Ability Connection Oklahoma

08/22/2026

TIME published an op-ed from Barbara Merrill and the Honorable Tony Coelho addressing the current attacks on disability rights that threaten the promised right to inclusion for people with disabilities.

Read here: https://time.com/article/2026/08/11/the-promise-we-made-to-americans-with-disabilities-is-under-attack/

08/16/2026

From our friends at AAPD: Recent Justice Department actions have threatened to undermine disabled people’s rights under foundational disability civil rights laws. AAPD and our partners are hosting a webinar on Wednesday, August 19, to help you navigate these threats and protect your rights.

Speakers will address the importance of the Supreme Court's Olmstead decision and the rights that disabled people have under the ADA and Section 504 to live in their own homes and communities, discuss how recent threats may affect these rights, and teach you what you can do to protect them.

The integration mandate of the ADA and Section 504 is one of the most fundamental rights that disabled people have, and it is critical that we take collective action to preserve it. Please join us on Wednesday, August 19th, from 4 PM - 5:15 PM ET to learn how.

You’ll receive updates and resources from policy leaders fighting for our rights – Maria Town, President and CEO of American Association of People with Disabilities, Jennifer Mathis, Deputy Director of The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Cathy Costanzo, Executive Director of the Center for Public Representation, and Alison Barkoff, Hirsh Health Law & Policy Associate Professor and Hirsh Program Director at GW Milken Institute School of Public Health

ASL and CART will be provided. Please contact [email protected] to request any other accommodations, and be sure to register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xHzUA2CBQAOLx8vh7H7c6Q

Image Description: A royal blue graphic has a black-and-white photo on the right of a protest sign that says “Our Homes NOT Nursing Homes” and text that conveys the same information as the caption. The logos for the co-presenting organizations are featured.

Recent Justice Department actions have threatened to undermine disabled people’s rights under foundational disability civil rights laws. AAPD and our partners are hosting a webinar on Wednesday, August 19, to help you navigate these threats and protect your rights.

Speakers will address the importance of the Supreme Court's Olmstead decision and the rights that disabled people have under the ADA and Section 504 to live in their own homes and communities, discuss how recent threats may affect these rights, and teach you what you can do to protect them.

The integration mandate of the ADA and Section 504 is one of the most fundamental rights that disabled people have, and it is critical that we take collective action to preserve it. Please join us on Wednesday, August 19th, from 4 PM - 5:15 PM ET to learn how.

You’ll receive updates and resources from policy leaders fighting for our rights – Maria Town, President and CEO of American Association of People with Disabilities, Jennifer Mathis, Deputy Director of The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Cathy Costanzo, Executive Director of the Center for Public Representation, and Alison Barkoff, Hirsh Health Law & Policy Associate Professor and Hirsh Program Director at GW Milken Institute School of Public Health

ASL and CART will be provided. Please contact [email protected] to request any other accommodations, and be sure to register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xHzUA2CBQAOLx8vh7H7c6Q

Image Description: A royal blue graphic has a black-and-white photo on the right of a protest sign that says “Our Homes NOT Nursing Homes” and text that conveys the same information as the caption. The logos for the co-presenting organizations are featured.

08/10/2026

Who is ready to golf? ⛳️ Sign up today for our Sept. 26 Tournament at: https://www.acok.org/golf
Hope to see you there!

08/07/2026

Register for the Next Professional Learning Series Webinar:
It’s Never Too Early: Communication for Young Children with CP
The Professional Learning Series, hosted by United Cerebral Palsy’s Research Council and Gillette Children’s, offers professionals an opportunity to learn more about cerebral palsy while earning free Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits.

The 90-minute expert-to-expert webinars provide the latest research that can be translated to care by professionals who work with children with cerebral palsy and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

This presentation will provide a practical understanding of the importance of early AAC implementation for children with cerebral palsy.

