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summer 2011
3rd Virgil Taylor Golf Tournament Nets $2,775 for Scholarships
Changing the lives of others wasthe theme of Virgil Taylor’s life’work. That theme continues as another scholarship will be awarded this fall to an East Central Universitvocational rehabilitation student, thanks to the Third Annual Virgil Taylor Memorial Golf Tournament Scholarship fundraiser, held Friday, June 17 at Roman Nose State Resort near Watonga.The Oklahoma Rehabilitation Council (ORC) and the Oklahoma Rehabilitation Association (ORA) hosted this event, raising $2,775 for the Virgil Taylor Scholarship Fund atEast Central University. Virgil earned his bachelor’s degree from East Central University, Ada in 1970, and his master’s in rehabilitation counseling from OSU in 1975. Virgil Taylor’s mission in life was to help prepare and equip people with disabilities to re-enter the job market in positions that woulenhance their lifestyles. Those who knew him well would say emphaticallthat his mission was accomplished. And along the way, his cumulative training and experiences brought him respect from colleagues across the state. Even today it is common in meetings for someone to refer to his ideas and principles in determining best practices for the agency and the individual. Heat dominated the game this year, which made the jobs of the volunteers running the water wagon much more important. They signed in golfers and teams and as well as attended to the players’ hydration needs. The tournament was a successfor the third year despite the heat. Six teams participated in the fourman scramble tournament. First placwent to the East Central University team. The Glenn team took second place, with Mike O’Brien and the Mike team taking third. Last place was hotly contested, but eventually won by the Tyler DDS team.The first place team won $50 in
gift cards to restaurants for each player, second place won $25 dollars in gift cards each and third place won $15 each in gift cards. The next tournament will be scheduled for June 2012, and may be held at Western Hills Lodge and Golf Resort.
Virgil Taylor embraced the rehabilitation philosophy and dedicated his life to helping people with disabilities. East Central University held a special place in his heart, and it’s in his memory this fund is dedicated. The Virgil Taylor Scholarship Fund assists bachelor’s-level students at East Central University to pursue careers in vocational rehabilitation counseling. To date, the tournament has raised $8,571 for scholarships.
DRS Director Mike O’Brien watches his ball after taking a swing during the 3rd Annual Virgil Taylor Memorial Golf Tournament.
Inside signpost
Celebrating Employment Success ........Page 2DDD Garners SSA Honor Awards ..........Page 3OLBPH Awarded Grant ..........................Page 4Vision, Hearing Loss Can’t Stop Client .Page 5 DDD Takes Kids To Work ......................Page 6DRS Personnel changes ........................Page 7OSB Student Serves as Page ...............Page 8 DRS Awards Evaluation Answers ..........Page 9Sidewalk Campaign Starts Career .....Page 10May 3rd Survivor is State Senate Intern ...Page 11Finance Corner ....................................Page 1222
Celebrating Success: VR and VS Counselors Increase Closure Rate by 36 Percent in 2011
This issue of the “Signpost” marks the beginning of the third year of listing the numbers of closed and placed cases our Vocational Rehabilitation and Visual Services counselors have achieved. Two years ago, our top counselor had 27 closures by this time of the year. Last year that number was 38. This year - an astounding 71 cases closed. Two years ago, just 39 counselors had 10 or more closures. We had 55 last year, and this year 60 meet that standard. We’ve already had 28 counselors meet or exceed their goals for the entire year.These numbers are not just static figures monitored in a computer at State Office. These numbers are strong progress indicators. These numbers say that you have taken seriously the need to improve our rate of case closures. They say that you are finding cool jobs with benefits for our consumers and helping them keep those jobs.As a whole, you are making great strides forward. Some, as individuals, are making outstanding leaps. Others are taking measured steps. And a few are dragging your heels. We can all improve our performance. We can do best now by encouraging each other and serving one another as we move forward. We can step faster and farther together when we reach out to our coworkers who may be stumbling about rather than stepping up.Serving each other may well be one of the best ways for us to serve our clients. Giving each other our best helps all of us give Oklahomans with disabilities our best, together.I don’t want to downplay your progress these past two years - we have more than 500 more closures now than we did at this point in federal fiscal year 2009, and almost 400 more than we had last year. I congratulate you all, and I appreciate everything you do to find cool jobs with benefits for our consumers. Mike O’Brien, Director
