Oklahoma Disability Law Center, Inc.

system of protection and advocacy for persons with disABILITIES

CONTENTS ON THIS PAGE:

  1. MISSION AND BELIEF STATEMENT
  2. WHO IS ODLC AND SERVICES PROVIDED
  3. PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY PROGRAMS
  4. PRIORITIES AND OBJECTIVES AND PUBLIC COMMENT
  5. AMERICAN DISABILITIES ACT AND SIGNIFICANT ADA CASES
  6. ODLC NEWSLETTER ISSUES FROM 1997 THROUGH 2003
  7. GETTING INVOLVED ON THE BOARD OR ADVISORY COUNCIL
  8. E-LISTS
  9. ADVOCACY RESOURCES
  10. PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY LINKS
  11. CONTACT INFORMATION

 

 

OUR MISSION

THE MISSION OF THE OKLAHOMA DISABILITY LAW CENTER, INC. IS TO PROTECT, PROMOTE AND EXPAND THE RIGHTS OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND MENTAL ILLNESS.

BELIEF STATEMENT

The ODLC mission reflects a belief that people with disabilities and mental illness are entitled to be treated with dignity and respect; to be free from abuse, neglect, exploitation and discrimination. The ODLC mission also reflects the belief that people with disabilities and mental illness are entitled to equal rights and to equally effective access to the same opportunities as are afforded to other members of society.

Who is ODLC and what services are provided?

Since 1977, ODLC has helped people with disabilities achieve equality, inclusion in society and personal independence without regard to disabling conditions. We are a system of protection and advocacy for people with disabilities in the State of Oklahoma. We are federally funded through the Administration for Children and Families, the Center for Mental Health Services of the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Education. ODLC is a member of the National Disability Rights Network.

ODLC is considered a sibling agency to the University Affiliated Program (UAP) of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Developmental Disabilities Council because we are related under one law. The siblings make up Oklahoma's developmental disability network, known as the Redlands Partners.

ODLC works in conjunction with the federally funded Oklahoma ABLE Tech to provide protection and advocacy services for individuals needing assistance to access assistive technology. Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. provides a wide array of support services to allow advocates from protection and advocacy programs such as ODLC to better serve individuals with disabilities. The national project has a goal to foster the notion that AT advocates are part of a larger national effort to effectuate lasting change in the ability of persons with disabilities to obtain AT to enhance their lives.

ODLC works in conjunction with the federally funded statewide parent training and information center. Their services cover a full range of disabilities and help parents and professionals get the information, resources, training or support that they need.
ODLC utilizes the Alternative Dispute Resolution System affiliated with the Oklahoma Supreme Court through the Administrative Office of the Courts. They offer all citizens conventient access to conflict settlement proceedings over issues related to special education, guardianship and disability rights.

PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY (P&A) PROGRAMS:

PADD for persons with developmental disabilities

PAIMI for persons with serious mental illness

PAIR for persons with a disability

PABSS for persons who are beneficiaries of Social Security

PATBI for persons with traumatic brain injury

PAVA for voting by people with disabilities

PAAT for assistive technology for people with disabilities

 

FY2006 PRIORITIES AND OBJECTIVES FOR PROGRAMS:

(1) Prevention of abuse and neglect (PADD, PAIMI, PAIR, PATBI)

(2) Prevention of discrimination based on disability (PADD, PAIMI, PAIR)

(3) Understand and receive procedural due process rights in public benefits (PADD, PAIMI, PAIR)

(4) Receive a free appropriate public education (PADD, PAIMI, PAIR, PATBI, PAAT)

(5) Educate and improve self-advocacy for persons with disabilities (PADD, PAIMI, PAIR, PATBI, PABSS, PAAT)

(6) Advocate for persons with disabilities seeking employment (PABSS)

(7) Educate public about legal rights of people with disabilities to have equal access to vote and monitor Oklahoma's progress in implementing the Help America Vote Act (PAVA)

(8) Advocate for access to appropriate assistive technology (PAAT)

 

Priorities and Objectives and Public Comment

Each year ODLC's board of directors adopts priorities and objectives for its programs. If you want to provide public comment on what should be considered for priorities and objectives for the upcoming fiscal year, please contact ODLC via email and answer these questions:

(1)What disability are you speaking for?
(2) What are the most serious problems faced by persons with disabilities?
(3) What can ODLC do to benefit persons with disabilities?

You may supply any other information which you believe would be useful.

Fundamental Civil Rights for Persons with Disabilities

The Americans with Disabilities Act became law in 1990, based on Congressional findings that 43,000,000 Americans have one or more physical or mental disabilities and that this number is increasing as the population as a whole is growing older. Historically, society has tended to isolate and segregate individuals with disabilities and, despite some improvements, such forms of discrimination continue to be a serious and pervasive social problem. Congress found that discrimination existed in such critical areas as employment, housing, public accommodations, education, transportation, communication, recreation, institutionalization, health services, voting and access to public services. Further, Congress found that the Nation's proper goals regarding individuals with disabilities are to assure equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency for such individuals. Finally, Congress found that the continuing existence of unfair and unnecessary discrimination and prejudice denies people with disabilities the opportunity to compete on an equal basis and to pursue those opportunities for which our free society is justifiably famous.

