The City of OKC Human Rights Commission sends this information as posted below:
Residents are invited to attend the Human Rights Commission‘s (HRC) July 23 meeting to learn about human rights in public accommodations.
The meeting will be at 6 p.m. July 23 at City Hall, Third Floor Council Chamber, 200 N. Walker Ave. Attendees can enter City Hall at the south entrance. It’s open to all ages.
Attorneys with the Oklahoma Disability Law Center and Scott Hodgden, the City of OKC’s ADA coordinator, will discuss disability rights and the City’s efforts to ensure that all residents can enjoy Oklahoma City.
The Oklahoma Disability Law Center is the federally funded Protection and Advocacy System for people with disabilities in Oklahoma.
“Protecting human rights in our City means making sure that everyone who lives, works or visits here has access to all the community has to offer,” HRC Chair Valerie Couch said. “We hope many people will join us at the meeting to learn about the scope of public accommodations required by law and the resources available to address residents’ needs.”
For more information, contact the HRC Compliance Officer at hrc@okc.gov.
About the speakers
Joy J. Turner is an attorney and the Director of Investigation and Monitoring for Oklahoma Disability Law Center, Inc. She is licensed to practice before the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Federal District Court for the Western and Northern Districts of Oklahoma. Turner is a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association and graduated from Oklahoma City University School of Law in 1999.
Brian S. Wilkerson is an attorney and the Director of Litigation and Legal Services for the Oklahoma Disability Law Center. Wilkerson worked as a Contract Parent’s Attorney in Tulsa County for 20 years. He is a member of the Oklahoma Bar Association and is licensed to practice before the Federal District Court for the Northern, Eastern and Western Districts of Oklahoma, as well as the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Tribal Court. Wilkerson graduated from the University of Oklahoma School of Law in 1996.
Nick Southerland is a staff attorney with the Oklahoma Disability Law Center, Inc., and has been with ODLC since 2020. He previously worked as a public defender in Tulsa and Oklahoma Counties. He is an Oklahoma Bar Association member and licensed to practice before the Federal District Courts for the Northern and Western Districts of Oklahoma. Southerland graduated from the University of Tulsa School of Law in 2012.
Scott E. Hodgden has been with the City of Oklahoma City for 23 years, with most of his service in the Public Works Department. He was promoted internally from Inspector I to Storm Water Chief Inspector and ultimately Assistant Superintendent of Field Services. Hodgden recently became the City’s Right-of-Way Specialist and was appointed the Title II ADA Coordinator.
About Oklahoma City’s Human Rights Commission
The Oklahoma City Human Rights Commission meets every other month and is responsible for addressing alleged harm to people who have been discriminated against because of their race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender, national origin, age, familial status, genetic information, or disability related to employment, housing, and public accommodations as provided by Oklahoma laws regarding discrimination.
Free Press curates press releases from organizations and people we know to be reputable. If you would like to submit a well-written press release for us to publish on our site, please click the email icon at the top of this page.
