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Hundreds of Oklahomans are set to attend the 2024 People with Disabilities Awareness Day on March 5.
This year’s PWDAD, which is hosted by DRS, is marking its 30th year. Those attending the event should eat before attending.
PWDAD will be held from noon to 4:30 p.m. at the Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, Oklahoma City. The event is open to the public, and people are encouraged to wear green to show support.
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The Oklahoma Rehabilitation Council is making it possible for everyone in attendance to go through the history center’s galleries for free.
People with Disabilities Awareness Day is an opportunity for Oklahomans with disabilities to engage lawmakers and share their personal stories about what services are helping them live independent lives and pursue careers. This year, participants are encouraged to visit the event website at www.okdrs.gov/pwdad/registration, and register. Facebook users can stay up to date by visiting the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services Facebook page. When posting on social media, participants are asked to use #PWDAD2024.
This year’s event will feature Navilens signage for the first time. The signage allows attendees who are visually impaired to use their cell phone to scan codes, giving them enhanced information about the event, vendors and scheduled events. The codes are also easier to scan than traditional QR codes.
The 2024 event will include the honoring of 11 individuals. Some have received services from DRS and have excelled at pursuing goals such as education, training, independent living and obtaining employment. Others have worked to assist Oklahomans with disabilities or demonstrated excellence in reporting on the journeys of Oklahomans with disabilities.
Award winners include:
- Vocational Rehabilitation Client of the Year – Ethan Smith
- Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired Client of the Year – Elmer Norton
- Oklahoma School for the Blind Student of the Year – Emileigh Jackson
- Oklahoma School for the Deaf Student of the Year – Riley Newell
- Business of the Year – CVS
- State Agency Partner of the Year – Department of Human Services, Development Disability Services
- Workforce Partner of the Year – Central Oklahoma Workforce Innovation Board
- Communications Award – KOCO News 5 Morning Show
- Senator of the Year – Senator Julia Kirt, D-Oklahoma City
- Representative of the Year – State Representative Mark Lawson, R-Sapulpa
- Lifetime Achievement Award - Lynn Cragg, Oklahoma School for the Blind.
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Next week's Peoples with Disabilities Awareness Day 2024 will feature Navilens signage for the first time.
The signage at the event on March 5 will allow visually impaired attendees to use their cell phones to scan codes, giving them enhanced information about the event, vendors and scheduled events. The codes are also easier to scan than traditional QR codes.
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Oklahoma’s People with Disabilities Awareness Day 2024 is eight days away, and T-shirts are available to order to wear at the event.
It is too late to order to receive by mail, but they can still ordered until March 4 for in store pickup.
Three different T-shirt designs are available in the store. Two designs celebrate PWDAD, and one commemorates DRS’ 30th anniversary as an independent agency.
The 2023 DRS Annual Report is available and is being distributed to lawmakers, agency partners and disability groups across the state.
The 24-page report puts the agency’s performance in the spotlight including relating stories of how our work has changed lives and put Oklahomans with disabilities back to work.
Throughout the brochure, QR codes are included that take readers either to additional information about agency services or online videos where agency clients tell their stories.
The annual report can be found at our website.
Marqueta Culver was recognized for 30 years at DRS during the Commission meeting.
She has worked for Oklahoma School for the Blind since January of 1994. She began as an administrative technician and worked her way up to human resources management specialist. She and her husband, Brian Culver, who is the construction/maintenance administrator at the school, are true assets to OSB and DRS.
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:
OSB – Nursing Service Supervisor Linda Milton began the new job on Jan. 22.
OSD – Manual Sign Language Specialist Jennifer McCall began the new job on Jan. 8.
OSD – Teaching Assistant Allyssa Sievert began the new job on Jan. 1.
OSD – Direct Care Specialist Carlos Lopez began the new job on Jan. 8.
OSD – Direct Care Specialist Peyton Scott began the new job on Jan. 8.
VR - Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist Michael Lopez began the new job on Jan. 1.
VR - Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist Traci Watson began the new job on Jan. 2.
SBVI - Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist Kaitlyn Evans began the new job on Jan. 3.
SBVI - Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist Hailey Bailey began the new job on Jan. 2.
SBVI - Vending Machine Technician Ryan Sissom began the new job on Jan. 2.
SBVI - Vending Operations Manager Megan Ketch began the new job on Jan. 2.
SBVI - Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist Kim Lane began the new job on Jan. 4.
Taken from submitted Client Success story
Bartlesville’s Suzanne Smith received services for DRS to that allowed her to lead an independent life and navigate a new city.
Smith’s disabilities include macular degeneration and glaucoma.
Services she received from DRS included training/education; counseling and guidance; telecommunications and adaptive equipment; information and referral; independent living services; library for the blind services; Braille skills and orientation and mobility skills.
Smith wrote that Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired staff “helped to orient (me) to a new state, town and disability level. SBVI has allowed me to get in touch with organizations such as the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Wahzahze Health Center, local eye doctors and much more.”
Smith cited Rehabilitation of the Blind specialists Jenifer Harris, Debra Eagle and Jane Lansaw as staff that helped change her life.
OLBPH earns national honor
From the DRS News Archives
Courtesy KOCO
Dated Aug. 24, 2020
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped is the most recent recipient of the National Regional Library of the Year Award.
“We provide accessible audiobooks for people that are blind, visually impaired or have other physical limitations that prohibit them from reading a book – like being able to hold a book, turn a page, that sort of thing,” Library Director Kevin Treese said.
The award is handed out by the Library of Congress’ National Library Service for the Blind. The library in Oklahoma City might sound brand new to some, but it has been serving people for quite some time.
“What people don’t know, the rich history this program has been available since 1931,” Treese said.
The library offers some 36,000 titles and a fleet of staff waiting to help you find your next good read.
“We have, what we call, read advisers who are master-degree librarians. They interact with our patrons,” Treese said.
The people might be local, but the resources come from the National Library Service in Washington, D.C. And while the word "blind" might be in the title, the library’s services are there for anyone who needs them.
“If you struggle to read a newspaper, with corrected vision, then we’re here to help you out,” Treese said.
Anyone who wants more information about the Oklahoma Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped or is in need of free audio or Braille books can visit the library’s website here.
Branding for any business or agency requires consistency.
One area where that consistency is needed is in our email signatures.
If you are new to DRS or want to make sure your email signature is in compliance, go to our handy email signature tips guide.
There are some advantages to be a state employee. Most notably, it can translate into some discount when shopping or seeking services.
Click here to learn more about available discounts.
 Riddle Me This: After the storm
This edition's question:
I am a bow that can’t be tied.
What am I?
Answer:
???
Send us your answer
Last edition's question:
What connects two people yet touches only one?
Answer:
A wedding ring
Those getting right included:
1. Kristy O’Neal-Nelms
2. Debbie Bothroyd
3. Renee Skocdopole
4. Bernadette Ishmael
5. Laura Prater
6. Dayna Jarman
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