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OFFICE OF HANDICAPPED CONCERNS
WILL'S CORNER, OKLAHOMA
(Serving the Disability Community of Oklahoma)
Volume 5, Issue 2
April, 2004
FROM THE DIRECTOR’S DESK
As the recent budget crisis the state has faced passes, we have
heard many say that state agencies must do more with less. However,
I would argue the point that state agencies must perform our tasks
efficiently to complete our mission within budget. One of the
strengths of OHC continues to be its flexibility in service
delivery. Consequently, appropriated funds to the Office of
Handicapped Concerns have been retained in areas that will promote
services to consumers. Your satisfaction is our top priority at the
Office of Handicapped Concerns. This office still maintains an
agency priority to provide accurate, up-to-date information in a
timely manner. We invite you to contact us on our website
www.ohc.state.ok.us or to use our toll-free number 800-522-8224,
405-521-3756 in the OKC metro.
Steve Stokes, Director
OHC web site:
www.ohc.state.ok.us
HOUSING BULLETIN
You are reading about it here. This is the place where the news
reaches the public for the first time. Have you ever wanted to get
some information about housing and didn’t know where to go? Do you
know your rights on housing? Have you ever wanted to know how you
would approach one of the Native American tribes for information
about housing? Have you ever wanted to know where you could go to
get a room added onto your home for a disabled family member? Give
us a call, and we’ll send you our latest state publication on
Housing—all the ins and outs of a rather complex subject which we
have tried to simplify for your benefit.
The Office of Handicapped Concerns has developed a state
publication that will answer your housing questions. This is in
keeping with the mission of this agency to provide information and
referral to citizens of Oklahoma on disability issues. There is no
doubt that affordable, accessible housing is a major concern for
Oklahomans. If you want to know about housing, we have the state
publication for you which will bring together the many sides of
this complex issue in a very readable and uncomplicated manner.
So, what kind of information can you look to receive from this new
publication? We’re going to tell you about alternative housing
options like group homes, long-term care facilities, and assisted
living facilities in Oklahoma. We’re going to tell you about
programs in Oklahoma which can help you to buy a home. We’re going
to tell you about places you can go to get help in paying your home
utility bills. And finally, we’re going to tell you about how the
law affects you in housing issues. We will include a bibliography
and helpful websites where you can get more information. To reserve
your copy, call the Office of Handicapped Concerns at 800-522-8224
statewide or 405-521-8756 in the Oklahoma City metro. (Publication
will be later this summer.) We will post the Housing Publication on
our website at www.ohc.state.ok.us for your personal printing
convenience.
HELP AMERICA VOTE ACT (HAVA)
In the October, 2003 issue of Will’s Corner, Oklahoma which was
published on the internet, we brought you some information about
the Help America Vote Act with an interview with Michael Clingman
who is the Oklahoma State Election Board Secretary. Michael
Clingman oversees federal, state, and local elections across
Oklahoma. Just to recap the highlights of that article, HAVA is
Congress’s effort to establish a uniform way to vote nationwide.
HAVA instructs states after 2007 to purchase only accessible
election systems with money provided by HAVA. It directs that by
2006 there will be at least one accessible voting machine in every
single polling place in the nation.
Michael Clingman and I discussed accessibility of polling places in
Oklahoma, and he told me that “91% of polling places in Oklahoma
are accessible.” This is based on self reporting from the local
polling places to the Oklahoma State Election Board. But, are 91%
of all polling places truly accessible to you? What is your
experience when you go to vote? How do the voters themselves
actually rate their polling places? We don’t know the answer to
that question yet, but we are going to get a chance to find out
beginning right now. Let’s see how.
A federal grant has allocated money to Oklahoma for polling place
accessibility, and our state protection and advocacy agency (the
Oklahoma Disability Law Center, Inc.) is offering you a chance to
evaluate your polling place. Are polling places accessible to
individuals with a full range of disabilities including visual
impairments, hearing impairments, and mobility impairments? Is the
privacy and independence of people with disabilities considered in
the overall voting experience? Does your precinct have a curbside
voting plan, and if so does that procedure meet your needs?
You may need a few tools to help you get some real information on
the accessibility of your polling place. Here are some helpful
things:
A copy of a survey form (There are several available.)
A writing tool
A measuring tape
A digital (or other) camera
The curbside voting plan for your polling place
Here are some things to look for at your polling place. What is the
parking situation at your polling place? Is there a ratio of 1 to
25 handicapped-accessible parking places? Are these places clearly
marked with upright signs? Is the parking place located as close as
possible to the accessible entrance? Parking is very important to
people with disabilities who may find it difficult to walk long
distances.
