Dale Rogers Training Center Providing Employment For Oklahomans With Disabilities

The Dale Rogers Training Center gives people with disabilities a place of purpose and accomplishment and they get paid for it.   

“Overall DRTC serves, trains, and employs right around 1,000 people every year,” said Executive Director Deborah Copeland.  

They provide full-time and part-time employment at the center and out in the community. 

“We try to meet people where they are in their life and in their goals for employment and really provide them a way to move forward,” said Copeland. 

Many of the jobs are at the training center, but about 85 percent of the opportunities are out in the community with minimal cost for accommodations to the employers. 

“A big misconception is that accommodations are difficult and expensive and the people with disabilities really require so much more to be included in the workforce and that’s not really true,” said Copeland. 

It typically costs businesses an average of $500.00 to make modifications to accommodate workers with disabilities.  

Workers at the training center create marketing material, award and recognition trophies and plaques, as well as contract work for companies all across the state. 

Delynne has been working at the training center for about a year and a half.  

“Working gives me a sense of pride and a sense of accomplishment and it makes me motivated to do what I have to do,” said Delynne. 

And along with the sense of accomplishment, comes a paycheck 

“We like to say that employment can make you the hero of your own life,” said Copeland. 

There are many ways to support DRTC visit their website, www.drtc.org for more information.