Oklahoma Council of the Blind

Major Activities and Accomplishments

(prepared 1995)

1919 - Formation of the Oklahoma Association of the Blind, later renamed Oklahoma Federation of the Blind and Oklahoma Council of the Blind.

1937 - Passage of Oklahoma Randolph-Sheppard Act. Later expansion of Act to create vending opportunities for blind persons in county buildings.

1949 - Creation of Oklahoma League for the Blind, providing employment for blind people for over 45 years.

1953 - Established State Credit Union for the blind.

1967 - Helped recruit qualified blind individuals for the state's first computer programmer training program for visually impaired people, advancing employment of blind persons.

1968 - Supported the transfer of Vocational Rehabilitation from the Oklahoma Department of Education to DHS (then the Oklahoma Public Welfare Commission), resulting in major funding increases for rehabilitation (SB-639). With OCB's support, OSB was later transferred to the Welfare Department, where financial support for the School increased significantly.

1968 - Introduced legislation establishing the official Oklahoma Non-Driver's Identification License and provided support for its successful passage.

1970s - Made a substantial financial commitment to the Radio Reading Service for purchase of radio receivers for blind individuals; helped write Bylaws for the Radio Reading Service Advisory Committee and provided other program support through Advisory Committee involvement.

1970s - Helped establish and write Bylaws for the Oklahoma Blind Bowlers Association.

1973 - Advocacy resulting in adoption of the State Use Act, encouraging state purchase of products and services produced by sheltered workshops and businesses operated by disabled individuals. Later, gained expansion of the Act to cover county and municipal governments.

1974 - Passage of legislation giving blind individuals a choice of who shall assist them in voting.

1974 - Worked for passage of 1974 Randolph-Sheppard Act Amendments at federal level.

1976 – OCB, the organization and individuals, participated at state and national levels in the first (and only) White House Conference on the Handicapped.

1977 - With other disability groups, founded the Oklahoma Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities. Provided financial support for establishment of the coalition.

1977 - Joined many other disability organizations in applying pressure for the signing of the regulations to implement Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The rules, finally signed by HEW (now DHHS) Secretary Califano in the spring of 1977, made effective the first national civil rights protections for citizens with disabilities.

Ongoing Federal legislative activities included advocacy related to Rehabilitation Act amendments, funding for rehabilitation and education of the blind, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Fair Housing Amendments of 1988, the Civil Rights Restoration Act, the Air Carrier's Access Act, the Technology Assistance Act, funding for Free Matter, the Americans with Disabilities Act, funding for independent living services for older blind and many other measures affecting the blind.

1978 - Provided statewide media interviews and public education for retention of the 2% sales tax for human services programs (SQ-539). Held SQ-539 watch party at OCB offices, where Governor George Nigh joined us to celebrate the unexpected victory of SQ-539's defeat.

1979 - 1979-1981: Established OCB office and hired administrator.

1980 - OCB was the prime mover in gaining establishment of the Oklahoma Office of Handicapped Concerns.

1980 Early 1980's - Provided financial support to LASS Federal Credit Union for the blind to help keep it afloat.

1980's - Wrote grants that secured DECA funding allowing OCB to conduct pre-employment workshops for visually impaired individuals seeking employment. The grants also enabled the Council to provide work experience for several blind individuals.

1980 Early 1980's: Assisted in establishing the state's first beep baseball team in Oklahoma City. Council members worked on the team's bylaws and early organizational structure.

1980 - And continuing: Provided a representative on the Board of Directors of APOSI (Advocates and Parents of Oklahoma's Sight Impaired) and worked with parents on issues and activities for visually impaired children and youth.

1981 - In the early 1980's the Council worked to gain passage of state civil rights statutes outlawing discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, public accommodations and housing.

1980s - Participated in transportation advocacy through Coalition for Transportation Choices.

Repeatedly (3 years) supported State Questions to amend the Oklahoma constitution to authorize regional transportation districts with power to raise money for public transportation (Questions failed).

1985 - Opposed DHS reorganization plans which would have merged varying DHS programs into a service "supermarket" that could have been destructive to continuation and improvement of specialized services for the blind.

