The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (ODHS) sends this information as posted below:
Oklahoma City, Aug. 5, 2024 – The National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) recognized Oklahomans, Nancy Ward, Roderick Tyler Halpainy II, Lamonte Jackson Jr., and David Blose at an awards ceremony during NACDD’s Annual Conference on July 25 in Washington, D.C.
Nancy Ward received the 2024 Betty Williams Champion of Equal Opportunity Award while Roderick Tyler Halpainy II, Lamonte Jackson Jr., and David Blose were appointed to the NACDD Self-Advocacy Leadership Circle.
The Betty Williams Champion of Equal Opportunity Award annually recognizes an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and commitment to policy that supports equal rights for people with disabilities.
“Nancy’s dedication to creating a more equitable playing field for people with developmental disabilities is truly inspiring,” said Jenifer Randle, Executive Director of The Developmental Disabilities Council of Oklahoma.
Nancy serves as a Self-Advocate Peer Trainer for The Developmental Disabilities Council of Oklahoma, is the president of People First, a Self-Advocacy grassroots group, and helped organize the first nation-wide Self-Advocacy organization, Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE). Nancy has been a state and national leader in the disability rights movement for more than 30 years and has dedicated her life to helping people with disabilities learn how to advocate for themselves and others.
Nancy advocated before Congress for the passage of key disability rights statutes such as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (now IDEA), The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). She has spoken on disability issues in countries around the world including in China, Japan and Dubai and continues to speak to members of Congress and to Oklahoma’s Legislature about disability issues and awareness.
Halpainy, Jackson and Blose are rising stars and testaments to the power of self-advocacy. Each of these Oklahoma Youth Leadership Forum Graduates has led Oklahoma’s developmental disabilities communities by example – showing those with developmental disabilities that no milestone or achievement is out of reach.
Roderick Tyler Halpainy II, also known as “Smiles” for his radiating positivity and contagious joyfulness, has served Oklahoma’s Youth Leadership Forum as an Alumni Mentor for over five years. Halpainy also bowls with Moore Xtreme, his Special Olympics team, volunteers as a referee for the University of Central Oklahoma’s hockey league and as a cook for Edmond Mobile Meals, a nonprofit charitable organization with a mission to provide nourishing meals to elderly and disabled persons who are unable to prepare meals for themselves.
Lamonte Jackson Jr. attended the University of Oklahoma Sooner Works, a four-year comprehensive integrated program for students with an intellectual or developmental disability who desire a postsecondary experience on a college campus. When not studying, Lamonte regularly volunteers in his community and balances college and his volunteer work with confidence, a strong work ethic and a great sense of humor. Jackson’s passion for learning has led him to advocate at Oklahoma’s state legislature for people with developmental disabilities to have better access to affordable post-secondary education.
When David Blose is not advocating for Oklahomans with developmental disabilities, he is busy creating truly mesmerizing pieces of art that grace the walls of government offices, universities, hospitals and businesses. This year Blose’s art was featured at Developmental Disabilities Day at the Oklahoma State Capitol. He volunteers for Autism Oklahoma, a nonprofit organization that helps families thrive, communities understand and embrace differences and individuals with autism reach their full potential.
“I’ve watched Roderick, Lamonte and David grow into the amazing young men they are now. Though their paths have not always been smooth, they have journeyed them with confidence and determination. These young men exemplify what it means to be advocates for not only themselves but for each other and their entire community,” Randle said.
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