How is the exterior route of the polling place from the parking lot
to the entrance? Is it clearly marked pointing the way to an
accessible entrance? Are signs legible to persons with limited
vision? If curbs and stairs are present, are there also curb cuts
and ramps to assist the person with mobility impairments? Is the
exterior route on level and stable ground free of obstacles? These
are some things to think about.
Is there an entrance which is accessible to people with
disabilities? Is the exterior door opened with a lever or loop-type
handle to help people who have difficulty grasping? Is the handle
mounted low enough to permit access to a person with a wheelchair?
Are entrance thresholds raised which would make it difficult for a
person in a wheelchair to pass through? If you can’t get into the
building, you’re not going to be able to vote (unless you vote
absentee or curbside).
Is there at least one voting booth accessible for people with
disabilities designated by proper signage? Is there a shelf in this
voting booth at a lower level to permit individuals in a wheelchair
opportunity to vote? Is each voting booth well lighted? Is the
accessible voting booth between 60 and 66 in deep, that is, between
60 and 66 inches front to back? These are some considerations for
people with disabilities.
Do you have proper curbside voting in place? Do you have a poll
worker stationed at or near the curbside voting area at all times?
How are poll workers notified upon arrival of the voter needing
curbside assistance? Polling places may literally be an obstacle
course for an individual with disabilities, and many times the
individual just gives up because casting their ballot is so
difficult. Election officials will sometimes suggest you vote
absentee and will give you the information on how to do this.
Sometimes they will suggest that you can choose to vote at the
county election board which is usually more accessible to people
with disabilities. But shouldn’t we also have the right to vote in
the designated polling place for everybody in our precinct? Is it
really true that 91% of our polling places in Oklahoma are
accessible? What do you have to say about your polling place?
You may need to get a polling place accessibility survey form from
the Oklahoma Disability Law Center. To do this, you may contact
Melissa Sublet at 918-743-6220 or 800-226-5883. You may also
download a more extensive polling place accessibility survey form
from the U.S. Department of Justice website www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/votingscrn.pdf.
Remember that you will need some simple tools and information for
the survey form. Taking pictures at your polling place will help to
document accessible and inaccessible features. You may email
digital photos to odlcokc@flash.net. You may send your completed
survey forms and photos to:
Oklahoma Disability Law Center, Inc.
ATTN: HAVA Coordinator
2915 Classen Blvd., Suite 300
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73106
It is good to be able to actually do something to improve your
life. This accessibility survey may be a positive action that
empowers us to take control of our lives. Improving our ability to
vote will improve our collective voice in society. With the
valuable information which you collect from polling places all over
Oklahoma, the Disability Law Center will be able to better advocate
for your needs.
P.S. When we look for problems, it is also good to look for
solutions. There is a good website at www.inclusions.com which
offers lots of ideas for improving accessibility in a variety of
settings. If you have computer access, you may explore this website
for more information.
SOME PROPOSED OKLAHOMA LEGISLATION
Affecting Individuals with Disabilities
The second half of the 49th Oklahoma Legislature has been in
session since February 2 when Governor Brad Henry gave his State of
the State speech to the joint session. A number of bills appear to
impact individuals with disabilities. Let’s look at a few of these:
Senior Citizens
HB 1818—An act relating to appropriations for nutrition programs
for senior citizens.
Parity
HB 1835—Establishes the Oklahoma Task Force to eliminate health
disparities.
Handicapped Parking
HB 1890—Allows certain disabled veteran plates to use handicapped
parking.
Compliance
HB 2197—Assures state government compliance with accessibility
laws.
Department of Public Safety
HB 2265—Modifies provisions for motor vehicles.
Consumer Directed Services
HB 2300—Creates consumer-directed services to Medicaid-eligible
people with disabilities in order for them to live in the
community.
City Ordinances
HB 2637—Authorizes municipalities to define what type of motorized
vehicles will use city streets as long as such ordinances are not
inconsistent with state law.
Tax Credits
HB 2659—Allows tax credits to families on expenses for children
with disabilities.
Golf Carts
SB 884—Authorizes golf carts and all-terrain vehicles to be
operated on city streets.
Handicapped Parking
SB 899—Authorizes issuing disability placards by certain nurse
practitioners.
Service Animals
SB 1402—Prohibits harming or killing service dogs used for the
benefit of people with disabilities.