1985 - Negotiated Department of Tourism and Recreation policy changes to end discriminatory treatment of blind persons wishing to participate in horseback riding sponsored by state resorts.

1985 - Participated on Task force for Education of the Visually Impaired which developed a legislative proposal to improve public school resources for educating children with visual impairments. Worked with the Task Force and other groups to promote passage of legislation creating positions for two O & M instructors and five consultants to work with public school students who have visual impairments, their parents and teachers. (Note: Program funding and positions have since eroded.)

1987 - Played major advocacy role leading to passage of legislation to build the Travis Leon Harris Building, the new Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (SJR-5).

1990 - In the early 1990's, OCB generated organization and individual action to oppose the DHS Reduction-In-Force which adversely affected Vocational Rehabilitation and Visual Services.

1991 - Helped sponsor the Governor's Conference on ADA.

1992 - Sponsored essay writing contest for blind children and youth.

1993 1991-93 – Laid groundwork, provided leadership and member support for successful campaign to establish free-standing rehabilitation agency (SB-356).

Helped gain passage of 1992 resolution (SCR-85) setting up a task force to study possible removal of rehabilitation from DHS.

1993 - Disability Transportation Awareness Day.

1993 - Participated in interim legislative study on education of the blind and providing quality braille instruction in the public schools.

1993 1991-93 - Planned and conducted public awareness activities for White Cane Safety Day.

1993 - Organized media coverage for Braille Literacy Week.

1993 - Provided major financial support to help Oklahoma League for the Blind maintain employment for blind individuals.

1993 1991-93 - Provided financial assistance for deaf-blind individuals to attend national and international meetings of the deaf-blind.

1993 1991-93 - Financially supported blind children attending summer camp.

1993 1991 and 1993 - Coordinated state legislative receptions.

All Years - Produced organization newsletters culminating in development of Visions, a publication which has advanced the public education goals of OCB and demonstrated both member and public appeal.

All Years - Annual donation of braille writer to top senior at the Oklahoma School for the Blind.

1993 - Established statewide toll-free number to improve member and public access to information on OCB and services for the blind.

1993 1980-1993 - Planned and coordinated various leadership training workshops for members. In early '90s secured Lions Club funding for leadership training for visually impaired persons within and beyond OCB membership.

1990's - Beginning in the late 1980's - OCB worked with other organizations to advocate for universal health care, with special attention to the issue of people who are considered medically uninsurable.

Participated in and contributed to the work of the Oklahoma Health Care Project.

1993 and ongoing - Convened an Education Task Force to begin to address the complex issues in improving educational opportunities for blind children.

All Vigilance: closely monitored the course of legislation, public policy and programs effecting the blind, to keep OCB members informed on current blindness issues and prepared to advocate as needed.

1994 - Worked with Rep. Betty Boyd to develop and pass state legislation requiring textbook suppliers make their books available on disk for braille translation (HB-1874).

1994 - Transportation advocacy - active support for HB-1873, dedicated state funding source for public transportation. During the previous three years, OCB worked to support appropriations for the Mass-Transit Revolving Fund and transportation.

1995 - Coordinated state conference to develop recommendations from blind people for the White House Conference on Aging.

Ongoing - In 1994 OCB's Telecommunications Committee worked with legislators to gain bill language assuring disability interests would be represented in data processing and telecommunications task forces which might be created in the state. The telecommunications bills did not pass, but groundwork was laid for future activity on the issue.

Ongoing - In various years, contributed to and assisted the Governor's Easter Egg Hunt for blind children.

1990's - The organization appointed an environmental access representative who monitored federal regulatory and legislative developments on detectable warnings and related matters. The representative issued letters to Congress and rule makers as needed to express OCB positions on environmental access.

1990's The American Council of the Blind voted to hold its 1996 Convention in Tulsa. OCB established an ACB Convention Committee to develop organizational and individual participation in the Convention, and to plan state level work in support of the Convention.

1990's - As an outgrowth of leadership training efforts, in the early 1990's OCB convened a leadership group to address Council goals, objectives, resources and priorities of the organization.