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Significant ADA Cases

You may receive technical assistance on the ADA at 1-800-526-7234 or technical assistance at 1-800-949-4232. In order to reach the United States Department of Justice to receive information or file a complaint, you may call a toll free number, 1-800-514-0301 (voice) or 1-800-514- 0383 (tdd). The DOJ's Civil Rights Division maintains home pages for: (1) Section 508 of the Rehab Act, (2) Americans with Disabilities Act, and (3) Employment Litigation Section. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accepts complaints on employment discrimination. Housing discrimination is covered under the Fair Housing Act and Housing and Urban Development accepts complaints on housing discrimination.

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State ADA/504 Coordinators

In order to ensure that Title II nondiscrimination, accessibility and other requirements are met by state entities and that individuals can easily identify the ADA coordinator of the state, the Office of Handicapped Concerns has provided the following list of state agency coordinators.


 

ODLC Newsletters 

ODLC ISSUES


2003:
Issue of 3/03

2002: 
 Issue of 12/02
Issue of 9/02
Issue of 6/02
Issue of 3/02

2001: 
 Issue of 12/01
Issue of 9/01
Issue of 6/01
Issue of 3/01


    2000:
Issue of 12/00
Issue of 9/00
Issue of 6/00
Issue of 3/00

1999: 
 Issue of 12/99
Issue of 9/99
Issue of 6/99
Issue of 3/99

1997/1998: 
 Issue of 12/98
Issue of 9/98
Issue of 6/98
Issue of 3/98
Issue of 12/97


Get Involved by serving on the Board or Advisory Council

A good way to start getting involved is by serving on the Oklahoma Disability Law Center's Board of Directors or Advisory Council, or by nominating someone you know for Board or Council membership. Board and Council members are expected to attend regular meetings and participate in discussions of the law center's work.

We need Board and Council members who are people with disabilities, family members of people with disabilities, advocates interested in the rights of people with disabilites or attorneys. We also need representatives from the different geographical areas of the state. If you are interested, or know someone who is, please complete the form and click the "Send" button once - you will not see a message displaying that the form was sent.

 

YES - I would like to know more about the possibility of serving on the Advocacy Center's Board of Directors or our Advisory Council.

Name:

Address:

City:

State:

Zip Code:

E-mail:

Home Phone:

Work Phone:

Fax:

Please check all the boxes that apply to you.

I am:
a person with a disability
a family member of a person with a disability
an advocate for persons with disabilities
an attorney

LISTS WITH MEMBERSHIP LIMITED TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, THEIR FAMILIES AND PEOPLE WHO REPRESENT OR ADVOCATE FOR THEM:

Disability Law List
Subscribe by sending blank message to:
oklahomadisabilitylaw-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Education Law List
Subscribe by sending blank message to:
oklaedlaw-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Redlands Partners List
Subscribe by sending blank message to:
redlandspartners-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

LISTS WITH NO RESTRICTION UPON MEMBERSHIP,
EXCEPT THAT YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN FURTHERING THE EQUALITY AND INDEPENDENCE OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES:

Oklahoma's Coalition to Support Implementation of the Olmstead Opinion
Oklahoma_Olmstead Coalition-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Ticket to Work (SSA)
twwiia-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

ADA-504 Coordinators List
ada-504-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Advocacy Resources

Links to Disability Organization Websites
http://www/mdrm/prg/links.htm

Issue Areas
(Abuse & Neglect, ADA Integration, Education, etc.)
http://www.ndrn.org/issues/

NDRN Publications
http://www.ndrn.org/pub

Legislative Affairs
http://www.napas.org/policy/default.htm

 

PROTECTION AND ADVOCACY LINKS


National Disability Rights Network (NDRN)

National Health Law Program

Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law

Oklahoma's Developmental Disabilities Partnership

NETWORK


Road to Employment for People with Disabilities

Oklahoma 's Disability Etiquette Handbook and Resources

The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates

Oklahoma Office of Handicapped Concerns

State Of Oklahoma Website

Oklahoma Legislature

Oklahoma House of Representatives

Oklahoma Senate

Oklahoma State Dept. of Education

Oklahoma Legislative Tracking

Oklahoma Health Care Authority

Oklahoma Dept. of Health & Human Services

Oklahoma Human Rights Commission

Native American Cultural and Educational Authority

Oklahoma Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped

10th Circuit of Appeals HomePage

US Supreme Court, Federal and State

 

Have questions or need help?

Oklahoma City Office
2915 Classen Blvd.
300 Cameron Building
OKC, OK 73106

(405) 525-7755 (V/TDD)
(800) 880-7755 (V/TDD)
Fax: (405) 525-7759

 

Tulsa Office
2828 East 51 Street, Suite 302
Tulsa, OK 74105
(918) 743-6220 (V/TDD)
(800) 226-5883 (V/TDD)
Fax: (918) 743-7157




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