Information and Referral
SB 1405—Creates a statewide 2-1-1 helpline for information and
referral on disability issues.
Golf Carts
SB 1461—Authorizes the operation of golf carts on city streets
under certain conditions.
Golf Carts
SB 1493—Requires the Department of Transportation and Oklahoma
Transportation Authority to erect certain signage under certain
conditions permitting the operation of golf carts on streets.
These are some bills up for consideration this legislative session
which may be of interest to you. These legislative bills are still
alive as of the printing of this newsletter. If you have access to
a computer, you may track these bills and all other proposed state
legislation at www.lsb.state.ok.us. You may also contact your state
legislators with your opinions on these bills and any proposed
state legislation. Remember, if you don’t know who your legislators
are, contact the County Election Board of the county in which you
reside, and they will provide you with legislators’ names and
contact information.
Quote:
“Start by doing what’s necessary, and then do what is possible.
Suddenly, you are doing the impossible.” St. Francis of Assisi
COMMUNITY INCLUSION (A New Traffic Signal)
All of us with disabilities are seeking a better quality of life
for ourselves. For many of us that better quality of life is to be
found in the community. In the Olmstead Supreme Court decision a
few years ago, the court made that point and ruled in favor of two
women with disabilities in the state of Georgia who were seeking
services in the community rather than in an institution. The
problem comes that the community has not been used to serving large
numbers of people with disabilities and the structure is not always
in place to make it possible for people with disabilities to access
the services they need.
There is a new traffic signal out there now which has the potential
to promote integration of people with disabilities into the
community. It is called the Lewis Disability Signal Lens, and it is
being tested at 5301 N. Meridian Avenue in Oklahoma City in an area
with a high density of citizens with disabilities. Basically, the
lens is a typical traffic light which has the universal symbol of
disability, wheelchair Charlie, embedded in the light. The purpose
of this light is to make motor vehicle operators aware of the
presence of persons with disability in a traffic area. It can be
used at a pedestrian crosswalk or at an intersection. The light can
be activated by pushing a button, or it can be voice activated for
a person who does not have use of their hands. This device will
allow people with disabilities to feel safe on the streets of our
community.
The Disability Signal Lens can be used in areas of high pedestrian
usage or in places which have only an occasional pedestrian. Some
areas where this device could be of particular service are near
hospitals, shopping malls, grocery stores, schools, and
entertainment and recreation settings. People with disabilities
hesitate to walk or use their wheelchairs because they know their
reflexes are slower. They feel unsafe crossing streets and
intersections. Of course, pedestrians anywhere may feel unsafe in a
society so geared to the automobile. The Disability Signal Lens
could increase safety for all by signaling caution and allowing a
longer “walk” period for the pedestrian at an intersection.
There are two models of the lens. One has a single flashing amber
traffic light with wheelchair Charlie above a yellow sign of an
individual crossing a traffic area. This could be used at any
crosswalk. The other model would be a red light with wheelchair
Charlie attached to the traditional traffic light at an
intersection. Both models would permit an individual with a
disability to cross traffic areas safely. The National Safety
Council reports that there are 77,000 incidents each year where a
pedestrian is hit by a motor vehicle. Of that number, 22,000
resulted in death. The chances for a person with disabilities to be
in one of these pedestrian accidents are much higher than the
general population.
The Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Oklahoma City Community
Foundation, and Oklahoma ABLE Tech have publicly supported this
Disability Signal Lens as standard traffic signage. Demetris Lewis,
the Oklahoma inventor of this device, believes that it will promote
implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. (The ADA is
the civil rights law for people with disabilities and was signed by
the first President Bush on July 26, 1990.)
Demetris says, “This lens will help to implement the ADA in our
society by giving people with disabilities equal opportunity to get
out in the community with the able-bodied population.” Lenses could
be placed on the back of school buses to alert motorists that
children with disabilities would be exiting the bus. It’s all about
providing safety for people with disabilities to access their
communities.
Safety is a subject of interest to us all. You may also want to
discuss pedestrian safety for people with disabilities with city
traffic engineers or school officials in your community. As more
people with disabilities choose to live, work, shop, and recreate
in the community rather than an institution, we all need to look at
inclusion and integration. What kind of infrastructure will promote
this goal?
THE FUTURE OF KIDS
What is the future of kids with disabilities? Did you ever think
about that? Is the best they can ever hope for a life of quiet
desperation? Do kids with disabilities have anything to contribute?
