Accomplishments

Activities and Accomplishments 1919 to Present

Updated November, 2023

1919: Established as Oklahoma Association of the Blind, later renamed
Oklahoma Federation of the Blind, and in 1979, renamed Oklahoma Council of the
Blind.

1937: Promoted legislation creating the Oklahoma Randolph-Sheppard Act,
creating more job opportunities for blind people managing vending facilities in
state and county buildings.

1949: Organized creation of Oklahoma League for the Blind (OLB), providing
employment for blind people. OCB (then OFB) members filed Articles of
Incorporation for the League on November 30, 1949. The OLB Constitution
originally specified that OCB elect several of the OLB Board Members, but that
provision was deleted around 1998. Between 1949 and 1998, OCB members and
American Council of the Blind leaders Floyd Qualls and LeRoy Saunders both
served as Director of the League.

1949 through 2002: Gained introduction and passage of the state’s White Cane
Law, requiring drivers to stop when they see a person with a white cane in an
intersection. This law also protects people who use dog guides. OCB worked
with legislators on amendments to the law which expanded its protections. With
OCB involvement, the law was amended in 1997 and 1998 to protect people using
signal and service dogs, and in 2002 to extend the required vehicle stopping
distance from 3 feet to 15 feet.

1953: Established state credit union for the blind. Later expanded to serve both
Oklahoma and Texas.

1967: Helped recruit qualified blind individuals for the state’s first computer
programmer training for blind people. Several graduates were employed as a
result, and had lifelong careers in computer programming.
1968: Supported the legislative transfer of Vocational Rehabilitation from the
Oklahoma Department of Education (Vocational Education) to DHS (then the
Oklahoma Public Welfare Commission), resulting in major funding increases for
rehabilitation (SB-639). During this era, and with OCB’s support, the Oklahoma
School for the Blind was also transferred to the Welfare Department, where
financial support for OSB increased substantially.

1968: Introduced and supported passage of legislation establishing the official
Oklahoma non-driver’s identification license.

1970’s and later: Nationally, worked to get passage of the education act for
children with disabilities, and advocated for amendments that have improved
blind children’s access to appropriate educational evaluations, technology and
Braille instruction. (First enacted as the Education for All handicapped Children
Act, this law was later amended and renamed the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act.)

1970’s: Made a substantial financial commitment to the Radio Reading Service
for the 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.
1970’s: Helped write Bylaws and establish the Oklahoma Blind Bowlers
Association (OBBA).

1973: Advocacy resulting in enactment 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. (Note: Recent legislative action has
eroded coverage of the Act.)

1974: Helped introduce and pass legislation giving blind individuals a choice of
who shall assist them in voting.

1977: With other disability groups, founded the Oklahoma Coalition of Citizens
with Disabilities (OCCD). Joined with Oklahoma Easter Seals in funding OCCD’s
first and founding convention. OCB, both the state organization and individual
members, remained active in OCCD as the coalition represented the interests of
Oklahomans with disabilities. Major OCCD accomplishments included pursuit of
federal complaints which resulted in correction of Oral Roberts University
admission policies that denied entry to applicants with disabilities and obesity,
and preventing vocational rehabilitation services from being reorganized and
submerged in a generic welfare service delivery system.

1977: Joined 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.

1979-1981: Established OCB office and hired administrator.

1978: Provided statewide media interviews and public education for retention of
the 2% state sales tax which was earmarked for human services programs (SQ-
539). Held the SQ-539 watch party at the OCB office, where Governor George

Nigh joined us to celebrate the unexpected victory of SQ-539’s defeat. (A few
years later the state sales tax allocation for human services was removed, leaving
DHS without a dedicated source of funding.)

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

1980: Secured grant funding that allowed OCB to offer a summer recreation
program for blind children.

1980: Helped write legislation creating the state Office of Handicapped Concerns
(now Disability Concerns).

1980’s and ongoing:
OCB activities included advocacy related to:
– Rehabilitation Act amendments,
– funding for rehabilitation and education of the blind,
– the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA),
– the Fair Housing Act Amendments of 1988,
– the Civil Rights Restoration Act,
– the Air Carriers Access Act,
– the Technology Assistance Act,
– funding for Free Matter for the Blind,
– the Americans with Disabilities Act,
– the repeated failure of the ADA Notification Act which would have made the
accessibility complaint process more difficult for consumers, created long
waiting periods and delayed progress toward the ADA goal of accessible
environments,
– funding for independent living services for older blind individuals,
– the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 which overturned Supreme Court
decisions that had denied ADA anti-discrimination protections to many
individuals with disabilities that could be treated with medicine, therapies
and assistive technology. Enactment of the ADAAA restored ADA
protection for people with mental illness, diabetes, seizure disorders, and
many other disabilities.
– Medicare coverage of vision rehabilitation services and low vision aids
(still not achieved),
– The 21st Century Telecommunications and Video Accessibility Act,
– opposition to Workforce Investment Act versions that would include
vocational rehabilitation in a proposed employment program consolidation
and block grant,
– and many other federal measures affecting the blind.

