First special education task force meeting set Wednesday

The first meeting of the RESPECT Task Force is tomorrow, Wednesday, September 4, at 4 p.m., at the state Capitol in Room 512A.

The RESPECT Task Force was created by the Legislature to study the special education system in Oklahoma and to recommend a plan to improve that system.

At this initial meeting the goals for the task force will be presented, committees will be created to focus on specific policy areas, and a time-line for future meetings will be decided.

The interest and expertise of the members of the task force will be influential in improving special education services making the future brighter for thousands of Oklahoma school children.

Anyone with an interest in special education and related services in Oklahoma is encouraged to attend the task force meetings. 

Fallin Appoints Members to Blue Ribbon Panel to Address Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Waiting List

OKLAHOMA CITY – Governor Mary Fallin today appointed the members of a Blue Ribbon Panel for Developmental Disabilities. Fallin created the panel by executive order, and announced its formation last month at the Governor's Conference on Developmental Disabilities in Norman.

There are almost 60,000 men, women and children with intellectual disabilities in Oklahoma. Currently, the state has a waiting list of over 7,000 people requesting services from the state’s Developmental Disabilities Service Division (DDSD).

The new panel will develop a comprehensive plan to support individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families, starting with recommendations to address the state’s growing waiting list for DDSD services. It will also research and analyze best practices for the comprehensive delivery of high quality services. 

“Our goal as a state is to be a resource that allows men, women and children with intellectual disabilities the ability to realize their full potential, to live their own lives, and to do so as independently as possible,” said Fallin. “This new panel is composed of people with personal and professional experiences that can help us to pursue this goal and improve services.”

Panel members include:

James Nicholson of Oklahoma City. Nicholson is retired from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, where he served for more than four decades. He served most recently as the Director of DDSD.  He will serve as chairman of the panel. 

Ann Trudgeon of Oklahoma City. Trudgeon is the executive director of the Oklahoma Developmental Disabilities Council (ODDC). She has been with the ODDC since 1989. She will serve as an ex officio member on the Blue Ribbon panel.     

State Representative Jason Nelson of Oklahoma City. Nelson was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representative in 2009 and represents District 87. He currently serves as the chairman on the A&B Human Services committee. Nelson is also on the conference committee on human services and human services committee. 

State Senator Greg Treat of Oklahoma City. Treat was elected to the Oklahoma Senate in 2011 and represents District 47. He currently serves as the vice chairman on the health and human services appropriations subcommittee.  

Wanda Felty of Norman. Felty is the community leadership and advocacy coordinator for the Oklahoma LEND (Leadership Education for Health Care Professionals Caring for Children with Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities). She is also on the board of directors at the Oklahoma Developmental Disabilities Council to which she was appointed by Governor Fallin in August 2012 and she has a daughter with an intellectual disability.

Rene’ Daman of Edmond. Daman is the director of the Oklahoma Autism Network at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She has been with the Department of Rehabilitation Science since 1999. She has provided training and technical assistance for providers who support children with autism and their families in early intervention, educational, and community settings.

Michael Upthegrove of Norman. Upthegrove is an adult with an intellectual disability. He previously served on the Oklahoma Developmental Disabilities Council from 2001 to 2009.

Deanna Banta of Shawnee. Banta is an adult with an intellectual disability and is president of Oklahoma People First, a non – profit self advocacy group that promotes equality for people with developmental disabilities.

Robin Arter of Duncan. Arter is the executive director of Duncan Group Homes, a nonprofit agency that provides assistance for people with intellectual disabilities. She is on the Governor’s Advisory Committee at the Oklahoma Office of Disability Concerns. 

Nancy Ward of Oklahoma City. Ward is co – chair of the Oklahoma Self Advocacy Network (OKSAN), which seeks to strengthen the self-advocacy movement in Oklahoma and to increase the inclusion and independence of people with disabilities. She is an adult with an intellectual disability.  

Deborah Decker of Norman. Decker is a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a parent of a child with an intellectual disability. She is the current president of the Sulphur Springs Special Needs Retreat and a parent leader at AutismOKC.org, a support network for parents with children with special needs.  

Fallin Creates Blue Ribbon Panel on Developmental Disabilities (March 5, 2013)

Fallin Creates Blue Ribbon Panel on Developmental Disabilities

Governor Mary Fallin today signed an executive order authorizing the creation of a new Blue Ribbon Panel for Developmental Disabilities. The announcement came today during the Governor's Conference on Developmental Disabilities in Norman, Oklahoma.

The new panel will develop a comprehensive plan to: support individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, address the state’s growing waiting list of thousands of individuals hoping to receive services from the state’s Developmental Disabilities Service Division, and research and analyze best practices for the comprehensive delivery of high quality services. The panel will also act in an advisory capacity to the governor on all issues related to providing community services for individuals with developmental disabilities.  

“There are nearly 60,000 men, women and children with developmental disabilities in Oklahoma,” Fallin said. “While the state is providing high quality services to many of these individuals, we are still experiencing a waiting list of over 7,000 people. This panel will help the state reduce that waiting list while improving the quality of the services it offers.”  

Click here to read a copy of the executive order.