08/03/2026

Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) are the backbone of disability services. They help people with disabilities live independently, work, participate in their communities, and achieve their personal goals. Yet across the country, providers are struggling to recruit and retain the DSP workforce, leaving too many people without the supports they need.
UCP is urging members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) to support the Recognizing the Role of Direct Support Professionals Act (S. 3211).
This bipartisan legislation is an important first step toward addressing the DSP workforce crisis. By establishing better data collection through the Department of Labor, the bill will help policymakers better understand the size, scope, and challenges of the DSP workforce — information that's essential for developing effective solutions to strengthen recruitment, retention, and long-term investment.
Citizens of Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin: Your Senator serves on HSGAC, and now is the time to speak up! Contact their office and urge them to support S. 3211 when it comes before the committee this week.
https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/about/committee-members/
DSPs make community inclusion possible. They deserve to be recognized, counted, and supported, and people with disabilities deserve a workforce that's strong enough to meet their needs.

Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) are the backbone of disability services. They help people with disabilities live independently, work, participate in their communities, and achieve their personal goals. Yet across the country, providers are struggling to recruit and retain the DSP workforce, leaving too many people without the supports they need.

UCP is urging members of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) to support the Recognizing the Role of Direct Support Professionals Act (S. 3211).

This bipartisan legislation is an important first step toward addressing the DSP workforce crisis. By establishing better data collection through the Department of Labor, the bill will help policymakers better understand the size, scope, and challenges of the DSP workforce — information that's essential for developing effective solutions to strengthen recruitment, retention, and long-term investment.

Citizens of Arizona, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin: Your Senator serves on HSGAC, and now is the time to speak up! Contact their office and urge them to support S. 3211 when it comes before the committee this week.

https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/about/committee-members/

DSPs make community inclusion possible. They deserve to be recognized, counted, and supported, and people with disabilities deserve a workforce that's strong enough to meet their needs.

07/26/2026

Disability can be permanent or temporary, and most people will experience disability at some point in their lives.

As we celebrate the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, we honor the disability rights advocates whose work made this landmark civil rights law possible. Its impact extends beyond disability, creating more accessible communities that benefit everyone.

From workplace accommodations to accessible buildings and communication, the ADA helps build communities where everyone belongs.

07/26/2026

Today on the My Life Without Limits blog, we celebrate the progress made because of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a landmark civil rights law that has transformed access, opportunity, and inclusion for millions of Americans with disabilities.

But while we've come a long way, our work is far from finished.

At UCP, we stand united with the disability community in advancing the full promise of the ADA: a future where every person can live, learn, work, and thrive without barriers. Together, we'll keep advocating, innovating, and pushing for the accessibility, equity, and inclusion that everyone deserves.

Read the blog: bit.ly/4vLzM6o

📷: Metropolitan Transportation Authority

07/16/2026

Are you a person with an intellectual or developmental disability, who would like to learn more about how to speak up for your rights? ANCOR is offering a scholarship for the 2026 ANCOR Policy Summit & Hill Day, Friday, July 31. For more information, and to apply, please visit:

The ANCOR Foundation is excited to share the Self-Advocate Scholarship Program! This program helps self-advocates go to ANCOR events. It gives people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) a chance to meet leaders, connect with others, and grow their advocacy skills.

07/08/2026

Advocacy is one of the most important ways we work to build a life without limits for people with disabilities.
This week, UCP is calling on Congress to advance the Supporting Our Direct Care Workforce and Family Caregivers Act.
Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) and family caregivers make community living, employment, and independence possible for millions of people with disabilities. But workforce shortages continue to create barriers for individuals, families, and providers across the country.
This legislation would help strengthen and grow the direct care workforce by investing in recruitment, retention, training, and support for caregivers. We believe these investments are essential to ensuring people with disabilities have the services they need to live, work, and thrive in their communities.

Advocacy is one of the most important ways we work to build a life without limits for people with disabilities.

This week, UCP is calling on Congress to advance the Supporting Our Direct Care Workforce and Family Caregivers Act.

Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) and family caregivers make community living, employment, and independence possible for millions of people with disabilities. But workforce shortages continue to create barriers for individuals, families, and providers across the country.

This legislation would help strengthen and grow the direct care workforce by investing in recruitment, retention, training, and support for caregivers. We believe these investments are essential to ensuring people with disabilities have the services they need to live, work, and thrive in their communities.

07/04/2026

Happy 250th Birthday America!