1980’s: 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: The Council worked to gain passage of state civil rights laws adding
disability to those groups covered by state laws prohibiting discrimination in
employment, housing and public accommodations.

1980’s: Participated in transportation advocacy through the 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, although a
statutory provision permitting creation of regional transportation authorities has
been enacted since.).

1985-87: Joined other disability groups in opposing 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. Joined with OCCD in filing a complaint with the federal
Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) charging the proposed DHS
reorganization plan was illegal under the Rehab Act, a charge upheld by the RSA.
This action prevented rehabilitation and blindness services from being merged
into a general welfare system and prevented the elimination of specialized
services for the blind and other disabilities.

1985: Negotiated a state Tourism Department policy change to end
discriminatory treatment of blind persons wishing to participate in horseback
riding sponsored by state resorts. (This action resulted from an incident in which
a group of blind individuals were required to sign liability disclaimers in order to
participate in the horseback riding offered at a state park, while others were not
required to sign the waiver. In the group were several blind individuals who had
grown up riding horses.)

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 disabilities. Worked with the Task Force and other
entities to promote the 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. The positions were in the State
Department of Education Special Education Unit. OCB members and other
supporters worked to get the positions funded through the legislative
appropriations process. (Note: These positions have since been eliminated as
school responsibility for providing TVI and O&M services has grown and SDE’s
special education activities have changed.)

1990: Worked with many other state and national disability organizations to gain
passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

1980’s: At national level, supported the Fair Housing Act Amendments that
included people with disabilities in fair housing.
Ongoing: At national level, supported the Assistive Technology Act, setting up
AT programs in all states, and continue to work for adequate funding for Tech Act
programs.

Ongoing: At national level, continued support for funding for Free Matter for the
Blind – revenue foregone.
Ongoing: At national level, supported funding for independent living services for
older blind individuals.

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). In the Oklahoma House, this legislation was first voted
down, but later passed on a motion to reconsider, following intense advocacy by
OCB members and other supporters.

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 the Americans with
Disabilities Act.

1992: Sponsored an essay writing contest for blind children and youth.

1991-1993: Laid groundwork, provided leadership and member support for
successful campaign to establish a free standing rehabilitation agency, the State
Department of Rehabilitation Services (SB-356). Helped gain passage of 1992
resolution (SCR-85) setting up a legislative Task Force to study the feasibility of
removing rehabilitation, schools for the blind and deaf and disability
determination services from DHS and creating a free standing department for
these disability programs. SB-356 authors were Senator Ben Brown of OKC and
Rep. Betty Boyd of Tulsa.

1993: Conducted State Disability Transportation Awareness Day.

1993: Successfully sought passage of legislation creating the Task Force on
Braille Instructional Materials, to promote availability of Braille and other
accessible school materials.

1994: Worked with Rep. Betty Boyd to develop and pass state legislation
requiring textbook suppliers to make their books available on disk for Braille
translation (HB-1874). OCB members have also worked on amendments to this
legislation over the years.

1991 and ensuing years: Planned and conducted public awareness activities for
White Cane Safety Day.

1993 and other years: Organized media coverage for Braille Literacy Week.

1991-1993: Provided financial assistance for deaf-blind individuals to attend
national and international meetings of the deaf-blind. Provided financial support to help blind children attend summer
camp.

1991 and 1993: Coordinated state legislative receptions.

1980 – 1993: Planned and coordinated various leadership training workshops for
member. In the early 1990’s, secured Lions Club funding for leadership training
for visually impaired persons within and beyond OCB membership.
1990’s: Beginning in the 1980’s and continuing, 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. Worked with other
organizations to gain introduction of state legislation to create a high risk health
insurance pool. The legislation did not pass at that time, but several years later
became law.

1993 and continuing: Convened an Education Task Force to begin to address the
complex issues in improving educational opportunities for blind children. The
Task Force included OCB members, teachers of the blind and parents, and led to
legislation creating the Task Force on Braille Instructional Materials and action to
implement its recommendations. This activity resulted in establishment of the
Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) Center at the Library for the Blind.
1994: Provided advocacy for enactment of HB-1873, providing a dedicated state
funding source for public transportation. Before and after, the blind have worked
to get legislative support for appropriations for the Public Transportation
Revolving Fund.

1994: 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 this issue.