Counselor Closed Placed 1. Teresa Jackson 71 61 2. Tammy Hall 47 64 3. Marsha Reed 39 67 4. Kay Crothers 38 57 5. Terrisha Osborn 36 28 6. Jan Hatch 33 48 7. Jeannie Partaka 32 35 8. Kimberly Fuqua 31 57 9. Tammie Jones 31 44 10. Karen Fowler 30 29 11. Peggy Dunson-Bower 29 37 12. Sue Williams 29 30 13. Bonnie Allen 28 27 14. Terri Schrader 27 34 15. Vickie Farris 27 38 16. Terry Simon 26 23 17. Brenda Gossett 25 44 18. Bobby Kibe 23 29 19. Linda Gerber 23 22 20. Pari Mohan 23 22 21. Ronda Parker 22 43 22. Amy Martin 22 24 23. Tim Rabalais 22 25 24. Susan Wilkinson 22 24 25. Robbin Rogers 22 21 26. John Kempf 22 18 27. Karla Coburn 21 39 28. Gladys Monroe 21 18 29. Leann Cain-Hobson 20 22 30. Wendy Bohannan 20 22 31. Christina Reininger 19 17 32. Gary Dellinger 19 22 33. Carol Holland 18 8 34. Stacey Birchfield 18 23 35. Beverly Goeders 18 17 36. Ali Bolz 18 20 37. Leah Somers 18 16 38. Krista McKelvin 17 15 39. David Ridner 17 23 40. Stephynne Stevens 16 13 41. Glen Baisley 16 22 42. Johnnie Judah 15 21 43. Michael Layne 15 23 44. Melissa Crabtree 14 17 45. Mark Janos 14 16 46. Julia Collins 13 12 47. Archie McMullen 13 9 48. Janell Kirk 13 18 49. Esther Watkins 13 12 50. Andrea Reed 13 16 51. Barri Hope Ryan 12 13 52. Mary Anderson 12 12 53. Shelly Bell 12 13 54. Brenda Brasher 11 21
Counselor Closed Placed 55. Monique Stith 11 24 56. Shirin Davis 11 17 57. Treva Kirtley 11 9 58. Darlene DeCourcey 10 8 59. Dorothy Ward 10 14 60. Marty Steidley 10 10 61. Stephaine Vernor 9 11 62. Jonathon Cook 9 19 63. David Calvert 9 10 64. David Butcher 9 11 65. James Gottman 9 11 66. Rebecca Simpson 9 11 67. Melinda Lucas 9 14 68. Carmaleta McQuay 9 16 69. Kelly Pyle 8 10 70. Laura Josserand 8 10 71. Mike Goza 8 10 72. Tommy Williams 8 10 73. Kristen Garrison 7 15 74. C J Hurlbut 7 11 75. Eddie Taylor 7 10 76. Linda Starks 7 13 77. Troy Kruger 6 8 78. Claressa Tuggle 5 7 79. Susan Allen 5 4 80. Derek Fillmore 5 5 81. Kathryn Klammer 4 5 82. Christy Williams 4 5 83. Shanel Armstrong 4 7 84. Carl Perkins 3 4 85. Jill Oliver 3 7 86. Jonathan Pickup 3 6 87. Ileana Bauman 3 2 88. Jenni Sliger 3 11 89. Wade Sherburn 3 4 90. Anita Hackney-Adkerson 2 3 91. Diana Wall 2 5 92. Hee Jin Davies 2 9 93. Sheila Denson 2 18 94. Beth Bowles 2 9 95. Renee Sansom 2 5 96. David Canan 1 11 97. Fernando Rodriguez 0 0 98. Tracy Phillip 0 0 99. Janie Fugitt 0 1 100. Rebecca Hawkins 0 2 101. Pam Smith 0 6 Effective July 1, 20113
DDD Garners National Honor Awards from SSA
On June 30, the Social Security Administration honored the DRS Disability Determination Division with several national awards from the Fiscal Year 2010 Honor Awards. DDD received the prestigious Phoenix Award, with individual awards presented to Scott Miller and Brian Nickles.“It is my honor to present the Phoenix Award to the Oklahoma DDS for making great strides in improving performance, boosting productivity, increasing case clearances, and becoming a national resource for disability case processing. Noel Tyler has led the agency to a level of excellence in maintaining outstanding service to the citizens of Oklahoma and has provided substantial assistance to other states. The entire staff of the DDS is to be commended,” said Linda Dorn, Associate Commissioner of the Office of Disability Determinations.According to DDD Administrator Noel Tyler, the following highlights the division’s accomplishments and a few of the reasons they received the Phoenix Award:l Quality at 98.6 percent, second in the region, second in the nation.l Within three months, improved combined processing time by 21.5 days – going from 116.5 days in June down to 94.9 days in September.l The end of FY 2009, the Oklahoma DDD was one of four selected states to become a national resource, embarking on a new endeavor to house an Extended Service Team (EST) site. There was so much work and sacrifice by so many to make this a reality.l There have been a lot of new staff and medical consultants hired this past year, with everything that is involved in hiring, training and mentoring.l Everyone has been working in the middle of construction on a new building to accommodate the growth in staff. Many have been working at tables and sharing work spaces. In spite of these less than ideal working conditions, everyone has continued to give their all. l Adjusted Budgeted Total Workload Clearances: 65,500 (includes EST) – Actual Clearances: 67,257 – over by 1,757 cases.l Adjusted Budgeted Initial Claims Clearances: 45,390 (includes EST) – Actual Clearances: 46,484 – over by 1,094 cases.l Budgeted Reconsideration Clearances: 13,416 – Actual Clearances: 14,028 – over by 612 cases. This extra push was extremely helpful in assisting the Region in making their goal.l Budgeted CDR Clearances: 4,600 – Actual Clearances: 4,623 (excluding 108 expedited reinstatements) – over by 23 cases.l Budgeted EST Clearances: 3,095 – Actual Clearances: 3,262 – over by 167 cases.“We have so much to be proud of and we have overcome so much to finish out FY 2010 in such a stellar fashion. The dedication to public service, patience and flexibility while awaiting the new building, and the pride that is taken by you in your work is evident,” said Tyler.Scott Miller, IT manager, was presented with a Commissioner Citation for Superior Performance by a DDD Employee. According to the nomination document, Miller leads by example, shares his knowledge willingly and encourages staff to be creative with their problem solving skills. The IT staff is a diverse group and each has an area of expertise. Under Miller’s leadership, the IT staff works together as a team. The system at the Oklahoma DDD poses a unique challenge, considering that it must be compliant with the Federal Social Security Administration’s system and the state of Oklahoma
