ENID – Employment is the primary goal for Kristi Bingham from Enid, who was recently named official spokesperson for 2024 DeafBlind Awareness Week in Oklahoma.
Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired and their DeafBlind Services staff selected Bingham for the honor which celebrates the life of American author, lecturer and humanitarian Hellen Keller who was born June 27, 1880.
“I’ve been a client off and on throughout life and familiar with it since I was in high school,” Bingham said. “My goal is to go back to work and be able to enjoy working. I’m looking forward to getting a job so I will have more income and not having to struggle every day.”
Bingham was born In Enid in 1975 with cataracts that blinded her right eye and left some vision in her left eye. She developed childhood glaucoma by age 4 and totally lost vision in both eyes by age 15.
“I started learning Braille at Oklahoma School for the Blind at age 4,” Bingham said.
She later finished Braille training as the first student in a pilot program at Enid High School in 1991.
“I lost 50 percent of my hearing in 2014 or 2015 in a work-related accident,” Bingham said.
Bingham travels with her black Labrador dog guide Derek who was trained by Guiding Eyes for the Blind in New York.
“Derek is an asset because having him gives me a greater sense of independence and freedom,” Bingham said.
DeafBlind Services Program Specialist Kelley Gutierrez provides Bingham with guidance and counseling. Bingham receives job search assistance and has gotten a professional clothing voucher.
SBVI purchased hearing aids and a laptop for Bingham with a cordless keyboard, touch screen and JAWS software in addition to JAWS, which stands for Job Access with Speech. This screen reader provides speech and Braille output for computer users who cannot see screen content or navigate with a mouse.
She previously worked with SBVI counselor Sandy Evans to accomplish her employment goals.
Debi Trout, an SBVI Orientation and Mobility Specialist, assisted Bingham in updating her mobility cane skills.
Rehabilitation Teacher Deitra Woody, who is now a SBVI counselor, provided independent living skills training.
Tanya Skelly was Bingham’s assistive technology specialist.
SBVI also paid for Bingham to receive specialized training at the Helen Keller National Center in Sands Point, New York from October 2022 through November 2023. The center is the only comprehensive national program in the U.S. exclusively for youth and adults who are DeafBlind.
HKNC evaluated Bingham’s independent living, orientation and mobility, vocational, technology and American Sign Language skills and developed a customized training program in 13-week increments that focused on goals for needed improvement. The center assisted her with job search immersion rather than periodic training so Bingham could develop faster.
“Kristi did reception work at HKNC,” Gutierrez said.” Everyone talked about what a good phone voice she had. She is pleasant. Even though she doesn’t see, she observes things and is aware of the situation around her. She has a good memory and can recall conversations and details.”
The dream job Bingham trained for and seeks will enable her to continue serving others.
“I want to be able to help people when they need it and love to be around people – maybe as an Oklahoma School for the Blind dorm parent or at a hospital,” she said.
At Helen Keller National Center, Bingham helped a young participant with vision, hearing loss and Charge Syndrome, a rare disorder that affects multiple organ systems.
“She had an outburst and spiraled out of control, but I was able to talk with her and calm her down,” Bingham said. “If I could help her, then that was what I was going to do. There were a number of times I had to do that (with others) over the years.”
“If I ran into somebody who was losing their sight and didn’t know where to turn, I would steer them toward their local (Department of) Rehabilitation Services and let them know there are so many opportunities and options for whatever they need,” Bingham said.
In addition to her job search, Bingham enjoys spending time with friend John Moe, swimming and riding horses. Her latest project is growing a garden with tomato plants, squash and strawberries.
SBVI will host a DeafBlind resource fair from 1-4 p.m. on June 27 to celebrate Keller’s birthday. The public is invited to the free event at Metro Tech’s Springlake Campus at 1900 Springlake Drive in Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City’s EMBARK bus on Route 22 goes every 30 minutes during the day to Metro Tech Springlake Campus. For safety reasons, SBVI advises riders to ride past Metro Tech and get off once the bus turns around to avoid crossing the street. EMBARK’s Route 22 map is available at:
https://www.embarkok.com/assets/documents/Maps-Schedules/Route-022-Schedule-Map.pdf.
“Events like our resource fair help DeafBlind people build connections, learning something new or possibly find a new product that could change their lives,” Gutierrez said.
For more information about the resource fair or DeafBlind Services, phone 580-447-3083 or kgutierrez@okdrs.gov.
OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services reopened job preparation and employment services for a category of jobseekers with significant disabilities known as priority group 2, effective June 17.
Rehabilitation counselors and technicians from DRS’ two employment divisions, Vocational Rehabilitation and Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, will begin immediately serving jobseekers transferred from the waiting list.
DRS previously reopened services to priority group 1 applicants with the most significant disabilities on February 15, 2023.
The agency must continue to defer services to applicants with disabilities in priority group 3, which includes people determined not to have significant disabilities.
