Ardmore Employer Receives Commendation from Governor

OKLAHOMA CITY -- An Ardmore employer received a commendation from Gov. Brad Henry and Lt. Gov. Jari Askins on October 6 during the Governor’s Disability Employment Awards at the Governor’s Mansion in Oklahoma City. October is national Disability Employment Awareness Month.

The Burger King restaurant on Broadway in Ardmore employs two people with disabilities without any assistance from a supported employment agency. Melissa Blanton, the assistant manager, was childhood friends with one of the employees. They grew up in the same neighborhood, rode bicycles together, played ball and even attended the same church. As they grew into adulthood, their lives took separate paths until seven years ago when her old friend came to the restaurant looking for a job. He was hired to wash dishes and clean the lobby and has been trained and supported by his supervisors and co-workers. Blanton has been patient and accommodating with both of her employees who have disabilities, understanding their health issues and transportation challenges. She is to be commended for giving people with disabilities a chance to work and for creating a supportive work environment for all the right reasons. 

“It is employees and businesses like these that have put Oklahoma ahead of every state in the nation at employing people with disabilities,” said Director Howard Hendrick of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.

“For the past three years, Oklahoma has led the nation in assisting people with developmental disabilities to find competitive jobs and become working taxpayers," Hendrick said. “Today, 60 percent of individuals with developmental disabilities served by the OKDHS Developmental Disabilities Services Division participate in supported employment services.”

The Governor’s Disability Employment Awards are co-sponsored by Gov. Brad Henry and Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, along with OKDHS/DDSD, the Department of Rehabilitation Services, and the Oklahoma Association of Persons in Supported Employment.

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Editors Note: To see Oklahoma’s ranking as compared to other states in regard to the numbers of persons with developmental disabilities in competitive jobs (supported employment) go to, www.statedata.info (Link opens in new window). This web site is a project of the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston, supported in part by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under cooperative agreement with additional support from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the U.S. Department of Education.