Department of Rehabilitation Services system. Miller makes all of the systems and programs interact as required.He responds to on-call interruptions when he is off site, works through the situation for the best possible solution and will come into the office if needed. This past year, with the addition of new office space, the hiring of more than 100 new staff members and the rotation of upgrading CPU’s, Miller lead the IT staff in installing more than 300 new work stations.. Brian Nickles, division deputy administrator, received a Deputy Commissioner Citation – Disability Program Leadership Award. According to the nomination document, Nickles demonstrates exceptional personal initiative, commitment, effort and competence in carrying out the mission of SSA through its disability program. Nickles was recently promoted to division deputy administrator. In his previous position as programs administrator for policy, Nickles reviewed and helped implement policy regarding the use of Licensed Professional Counselors as Examination providers; the process for claimants who fail to cooperate in the development of their claims; the reporting of abuse and neglect to the proper authorities; how to handle situations where claimants exhibit suicidal or homicidal ideation; and threats to our examination providers.He also helped develop and implement a special program to help expedite determinations on disability claims. He has worked diligently to house all policy in one central location and make it more user-friendly. He inspires and motivates employees to greater achievement while improving morale and effectiveness. He exhibits persistent pursuit of excellence and a willingness to share knowledge and expertise to improve program effectiveness and service to the public.“Congratulations to all of us on receiving this national recognition and for all you do for the citizens of Oklahoma. In addition, we extend a hearty ‘well done’ to Scott and Brian for all they have done for this Division,” said Tyler.
Scott Miller, IT manager, received a 2010 SSA Honor Awards Commissioner Citation.
Brian Nickles, division deputy administrator, received a 2010 SSA Honor Awards Deputy Commissioner Citation.4
OLBPH Awarded Museum Foundation Grant
The Oklahoma Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped recently earned a $50,000 grant to expand the number of high quality reading materials in audio and braille formats for Oklahomans of all ages.The grant was funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and is administered locally by the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. Library Director Paul Adams said, “We will use these grant funds to record more audio books and magazines by Oklahoma authors and those with a connection to the state in our digital recording studios here at the library.”Adams said the library will also purchase cartridges for recording audio books, stock up on braille supplies and products, and use the funding to stream more audio content over the Internet.The Oklahoma Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped locates or produces, and mails thousands of free recorded books to Oklahomans who cannot read standard print materials due to visual impairments or physical disabilities. Braille textbooks and classroom materials are also stored and distributed to public school students through the library’s Accessible Instructional Material Center (AIM).
Hailey Baskeyfield, age 6, demonstrates her braille reading skills for Pepper Watson, manager of the Accessible Instructional Material Center at the Oklahoma Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.
Tulsa 9th Grader, Muskogee 4th Grader win Braille Challenge
Ninth grader Daniel Brookshire from Tulsa, won first place in the seventh-12 grade age group at the Oklahoma Regional Braille Challenge sponsored by the Oklahoma School for the Blind (OSB), headquartered in Muskogee. Brookshire received a Victor Reader Stream DAISY MP3 player valued at $360 for winning the competition. The player was donated by Humanware, an assistive technology company that produces products for people who are blind and visually impaired.Richelle Zampella from Muskogee won first place in the first through sixth grade age group. She won $40 in gift certificates donated by the National Braille Press, a nonprofit braille printing and publishing house.Brookshire and Zampella joined 700-800 other students in North America who took the preliminary Braille Challenge exam at regional locations. Students were tested in braille speed and accuracy, chart and graph reading, reading comprehension, braille spelling, and proofreading skills. The top 12 students in five age categories advanced to the national finals on June 24 and 25 at the Braille Institute in Los Angeles.“The Braille Challenge Invitational
is the only national academic competition for braille readers,” Faye Miller, regional competition coordinator and OSB teacher, said. “The contest motivates students to study braille, so they can compete over a weekend at the OSB and hopefully qualify for the national competition in Los Angeles.”Miller won a trip to the national Braille Challenge® competition. New OSB Superintendent Jim Adams is a National Braille Challenge Advisory
Board member. “This competition encourages students to master the braille code and involves parents in their child’s literacy,” Miller said. Seven volunteers proctored and scored tests, gave presentations for parents and prepared refreshments and lunch at the Braille Challenge: Ruby Barker, Barbara Collins, Sherry Holder, Jeanne Meyer, Robert Miller, Carolyn Patocka and Brenda Plunkett.
