administrative Programs Officer Kathi Brown began the new job on Sept. 11.
FSD – Accountant Christine Bray began the new job on Sept. 13.
DDS – Disability Medical Consultant Candace Byrd began the new job on Sept. 5.
DDS – Disability Medical Consultant Rhonda Johnson began the new job on Sept. 5.
DDS – Disability Medical Consultant Justin Wyckoff began the new job on Sept. 5.
OSB – Recreational Activities Specialist Jill Gill began the new job on Sept. 5.
OSB – Transportation Officer/Student Aide Jessica Eubanks began the new job on Sept. 5.
OSB – Direct Care Specialist Max Johnson began the new job on Sept. 10.
OSD – Director of Family and Early Childhood Services Lori Henson began the new job on Sept. 1.
VR – Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist Leonard Lyde began the new job on Sept. 12.
VR – Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist Lindsay Ryan began the new job on Sept. 1.
VR – Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist Shawna Brown began the new job on Sept. 1.
SBVI – Administrative Assistant Tina Joseph began the new job on Sept. 18.
SBVI – Administrative Programs Officer Lacey Downs began the new job on Sept. 18.
From October 2011
The Social Security Administration recently honored the state Rehabilitation Services Department's Disability Determination Division with several national awards.
The division received the Phoenix Award for superior staff performance, specifically for accuracy and efficiency. Scott Miller, an information technology manager, was presented a Commissioner Citation for Superior Performance. Brian Nickles, division deputy administrator, received a Deputy Commissioner Citation — Disability Program Leadership Award.
Oklahomans can sign up for weather alert emails from the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety.
To sign up, go to their web page sign up form.
It is important to stay weather aware.
Here’s a way for an email sender to avoid unwanted replies to a large group: Put your own name in the To box and list the groups in the Bcc (Blind Carbon Copy) box. If someone replies to your email, the email will come to you (not everybody who got the original message). Your co-workers will thank you!
How to set up BCC: Open a new email in Outlook. Click on the “Options” tab. Select the Bcc field in the message header. This is your “blind carbon copy” option. Now your email recipients will not see other names on the list.
This edition's question
Who makes it, has no need for it. Whoever buys it won’t use it. Who uses it, won’t care. What am I?
Answer:
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