Rolando Calloway of Tulsa receives commendation from Governor Mary Fallin

Oklahoma City – Rolando Calloway of Tulsa received a commendation from Governor Mary Fallin on October 10 during the Governor’s Disability Employment Awards at the Governor’s Mansion in Oklahoma City.

Although Rolando Calloway began his employment at Arby’s as a lobby attendant, it wasn’t long before his employer recognized his potential and advanced him to drive-thru cashier. Rolando has worked hard to become self-sufficient by volunteering for unassigned work days and hours and working at alternate store locations to increase his income.

Before his employment at Arby’s, Rolando required a Payee for his finances because of his lack of financial management skills. Now that he has worked as a drive-thru cashier for over six months he is able to take care of his own finances and lives in his own apartment. Rolando has learned his self-worth by earning his status as a valued employee for Arby's.

Rep. Jason Nelson of Oklahoma City offered welcoming remarks at the awards ceremony and announced that October is national Disability Employment  Awareness Month. “It is employees and businesses like these that have put Oklahoma at the forefront in the nation for helping people with disabilities find jobs and become working taxpayers,” said Nelson who serves as chairman of the House Human Services Sub-Committee on Appropriations and Budget.

“In Oklahoma, 60% of individuals with developmental disabilities served by the OKDHS Developmental Disabilities Services Division participate in supported employment services as compared to the national average of 20.1%.”

Rep. Nelson added that it was important to recognize the skills that people with disabilities bring to our workforce. “Their talents and contributions are vital to the strength of our state, our nation's workforce and our future prosperity,” said Nelson.

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Editors Note: Go to http://www.statedata.info/ (Link opens in new window) 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). This website 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.

Rolando Calloway (left) receives a Governor’s Commendation for his outstanding achievements in employment from Rep. Jason Nelson. The award was presented during the Governor’s Disability Employment Awards of Excellence at the Governor’s Mansion on October 10.