Muskogee Foundation Awards $19,000 Grant to OSB Programs
The City of Muskogee Foundation has awarded the Oklahoma School for the Blind with a $19,000 grant that will help fund three programs - Close Up, the National Braille Challenge and Space Camp, according to DRS Development Officer Larry Bishop.Close Up is a civics and government program that includes a tour of federal buildings and landmarks in Washington, D.C.
The National Braille Challenge is a contest that promotes Braille reading among blind and visually impaired students. Space Camp is a program that allows students to experience science, space and history, located in Huntsville, Alabama.The grant partially funds all three projects, with other grants or private funding sources making up the balance.5
Vision and Hearing Loss Cannot Stop Young DRS Client and Her Support Team
For 17 years Iris was not welcome at school in her home country of El Salvador. There were no programs for children with significant vision and hearing loss. So she stayed home.Iris instinctively taught herself to play the piano and any other musical instrument she picked up. She also revealed a talent for quickly calculating what day of the week any date will fall – in any year.In 2009, Iris came to Oklahoma as a legal resident with only the clothes on her back. Perhaps because of hearing loss and English comprehension issues, Iris scored low on standardized intelligence tests. Her vision diagnosis was retinopathy of prematurity caused by abnormal blood vessel development in her retinas. No one knows the cause of her hearing loss.
“Iris had three communication strikes
against her when she got here – the English language barrier, the visual barrier and the hearing barrier,” said Renee Sansom, a vocational rehabilitation counselor in the Hispanic Community Services Office at the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS).Good hearing aids and a trip to the Helen Keller National Center in Sandspoint, N.Y. exposed Iris to braille and essential independent living skills.
She remembers the date: “July 6th – Monday – 2010. Stayed six weeks.”When Sansom asked, “Who did you go with?” Iris quickly responded, “You!” “In only two years, Iris has learned braille, some American Sign Language and is making a lot of progress with English,” Sansom said. “I think she is an amazing person.”The secret to Iris’ success is her own
perseverance, willingness to cooperate and uncanny ability to learn quickly. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have a team of four strong women behind her who just won’t quit.Sansom combines vocational rehabilitation counseling experience with fluency in Spanish. This enables her to contribute more to Iris’ vocational rehabilitation progress than a traditional interpreter could. DRS Deaf-Blind Specialist Joan Blake was asked to consult and make recommendations based on her unique expertise, particularly related to Iris’ significant hearing loss.“Iris uses a little sign language and finger spelling for support, but she is able to communicate verbally,” Blake said.Maria was Iris’ classroom assistant until she graduated from Putnam City West High School in May 2010. Also a Spanish speaker, Padroń helps Iris interpret the world and remains a close friend.“Maria’s role as an educational consultant has been invaluable,” DRS Visual Services Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Janie Fugitt said. “She worked one on one with Iris through high school and provided intensive skills training on a day-to-day basis that have helped Iris grow so much.”Fugitt, who is Iris’ Visual Services counselor, coordinates all the Transition services needed to help Iris move successfully from high school to post-secondary training or employment.
“As a Transition counselor, I’m focused on what it’s going to take to help Iris go to work.”Like many young women her age, Iris is not sure yet what career she wants to pursue. So far, she has mentioned nurse, taxi cab driver and singer – which she does very well in a rich, baritone voice.When asked about her ability to play any musical instrument, Iris is pleasant, but to the point: “I’m pretty sure I learned it on my own.” “Natural talent,” her team replied in unison.DRS vocational rehabilitation counselors Danny Robison and Terryl Berryman previously assisted Iris, along with Rehabilitation Teacher Elaine Samuels. C. C. Davis, the Helen Keller National Center regional representative, and Jan Watts, a partner from the Technical Assistance Project housed at the University of Oklahoma also participated in the early days.When asked about the value of their team approach, Sansom responded, “Cooperation can happen if you try.”“It’s not about who gets the credit,” Blake explained. “It’s about the client getting the services they need to be successful.”“Whatever that takes!” Fugitt and Blake replied in unison. “Amen, sister. High five!“ Sansom added, motivating the entire team, including Iris, to slap hands as Iris beamed – the center of so much positive energy.
