Advocates, Oklahomans with disabilities rally at Capitol for awareness day: 'Today, they have a voice'

People who advocate for those with disabilities and people with disabilities were at the Oklahoma State Capitol for Developmental Disability Awareness Day on Monday.

Hundreds of people listened to speakers and talked to their legislators.

MAKING THEIR VOICES HEARD

Lindsey Spoon was one of the people who came to the Capitol to spread awareness and talk to lawmakers.

“We have the right to speak up for our own rights, and if we don’t use our voices to spread our messages, then what else are we doing?” said Spoon.

Spoon says lawmakers have been receptive and that working together will provide a better future for everyone.

“We need that seat at the table,” said Spoon. “If you’re willing to have us be a seat at that table, then value our voice at that table as well.”

December Ambos was one of the speakers who wanted to share his experiences with others.

“The thing is that people these days don’t realize disabilities here don’t have a voice,” said Ambos. “But today, they have a voice.”

TOGETHER, WE CAN

The theme of the event was “Together, We Can,” and organizers say the goal was to show lawmakers how important it is to join forces.

“A lot of times, legislators don’t necessarily have that experience of knowing what needs are there, what needs to be done in the disability community,” said Miranda Hooper, the Community Education Coordinator at the Center for Learning and Leadership at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. “However, they represent constituents that do have a disability or are supporting people with disabilities.”

Hooper says she has been an advocate for nearly two decades after her son was diagnosed with a developmental disability.

“Learning what I needed to know and then learning what was there, learning what wasn’t there, and trying to figure out what I needed to do to advocate for him,” said Hooper. “And that kind of grew into learning how to advocate for him and his friends, and then for other people.”

Hooper hopes people will learn about the Capitol and how the legislative process works, as well as speak with lawmakers.

“Legislators have been coming down throughout the day to speak to their constituents and are welcoming people to come to their offices to speak to them, we encourage people to go to the gallery to see the legislative process in action,” said Hooper.

AWARENESS ALL YEAR

Organizers say Developmental Disability Awareness Day is held at the Capitol once a year in March.

March is Developmental Disability Awareness Month.

Leaders say they spend all year working on legislation that impacts people with disabilities.

For more information about this event visit: https://www.facebook.com/okDDday