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

1996: OCB organized an awareness day at the State Capitol. The day was called
“A Different Way of Seeing,” and featured information on living and working with
blindness. Collaborated with VS/DRS in presenting information.

1990’s: OCB environmental access representative monitored federal regulatory
and legislative developments on detectable warnings and related matters. This
person issued letters to Congress and rule makers to express OCB positions on
environmental access.

2002-03: Partnered with other groups to counteract a threat of devastating
budget cuts to the Library for the Blind and school for the blind. The potential for
major budget cuts for both these entities occurs each time there is a state
revenue shortfall. OCB members have remained alert to such threats and act as
needed to support Library and OSB funding.

2006: Saved the Oklahoma City Share-A Fare discount taxi program by
advocating for funding through the CDBG Committee and City Council.

Late 1990’s to 2000: With Visual Services and other blindness groups, advocated
with the Oklahoma legislature for $1 million in state funds for independent living
services for older blind persons. We were able to get $500,000, and this amount
continues to come to DRS each year for older blind services. The appropriation
was not line-itemed, and monitoring is needed to ensure it continues to be used
for Older Blind independent living.

2010: With affiliate HCB and other advocates, testified before Oklahoma City
Council opposing transportation service cuts and speaking on the need for
increased funding and a stable source of funding for public transportation. As a
result, the City Council raised the priority level of public transit and withdrew
some of the planned service reductions.

2006 – 2016 biennially: Participated with HCB, ORC and other groups to organize,
conduct and attend a central Oklahoma candidates’ forum.

2011-12 and in previous years: Advocacy with the OKC City Council to promote
inclusion of sidewalks and public transportation in general obligation bond plans
and MAPS funding plans.

All: Produced organizational newsletters regularly over decades, with few
interruptions. OCB newsletters advanced the public education goals of OCB and had both member and public appeal. In the early 1980’s OCB published a
magazine for the public, in addition to our newsletter. The magazine, Consumers’
Contemporary, focused on education of blind children, independent living, the
abilities of blind people and general awareness subjects.
Various years: In various years, contributed to and assisted the Governor’s

Easter Egg Hunt for blind children, an annual event which for many years was a
project of APOSI, a state organization for parents of blind children. In the 2000’s,
OCB chapter Heartland Council of the Blind has conducted the Easter Egg Hunt.
All: As of 2018, OCB had affiliate local chapters in central Oklahoma (HCB),
Muskogee, Tulsa (TCB), Lawton and Duncan. More recently, the Tulsa chapter
has evolved into an online statewide community resource. These chapters have
many local projects. They educate and advocate on behalf of blind Oklahomans,
and serve as support groups.

2017: Opposed legislation to privatize Older Blind Independent Living services.
Worked with advocates, DRS and legislators to modify legislation to preserve
jobs and older blind services.

2022: Supported passage of HB-1711 requiring the State Election Board to
provide accessible ballots which can be completed online by blind voters using
their assistive technology.

Various years: Several times over the decades, OCB has organized and
sponsored advocacy training for members. Typically, these workshops have
included instruction from legislators and community leaders.
Some things we have today because blind people in OK and the nation worked
with public officials, community leaders and organizations:
● The Library for the Blind.
● The state rehabilitation agency.
● Some state level funding for public transportation.
● The non-driver’s identification card.
● A law to make landlords allow blind people to have guide dogs in their
apartments.
● A law to tell drivers to stop 15 feet away from a blind person using a white
cane or any disabled person with a guide or assistance dog who is
crossing the street at an intersection.
● A federal law that makes government and business make their facilities
more accessible to people with disabilities – cub cuts, Braille signs, Braille
and large print information, accessible websites, electronic doors,
disability parking, detectable warnings, assistance in shopping and reading
product information, etc. – the ADA.
● State and federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis
of disability.
● The right to attend public school and get specialized services we need to
learn and participate, such as large print materials and special equipment.
● Braille textbooks for blind kids in Oklahoma schools.
● The right to take our guide dogs with us to restaurants, movies and other
public places.
● Talking books.
● Jobs like in the vending facility program and other places.
● Technology like CCTV’s, magnification devices, Braille notetakers, Braille
computer displays, talking electronic devices – assistive technology is
more readily available today because of the advocacy of OCB and other
blindness organizations over the years. OCB advocacy contributing to
greater assistive technology availability has included support for
rehabilitation funding and specialized services for the blind, amendments
to the Rehab Act, OCB participation on the Oklahoma Assistive Technology
Task Force, Tech Act, IDEA and other laws or policies that blind people
have advocated for through their organizations including OCB.
● The ability to fly on airplanes and get assistance finding your way in the
airport and on the plane (Air Carriers Access Act).
● Sometimes, the chance to get a Braille or large print menu at the
restaurant.