Iris’ support team watches as she plays and sings a favorite song (from left): DRS Deaf-Blind Specialist Joan Blake; DRS Visual Services Counselor Janie Fugitt; DRS Hispanic Community Services Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Renee Sansom; and Putnam City West Educational Assistant Maria.6
DDD’s Take Your Kids to Work Day held July 7
DRS Disability Determination Division celebrated Take Your Kids to Work Day on July 7. About 80 kids accompanied their parents to the office for a fun filled day, and a chance to see what parents do when their kids are in school.Activities included mock job interviews and employment applications, tours of the building, crafts, a movie, team building games, guest speakers and working alongside mom or dad.Rory Faulkner created and donated a coloring book about people with disabilities for the 5 to 7 year old kids. Children were provided breakfast, lunch, an afternoon break snack and a goodie bag, all from donations.The day ended with a discussion and presentation of certificates.The Take Your Kids to Work Day committee includes Misty Boomgaarden, Rory Faulkner, Kerissa Holsten, Carrie Milligan, Noel Tyler, Shirley Wells and Paulette Stout.7
New Hires or ReassignmentsFY-2011 4th QuarterJacqueline Carter-Hill Programs Mgr I, VR02 AltusCasey Coufal Network Mgmt Spec II, MSD-IS Oklahoma CityCindy Crawford Vend Fac Bus Cons II, VS33 Oklahoma CityTerri Schrader VR Spec II, VR26 ClaremoreGerald Winter VR Spec IV, VR08 EnidRetirementsFY-2011 4th QuarterLeota Bishop DD Tech III, DDD Oklahoma CityPatricia Jones VR Specialist III, VR67 TulsaJane Nelson Division Administrator, VS Adm Oklahoma City
Notable DRSAnnive rsaries
FY-2012 1st Quarter5 YearsTraci C. Prince OSDCarolyne E. Paradiso OSDNathan E. Fylstra OSDSharon D. Goldman OSDChristopher W. Schroder OSDJimmy L. Salter OSDWhitney J. Gamble OSBKaren L. Reed OSBBrian L. Burke DDDRebecca E. Burnsed DDDBrenda D. Brown DDDTim Wilkins VR 31 Oklahoma CityNineveh L. Haysbert VR 95 Oklahoma CityVickie L. Wilkins VR 32 Oklahoma CityLarry D. Coffey VS 90 Oklahoma City10 YearsShan Carter MSDRobert D. Majors MSDThomas Thompson OSDRose E. Osborn OSDCarla J. Cotney OSBCarolyn K. Sheppard OSBJanice B. Smith DDDLuther M. Woodcock DDDCynthia R. Lemoine DDDJeffrey S. Brazell DDDRoberta M. Robertson DDDTom Boyd VR 52 VinitaJean M. McClelland VR 67 TulsaAndrew (Ric) Wilson VS 62 MuskogeeAnjalene M. Soemartojo VS 72 Oklahoma City
15 Years
Ray Kongsala MSDRita J. McHann MSDStacy M. Edgar OSDDenise L. Henry OSDLeslie L. Threat OSBStephen K. Maple DDDLeota M. Bishop DDDMary A. Bolling DDDKathleen S. Pierson DDDShirley A. Payne VR 38 OkmulgeeSusan Wilkinson VR 12 Lawton 20 YearsJeffrey L. Cooper OSDLesa J. Price OSDSherry L. Crouch OSBCatherine L. Hastings VR 82 Tulsa25 YearsAngelina S. Cole OSDCarol L. Holland VR 97 GuymonCindy A. Crabtree VS 71 Idabel30 YearsGoli K. Dunkle Exec.Jerome Larry Angelo DDDRhonda J. Ridgeway VR 5 WeatherfordToni G. Stine VR 49 Oklahoma CityAlan D. Durham VR 36 Oklahoma CityPauline J. Harris VS 72 Oklahoma City 35 YearsRose M. King DDDLinda L. Harris VR 67 TulsaPaul N. Miller VS 90 Oklahoma City40 YearsLarry Hawkins Exec.William Harvey Stinson OSDDonald G. Mason OSBWilliam E. Hayes VR 2 Altus
Join the DRS Facebook FrenzyDRS has a few official Facebook fan pages and we are adding more soon. We are only approving divisional or program pages. State rules about Facebook pages limit us. If you “like” our agency page, don’t fear that the general public will see your personal page. Liking our page does not expose you to the general public. Even if you share a DRS post to your friends, the public does not see your Facebook account.However, if you comment or post on DRS’ page or any of the divisional or program pages, your Facebook presence will be open to the public. If this is an issue with you, be cautious about posting on DRS’ wall or writing comments. We encourage all to keep their Facebook pages personal and not conduct agency business with them.If a client asks to be your friend and you accept the request on your personal account, they get to see all your posts on how great the WWF is and Andre the Giant is your hero. In the professional world there is such a thing as too much information.Should you need to conduct agency business through Facebook, please contact Dana Tallon in the Public Information Office. We will ask you to create a second Facebook page with your agency email, and this will become your official professional page. You will have a profile photo with the agency logo to identify you as an official representative from DRS.We hope you will “like” the DRS Facebook page and let your clients know about it. The latest information hits there first.DRS: http://www.facebook.com/OKDRS Hispanic Outreach: http://www.facebook.com/OKDRS?sk=wall#!/pages/OK-DRS-Hispanic-Community-Services/113280488755510Services to the Deaf: http://www.facebook.com/OKDRS?sk=wall#!/pages/OK-DRS-Services-to-Deaf-and-Hard-of-Hearing/212601232102558Oklahoma School for the Deaf: http://www.facebook.com/OKDRS?sk=wall#!/pages/Oklahoma-School-for-the-Deaf/149860665084335
All changes noted on this page are effective as of July 1, 2011.8
First OSB Student Serves as Legislative Page
Oklahoma School for the Blind freshman Aubry Weatherly is the first OSB student ever to serve as a page for the state legislature.Senator Earl Garrison (D-Muskogee) invited Weatherly to be his page for one week, giving her full access to the Senate floor for tasks such as delivering documents and running errands. Weatherly stayed in a local hotel with other pages, who assisted her in navigating the unfamiliar Capitol building when needed.She hopes other students who are blind will have the opportunity to serve as pages at the Capitol.“We’re the same as everybody else,” she said. “We just can’t see.” A native of Lawton, Weatherly is a cheerleader, saxophone player in the jazz band and a member of Family Career and Community Leaders of America, who has also competed on OSB’s academic team. She attends the four-day residential school program at OSB during the school week, but returns home for weekends, holidays and the summer months. Weatherly’s parents are Todd and Tammy Weatherly from Lawton. Her twin sisters, Amanda and Alyssa, are 21 years old.