Only new applicants are affected by waiting lists. Current clients will continue to be served at the same levels
These wait lists began in 2017 due to budget restrictions. Then unprecedented changes brought about by the COVID shutdowns extended the length of time the waitlists were in place.
Since July 12, 2017, DRS has moved 24,301 applicants from waiting lists to active caseloads.
“As the economic chaos from COVID resides, resources are returning to allow DRS to fully serve job seekers with significant disabilities,” Fruendt explained “Sufficient funding is available for the current year and although we have staff vacancies, our analysis shows that we can absorb the influx of new clients into existing caseloads.”
DRS contracts with vendors across the state to provide clients with goods and services managed by staff to help job seekers with disabilities reach their employment goals. .
DRS earns approximately four federal matching dollars for every state dollar appropriated for VR and SBVI employment programs.
To reach the nearest DRS Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired or Vocational Rehabilitation office, visit https://oklahoma.gov/okdrs/information/office-locator.html or phone 800-487-4042.
In 2023, DRS’ Vocational Rehabilitation and Visual Services divisions provided counseling, medical and psychological services, training, job placement assistance and other services to 13,363 job seekers with disabilities.
DRS 2023 Annual Report shows that 1,055 VR and SBVI clients became employed taxpayers and no longer needed DRS services. These members of the workforce earned annual average wages of $28,414 and paid annual average taxes of $4,262.
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma House of Representatives Speaker Charles McCall has appointed healthcare professional and community leader Kelsey Lee to serve on the Oklahoma Commission for Rehabilitation Services.
The Commission is the governing board for the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services. The agency served 96,178 Oklahomans with disabilities through 25 major programs in 2023.
Lee was introduced at her first Commission meeting on May 15 by Acting Commission Chair Theresa Flannery.
Lee is employed as the chief operating officer of family-owned Sooner Pharmacy in Davis, which has served the community for 40 years. Her employment tenure there totals 17 years.
As a member of the Oklahoma Pharmacists Association, Lee has championed advocacy and enhancement within the pharmacy sector, and fostered improved healthcare outcomes for Oklahoma citizens
She is president of Sara’s Project, a child advocacy center serving five counties in southern Oklahoma.
Lee holds influential offices as president of the Davis Chamber of Commerce and the Davis Alumni Association.
She is secretary for both the Murray County Development Authority and Leadership Murray County where she contributes to strategic planning and execution of initiatives.
Lee was honored as Davis Citizen of The Year and Murray County Leader of The Year in 2023.
As a student at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, she earned a Bachelor Business Administration, graduating Magna Cum Laude, and completed a Master of Business Administration, graduating in three semesters while working full time.
Lee is a graduate of Davis High School.
“We are delighted to have Commissioner Lee join the governing board,” Commissioner Flannery said. “She combines impressive expertise in business and healthcare with an commitment to community service and positive change.”
“My heart is dedicated to serving others,” Lee said. “I hate seeing people in need or someone that I could help. We all need help at times in life. If there’s something I can do, why wouldn’t I at least try to make a difference?”
Four new Transition brochures will be available for ordering from the DRS brochure order form once current brochure stocks for each are depleted.
The brochures can be reviewed at our website.
 From left, Commissioner Theresa Flannery, Lisa Smith, Commissioner Janet Barresi and Commissioner Kelsey Lee.
DRS’ Lisa Smith was honored recently at the Commission for Rehabilitation Services meeting for 30 years of service to the state of Oklahoma.
Smith works at VR 42 in Poteau as a rehabilitation technician.
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:
Exec. – Executive Administrative Assistant Misty Simmons began the new job on May 13.
FSD – Accountant Ulysses Ramirez began the new job on May 21.
OSB – Teacher Rachel Butler began the new job on May 1.
OSB – Licensed Practical Nurse Kimberley Howell began the new job on May 1.
OSD – Administrative Assistant Derrel Reaves began the new job on May 1.
VR – Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist Keyine Rucker began the new job on May 20.
VR – Business Services Liaison Lora Williams began the new job on May 1.
VR – Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist Courtney Jennings began the new job on May 1.
SBVI – Administrative Assistant Emilie Stufflebeam began the new job on May 20.
SBVI – Rehabilitation Technician Kelly Peterson began the new job on May 2.
 Tallon honored with Director's Ceritifcate
DRS' Communications Manager Dana Tallon received a Director's Certificate at the Commission meeting.
Tallon was recognized for all of her work in transitioning the DRS main website, as well as the Oklahoma Library for the Blind website, to a new software platform. The website had previously used the Drupal content management system, but state leaders chose to move away from the platform.
Once Communications staff were made aware of this decision, staff worked with OMES to start the transition to the Adobe Experience Manager platform. With a July 1 deadline, the large project required a large amount of work in a short time. The team consistently had multiple meetings during the weeks leading up to the Go Live date. Tallon never missed one and worked with the OMES technicians and outside vendors to ensure the transition was seamless.
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