The weeklong Transcript news series on the disabled among us has attempted to put a local face on the 54 million Americans who are living with some kind of disability. As the series reports, thousands of them are our neighbors.
It's been 35 years since the federal Rehabilitation Act was passed and 18 years since the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act went into effect. Amendments to the law will take effect Jan. 1, 2009, allowing more Americans to be covered.
A few themes ring true from our reporters' notebooks. Disabled citizens don't want pity. They want the same opportunities afforded able bodied folks. They want meaningful jobs working for employers who care about what they can do, not what they can't do.
They struggle daily with what most of us take for granted: Housing accessibility, transportation alternatives, shopping, social outlets and child care. A few homebuilders and apartment managers have figured out there is a market for homes that are set up for the disabled.
Some stores go out of their way to welcome disabled shoppers and their families while a few see it as more of a bother. OU students had high marks for the campus accommodations. They have staff advocates and a networking group who make access a priority.
Norman is truly blessed with a wealth of agencies and governmental offices that look out for the disabled. Outside of that, as one service agency client shared with a reporter, "The one thing this place has taught me is there are nice people in the world," she said.
Opinion
News series showcases the disabled among us
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‘Flavor of the month’
State Republicans have invited all of the GOP presidential candidates to Oklahoma. Former candidate Herman Cain came to Oklahoma City in early December, just days after he suspended his campaign. Rick Santorum brought his charged-up ...
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Gov. Fallin says tax cuts bring national attention
Rating agencies are often courted by state, county and local officials seeking better ratings and thus lower interest costs on long-term debt financed through bonds. Oklahoma’s governor and other officials called on various agencies this ...
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AA’s decision a blow to Tulsa
The announcement by American Airlines that it will likely lay off almost a third of its Tulsa work force is terrible news. Looking for the bright side, the huge Tulsa maintenance facility will keep almost 70 percent of its employees ...
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Oklahoma kids rank low
Oklahoma kids continue to rank low in terms of poverty, health, child welfare, early childhood development and hunger....
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Schools deserve best equipment, teachers
A candidate at a state Senate forum this past week repeated the oft-made comment that Oklahoma has too many school districts. We agree some consolidation is needed, and it’s happening. But the candidate went beyond that and said we don’t ...
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Thanks from our readers
Oklahoma senators serving on the finance committee wisely killed a bill that would effectively tax newspaper and magazine subscribers. It came up on the session’s first full day of work and was quickly dispatched by a 13-1 vote....
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Independent group needed
Editor, The Transcript: I wanted to write a letter a long time ago, but Ms. Rogers’ letter claiming that “Chromium levels in the water shouldn’t cause alarm” pushed me over the edge. As an environmental professional in Oklahoma, I have ...
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Governor, chancellor push higher grad rates
Oklahoma has long had college students who leave campus before finishing their degrees. They leave to take jobs in order to support families, they get behind in studies and don’t see a way out, or they just need a break. Additionally, some ...
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Quitting should be smokers’ choice
The Jan. 29 editorial “The high cost of tobacco” claimed that tobacco use costs Oklahomans a lot of money, but it did not disclose the fact that tobacco use produces a lot of money for Oklahomans, which — in the interest of being fair — ...
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A turning point in Oklahoma’s health
The governor’s announcement of a tobacco ban on any state-owned or leased properties may be a turning point in the state’s push for better health. We’re currently ranked 48th in the United Health Foundation rankings. We made some progress, ...
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‘Flavor of the month’