OSB freshman Aubry Weatherly posed with Governor Mary Fallin at the State Capitol. Weatherly is the first Oklahoma School for the Blind student to serve as a legislative page at the state Capitol. Gov. Fallin is the first female governor in the history of the state.
Disability Examiners Mark April as Organ Donor Awareness Month
ABy Cynthia Hendersonpril was Organ Donor Awareness Month and the Oklahoma Association of Disability Examiners (OKADE) took this as a challenge. OKADE held four speaker sessions and brought in various speakers, from a state representative to an employee’s wife,
who, when her son died, donated his organs so others could live. All the presentations were held at the DRS Disability Determination Division and resulted in increased awareness of organ donation and several employees signing up to be organ and/or bone marrow donors. Twenty-eight people attended our first session. Our first presentation dealt with End Stage Renal Disease and was conducted by the ESRD Network 13. The keynote speaker was a woman who had been a renal patient for 16 years. During that time, she had been on dialysis and had two kidney transplants that had failed. She is on dialysis currently and is on the kidney transplant list. This woman in spite of her circumstances and physical appearance was still
very upbeat and informative to her listening audience. On April 21, 2011 during the Great Plains/Southwest Area Disability Examiners’ Bi-Regional conference, we had a transplant surgeon and one of our own, a fellow employee, to give his story in a session. It was a very moving story but even more so when the doctor who did the surgery spoke and then was presented with the Starfish Donor Appreciation Award. The award is a hand-blown glass starfish. approximately 5 inches long that was created to honor donors. Matt, our fellow employee, did not know who his liver donor was, so he honored his surgeon. OKADE made the donation to get the starfish from Living KidneyDonors Network, a nonprofit 501(c) 3 organization. Fifty-six participants attended this session.
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DRS Awards Evaluation Questions Answered
Hello Everyone,The overall evaluation was very favorable and the Agency Awards and Recognition Committee thanks you for the confidence and appreciation the majority of you have expressed. However, there still seems to be some confusion regarding the Awards events that occur throughout the year. Below is a response to the most frequently asked questions received from the DRS Agency Awards and Recognition Luncheon held in March 2011.Please take the time to review the document and if you have any further questions they can be addressed to me.Have a great summer and hope to see you in March 2012 for the next DRS Agency Awards and Recognition Luncheon.
Kathleen A. Reed, Commission Assistant Commission for Rehabilitation Services
1For those who asked the question “Why are DDD and the schools included in the agency awards?” The Department of Rehabilitation Services is comprised of seven divisions and schools – Vocational Rehabilitation Division (DVR), Visual Services Division (DVS), Disability Determination Division (DDD), Management Services Division (MSD), Financial Services Division (FSD), Oklahoma School for the Blind (OSB), and Oklahoma School for the Deaf (OSD). All full-time employees from these divisions and schools are eligible to be nominated for division and/or agency 2awards.Each division or school should have an awards and recognition committee. Those serving on these awards committees are appointed by the division administrator or school superintendent. They are rotating committees with the rotation determined by each division administrator or school superintendent. If you are interested in serving on your division or school awards committee contact your administrator or 3superintendent. Each individual division or school has an annual awards event at which time the employees are nominated and selected to receive awards that are specific to each division or school. The division or school award events are held annually and individually from June through November of the same year. Recipients of annual division awards are automatically put into nomination for the annual agency awards in the categories for which their 4division award was received.DRS as a whole agency has an annual agency awards and recognition event at which time all DRS employees from all the above mentioned divisions and schools come together to celebrate the agency accomplishments for the year and to
recognize the outstanding work of DRS employees. Nominations for the 7th Annual Agency Awards Event will be open on December 15, 2011 and run through January 15, 2012 at 5 p.m.; that allows everyone a lot of time to complete nomination forms and support documents. However, knowing that this event is annual means you can start gathering information on the person you want to nominate now. As mentioned, those who receive division or school awards are automatically placed into nomination for agency awards. However, other nominations can be submitted for any eligible DRS full-time employee within the open nomination time frame. For example: if you nominated someone for a division or school award and that person was not a recipient, you may – on your own – submit that person as a nomination for an agency award. Nomination Forms, Guidelines, and Instructions to Staff can be found on Compass. To access Compass go to the DRS Website, okdrs.gov, and scroll down to the Employees Portal at the bottom of the page and click. At next page select Employees Compass. Go to Agency/Divisional Awards & Recognition. There find: A107 Nomination Form (it will be the same for the divisional and agency awards, you will need to check the box at the top to designate whether your nomination will be for a divisional or an Agency Award). A107 Agency Guidelines A107 Divisional Guidelines A107 Instructions to Staff. Along with a list of the divisional and agency awards.
