 
People with Disabilities Awareness Day has arrived.
Ten individuals and groups will be honored today as part of the event, which is being held at the Oklahoma History Center, 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, in Oklahoma City, from noon to 4:30 p.m. The event is open to the public.
Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services hosts the event, which brings hundreds of people with disabilities, their families and their supporters together. The event, which is marking its 32nd year, will be held at the Oklahoma History Center.
Some of those being honored 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 or demonstrated excellence in reporting on the journeys of Oklahomans with disabilities.
Those receiving People with Disabilities Awareness Day awards include:
- Vocational Rehabilitation Client of the Year Award: Evan Dozier of McAlester.
- Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired Client of the Year Award: Stefany Folger of Ardmore.
- Oklahoma School for the Blind Student of the Year Award: Stephanie Glynn of Berryhill.
- Oklahoma School for the Dead Student of the Year Award: Marcella Sankey of El Reno.
- Workforce Partner of the Year Award: Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.
- Excellence in Communications Award: OETA.
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Rod VanStavern of Yukon.
- Business of the Year Award: Choctaw Nation.
- Vocational Rehabilitation Transition Client of the Year: Addie Trout of Edmond.
- Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired Transition Client of the Year: Kyler Harrington of McAlester.
A special musical performance will be held at 1 p.m. inside the history center’s Chesapeake Event Center by students from the Oklahoma School for the Blind and the Oklahoma School for the Deaf.
 Pregnant workers have rights under a recent law
About a week ago, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued a press release announcing they had reached a $90,000 settlement with an Oklahoma medical practice, Urologic Specialists of Oklahoma, Inc., based on a lawsuit alleging pregnancy and disability discrimination.
The allegations concerned an employee who was in the eighth month of a high-risk pregnancy. The employee at their Tulsa facility received recommendations from her doctor to sit, take short breaks or work part-time during the last month of her pregnancy. She informed her employer of her medical needs and asked for these accommodations.
Instead of allowing these requested accommodations, the employer forced her to take unpaid leave, refused to guarantee her job when she returned after the birth of the child and refused to guarantee she would be provided with breaks for her to express breast milk.
Those of you familiar with the provisions of the Pregnant Worker Fairness Act, for which final regulations were released on April 15, 2025, and the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections Act, from 2022, will realize this employer was not complying with these laws.
In addition, it is entirely possible Urologic Specialists may have violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. Although normal pregnancies are not covered as disabilities under the ADA, there are certain pregnancy-related conditions which are. The press release for the settlement agreement does not highlight why this pregnancy was classified as “high-risk.” However, the release mentions possible disability discrimination so it is likely there was a qualifying condition of some kind.
The PWFA adopted the reasonable accommodation framework of the ADA. One of the expressly forbidden actions an employer can take under the law is to “require a qualified employee to take leave, whether paid or unpaid, if another reasonable accommodation can be provided…” The Pump Act requires employers “to provide a reasonable amount of break time and a space to express milk...”
This employer denied their pregnant employee the rights afforded to them by federal law by refusing to make reasonable accommodations under three different laws. For that, they ended up paying at least $90,000.
This is not the only instance of an employer failing compliance with the PWFA. I had somebody call me about pregnancy accommodations after I started writing this article. It seems these newer laws have found employers unaware of what they need to do.
If you have a pregnant or nursing employee, or if you are pregnant or nursing, you can find out more about your rights by contacting our HR specialists or the EEOC. Above all, be sure to engage in the interactive process to work together to find solutions.
 New faces, new jobs as of February 28
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.
New hires or new jobs:
EXEC – Program/Project Coordinator Calista Heard began the new job on Feb. 11.
MSD – Human Resources Management Specialist Tamika Washington began the new job on Feb. 11.
OSD – Direct Care Specialist Wayne Taliaferro began the new job on Feb. 2.
VR – Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist Delonia Lowe began the new job on Feb. 17.
VR – Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist April Morrow began the new job on Feb. 2.
SBVI – Rehabilitation Technician Angela Riggs began the new job on Feb. 2.
 Riddle Me This: Bringing it together
Today's question:
I have pointed fangs, and I sit and wait. I have piercing force, and I crunch with weight. I grab my victims, but they do not fight. I join them each with a single, quick bite. What am I?
Answer:
???
Click here to send your answer to us
Last edition's question:
What 2 things can you never eat for breakfast?
The answer:
Lunch and dinner.
Those getting it right included:
- David Unklesbay
- Tammy Randles
- Robbe LaMunyon
- Kristy O’Neal-Nelms
- Debra Eagle
- Gayle Lee
- Stephanie Monroe
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