What happens when they “graduate” from the public school? We didn’t
used to even ask questions like that. We have opened our schools to
kids with disabilities for more than 25 years now, but in reality
we have not held any high hopes for them. In the past students with
disabilities have been shuffled through school without fitting in
anywhere and without expectations of success when they complete
high school. Now we’re beginning to break out of the despair of a
meaningless future. We are seeking public support for kids with
disabilities. Low expectations are not enough. Let’s explore the
winds of change in Oklahoma.
Last issue of Will’s Corner, Oklahoma we talked with Lathonya
Shivers of the Developmental Disabilities Council in Oklahoma City
about their new Youth Leadership Forum which will hold its first
forum this coming June 21-25. This Forum is encouraging high school
students in special education to consider their plans for the
future. In the February, 2003 issue of Will’s Corner, Oklahoma we
brought you information about the wonderful things the Yukon Public
Schools were doing to transition students in special education into
a meaningful world of work beyond their educational years. Now
let’s look at the Tech-Now project.
Tech-Now is a project funded by the Oklahoma Developmental
Disabilities Council and the U.S. Department of Labor to encourage
students with disabilities to think about their future. Tech-Now is
in several schools in the Oklahoma City metro as well as in places
like Cache and Clinton, Oklahoma. It begins to work with students
as early as the 8th grade as an after-school program. Yes, you
heard me. Students are so excited about Tech-Now that they
volunteer to stay after school and sometimes the week-long summer
program held at the University of Central Oklahoma.
What do they do? First students research into a career which
interests them. What education, training, and experience does that
field require? Students are encouraged to be future oriented and to
think about what they are going to do when they get out of school.
Then they get some skills which will help them do some of the
research and learn how to work up a project about the career they
have chosen.
Students work on all kinds of projects which reflect information
about the career that interests them. One student chose to make a
video with sound and pictures of the Oklahoma City bombing. In the
video we see a series of pictures of the devastation in both
Oklahoma City and the World Trade Center in New York with an
overlay of voice and music used to explain the career of a rescue
worker. That particular project won a first place in student
competition. Not only did it win a first place, it inspired a young
man who had remained pretty much by himself to work with others and
develop leadership and problem-solving capabilities.
When students get excited about school, lots of other good things
follow. Parents get excited. Agencies get excited. Government gets
excited. The Governor’s Committee on the Employment of People with
Disabilities sponsored an awards ceremony held in the Blue Room of
the State Capitol on April 7 to honor students from the Tech-Now
project. Parents were eagerly calling to ask who they could invite
to see their child receive an award. Legislators were arranging
their schedules to attend. Beaming students who had never dreamed
of any future for themselves received encouragement. Their elders
said, “We believe in you.” This is the message we want to get out
to students with disabilities. You have something to contribute,
and we want to help you find out just what your gift is.
If you are a student, a family member, a special education teacher
or a school administrator, you may be interested in having the
Tech-Now program in your school. Tech-Now can pay for computers and
teacher time for the after-school program. Schools pay for
classroom space and transportation to on-site visits when students
visit businesses in the community. Contact Rick DeRenneaux at
405-499-4611 for more information. Tech-Now reduces the drop out
rate in special education. Students gain self esteem and
problem-solving abilities as they seriously plan for their future.
Yes, kids have a future ...Kids are the future.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
May 12-14, 2004 35th Annual Special Olympics Summer Games,
Stillwater on O.S.U. campus, attend or volunteer, contact
918-481-1234 or www.sook.org.
May 15, 2004 Heartland Council of the Blind will offer a workshop
on coping with vision loss at the Library for the Blind (300 N.E.
18th Street in OKC), contact Vicky Golightly at 405-524-6227.
(Registration limited to 50.)
May 20-22 NAMI (National Association for the Mentally Ill) will
sponsor Oklahoma’s 17th Annual State Conference entitled, Recovery,
the Big Picture at the Clarion Meridian Hotel in OKC. Call
800-583-1264 for more information.
June 11, 12, 13, 2004 Endeavor Games at U.C.O. in Edmond, Oklahoma
(Last year they had 270 athletes from 26 states and 2 foreign
countries, events for athletes in a wheelchair, amputees, blind, or
with cerebral palsy.) Contact Katrina Shaklee at 405-974-3144 for
more information.
July 14-18, 2004 Make Promises Happen camp for youth ages 17-25
with all disabilities. Contact 800-299-2811 or 405-282-2811 for
more information and cost. For a listing of all summer camps,
www.centralchristiancamp.org.
If you have an event coming up relating to disability, let us know
at 800-522-8224 and we’ll help you publicize.
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