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Sidewalk Campaign Launches Public Service Career for Tulsa Dad with Hearing and Vision Loss
A
John May from Tulsa researches college degree programs online with Specialist on Deaf-Blindness Joan Blake from DRS Visual Services.
dvocacy for a sidewalk at the corner of Sheridan and 81st Street in Tulsa has launched a career goal in public service for Tulsa father of seven, John May. For eight years, he was a foreman in the electrical contracting business until increasing vision and hearing loss made safety on the job an issue.May has Usher’s syndrome, a genetic disorder that is the leading cause of deaf-blindness. The syndrome is characterized by hearing loss affecting the inner ear and vision loss associated with retinitis pigmentosa, which limits vision to a small central area.He also recently had surgery for cancer of the tongue, which left him temporarily unable to speak.May became a stay-at-home dad while completing a vocational rehabilitation program focused on finding a new career through the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services (DRS). The need for the sidewalk became evident while May struggled to push a stroller with two kids through unmowed grass. He worked successfully with District 8 City Councilor Bill Christiansen and Tulsa Public Works to get a long sidewalk installed across from WalMart.The management at Sheridan Ponds Apartments where May lived at the time helped advocate for the nearby sidewalk and assisted him with accommodations at the apartment complex.Dressed neatly in a crisp white shirt and tie, May looks like – no, he is -- a handsome, aspiring politician.
“I was very good at my job, but I had that all taken away a year ago last Feb.,” May said softly at the kitchen table. “Talking to my city councilman, explaining why the sidewalk was necessary not only for me, but for children riding bikes and for the elderly who wanted to go to the store – all that made me realize those experiences I’ve been going through – my hearing loss, vision loss, cancer, are all preparation for me to become a better voice for the disabled.” He and DRS Specialist on Deaf-Blindness Joan Blake are researching college degree programs and developing an employment plan with his career goal as the target. He is already scheduled for six months of intensive training beginning in Sept. at the Helen Keller National Center in Sandspoint, NY.“I want to be mayor of Tulsa someday -- that is the goal,” May said.Good news came last week when May earned a prestigious scholarship to attend the national American Association of the Deaf-Blind
symposium in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. “John’s already made some changes here in Tulsa,” Blake said. “This is where we want the political career to start. He’s already making ripples.”May is one of 70,000 Americans who have hearing and vision loss, according to population estimates by the Helen Keller National Center.While specific employment numbers are not available for deaf-blind workers, U.S. Census data indicates that 29.7 percent of Oklahomans, ages 16 to 64, with all types of disabilities are employed, compared to 67.4 percent of individuals in the same age range with no disabilities. In order to increase public awareness about the needs and abilities of Oklahomans with severe vision and hearing disabilities, Gov. Mary Fallin declared June 26 through July 2 as Helen Keller Deaf-Blind Awareness Week in Oklahoma. The author and lecturer remains one of the best known Americans with deaf-blindness, although she died near 40 years ago.Unlike Keller, however, May has useable vision and hearing. He sometime needs accommodations, such as extra lighting that makes it possible to read or an interpreter in a classroom setting.An active member of the Tulsa Council of the Blind, May is excited about combining business experience with new-found advocacy skills.“Just because we have a disability doesn’t make us any less. We’re equal. That’s part of the Constitution. We got the same rights and the same dreams.”For more information about available services for Oklahomans who are deaf-blind, contact Joan Blake at 405-522-3417 or email jblake@drs.state.ok.us .11
May 3rd Survivor Learning About Government Through Senate Internship; Hopes to Lobby for Disabled
The only real limits are the ones you put on yourself.” Those are inspirational words, but even more so when you learn about the person behind them. Hailey Mathis is studying political science and history at the University of Oklahoma and balances her class schedule with an internship at the Oklahoma State Senate. She’s also a survivor of the May 3, 1999 tornado. One of the most destructive and powerful storms ever seen, Hailey, just 13 at the time, was home alone when the tornado destroyed her Bridge Creek home and changed her life forever.“It was completely dark, and I remember hearing people screaming and yelling and hearing the helicopters flying over,” Hailey recalled. “I just remember saying please God, don’t let me be paralyzed.”
Trapped in the rubble waiting to be rescued, Hailey said she already knew what doctors would later confirm—she was now a quadriplegic. She admits it was hard at first, but she remained focused on learning to do things on her own. Hailey also said that her friends who’d all known her long before she became paralyzed never treated her differently afterwards, so she really didn’t ever think about herself as being disabled.An advanced placement government class in high school sparked Hailey’s interest in politics. As a political science student, she applied online for an internship with the State Senate. She said the experience has been very interesting, but she isn’t interested in seeking public office.“I think maybe something more behind the scenes,” Hailey said. “I think I’d really be interested in being a lobbyist on behalf of people with disabilities.”Hailey has already had some experience along those lines. She’s a member of the Oklahoma Rehabilitation Council, a statewide advocacy organization and recently participated in People with Disabilities Awareness Day at the State Capitol.Senate President Pro Tempore Brian Bingman was Mayor of Sapulpa 12 years ago. The same tornado that injured Hailey touched down later that evening in his community. He called Hailey’s story remarkable. “I was just amazed with the progress she’s made and the story that she told. We appreciate Hailey being up here,” Bingman said. “Certainly we can learn from the lessons of life that she’s gone through. What a great example to have her up here at the Oklahoma State Senate.” Courtesy of Oklahoma State Senate Communications
Senate Calendar Clerk Karen Fleet gives intern Hailey Mathis legislation for delivery to the House.
Intern Hailey Mathis with Sen. Pres. Pro Tem Brian BingmanWBy Kevin Statham, DRS Financial Services Administratorell it is another great day in Financial Services. Sometimes it seems the frenetic pace never subsides. As I sat down to write this article, I tried to look at what activities were important to tell you about and one by one, I reduced the list. Items were cut based on too narrow a scope or not very interesting for an article. I do not want to bore you with trivial information.My thought process reminded me of an experience I had, not long ago. Have you ever been in a semi-familiar setting where you feel as though you are supposed to know the process, but somehow those providing service are not conveying that information? I took my son to take his exam to receive his drivers license. Throughout the process, it was line up here, stand outside, wait right there, etc. All of which I figured out after the fact. When he got back from the driving test, I asked him if he passed and he said, “I don’t know.” I want to be clear, I am not picking on the DMV, when we went to get his permit, it was a wonderfully efficient event. Nor would I want to be a license examiner. It is scary enough watching some drivers; I sure do not want to be in the car. My point is, it was a situation that the DMV personnel obviously knew the process very well, however, I was trying to navigate and kept getting frowns for being stupid and not knowing what to do. If there is a process, tell me the steps, I will stay on the path. I would call this a process GAP.This GAP will happen anytime 1) the public encounters a process that is multi-faceted, 2) a large volume of people move through the process and 3) your need for this service is infrequent. You are suddenly in a situation where you feel as though you should know what to do, but there is no one giving information, nor are there signs pointing the way. Wham, you feel lost, uneasy or just plain grumpy because it should not be this hard.What I took from this experience was a chance to look at our internal processes and myself. Does FSD have GAPs in processes? Do we expect people to know how to do something without telling them? I hope not, but if we do, let me know. The nice thing is…GAP is easy to fix. We change the message. We can change the way we put information out in the way of instructions. We can listen first and then give the answer. We can always improve.So, back to what FSD is doing. The end of one year and the beginning of another is always busy. Staff is setting new budgets; quarterly reporting and stimulus reporting are all coming due; auditors are getting antsy to start reviewing everything; servant leader training is underway; interpreting new legislation and lots and lots of communication and coordination with other areas. All of this is on top of the normal functions like P-Card, purchase funding, reviewing AWARE payments, paying claims, mailing warrants, adding vendors, making deposits and in general getting business done.My hat is off to all of FSD staff. They handle the added pressure with grace and dignity. We do not always get it perfect, but somehow they pull together and day in day out they make financial magic happen.
The DRS “Signpost�� is published by the DRS Public Information Office as a news source for the staff of the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services. Submissions are welcome. Questions and comments may be directed to the editor at 405-951-3497 or jward@okdrs.gov. Contents may be reprinted. Please call the Public Information Office for more details. Unless otherwise noted, all copy is authored by the DRS PIO Staff.Commissioners:Ray F. Kirk – ChairSteve Shelton – Vice ChairMichael O’Brien – DirectorJody Harlan – Public Information AdministratorJim Ward – EditorDana Tallon, Jody Harlan, and Jim Ward – PhotographyCynthia Henderson and Kevin Statham – Information Submissions
DRS Pub. #S11-07 Date: August 2011This publication is authorized by the Oklahoma Commission for Rehabilitation Services in accordance with state and federal regulations and printed by the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services at a cost of $151.20 for 210 copies. This publication is available on the DRS Website. DRS offices may request copies via Compass. For additional copies, contact DRS Central Departmental Services at 405-951-3400 or 800-845-8476 toll free.Available in Accessible Formats “Signpost” is primarily distributed via e-mail.Have a story idea? Did we miss something important? Let’s hear it.Publications like “Signpost” are only as good as the information we receive. Thanks for reading. We want to hear from you. jward@okdrs.gov