Welcome to Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services

We had a great day

People with Disabilities Awareness Day 2025 was a huge success. For those of you who like numbers here's how the event turned out.

A total of 716 attended People with Disabilities Awareness Day.
71 Exhibit tables present

We want to thank everyone who attended and volunteered.

If you would like to share you thoughts on the day, we would love to hear it.

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12 honored at 31st annual People with Disabilities Awareness Day

OKLAHOMA CITY - Jody Harlan, former communications director for the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services, was honored March 11 with the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award during the 31st annual People with Disabilities Awareness Day in Oklahoma City.

The Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services hosted the event that was held at the Oklahoma History Center and brought together hundreds of people with disabilities, their families and their supporters.

Harlan served as the communications director for the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services and was a tireless champion for Oklahomans with disabilities. Through the years, her work told the stories of thousands of DRS clients who were achieving their dreams of building a career and living independently.

Five people pose for a photo holding 150,000 big check.

OK School for the Deaf’s Senior Citizens’ Hearing Aid Program gets needed boost thanks to a Masonic Charity Foundation grant

EDMOND – The Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma awarded the Oklahoma School for the Deaf’s Senior Citizen Hearing Aid Program $150,000 grant for 2025.

Many Oklahoma seniors live on fixed incomes and without this assistance are unable to get hearing support or specialized equipment designed to alert those who are hard of hearing or deaf.

“Thanks to this generous grant, we will be able to serve more than 400 clients this year,” OSD Superintendent Heather Laine said. “Clients will not only benefit from hearing aids, but they could receive other specialized technology.”

Two new leadership team members join the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services welcomes two new staff members to its leadership team.

“I am happy to announce Brent Pearce as the new Superintendent of the Oklahoma School for the Blind,” said DRS Executive Director Melinda Fruendt. “Brent brings more than two decades of experience in education and administration to this role, including his recent tenure as Interim Superintendent and High School Principal at OSB. His leadership journey has also included roles as assistant superintendent, junior high and high school principal and Athletic Director at Porum Public Schools.

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OSD Bison photo collage of all the players on the team.

Three-Peat! Oklahoma School for the Deaf GPSD Football Champions

SULPHUR, Okla.- Oklahoma School for the Deaf won the Great Plains Schools for the Deaf football championship for the third year in a row.

“This incredible achievement is a testament to the hard work, determination, and talent of our athletes,” OSD Superintendent Heather Laine said.

OSD’s football team plays eight-man football and competes against schools for the deaf from other states and public-school districts in this state.

“A huge shoutout to our 1st-year head coach, Sean Thomas Sledd and his coaching team for leading the team to success and continuing this winning journey. Your leadership and dedication have made all the difference,” Laine said.

Read more about OSD's football champions

Three young girls with Cane Quest tee shirts and metals around their necks, smile big for the camera.

12th Annual Oklahoma Regional Cane Quest to be held Nov. 6

MUSKOGEE -- Oklahoma School for the Blind will be hosting its 12^th annual Oklahoma Region Cane Quest with 43 eager students who are blind or visually impaired ready to prove their white cane proficiency. This competition will begin at noon on Nov. 6 at the school.

Contestants, with white canes as their guides, will identify obstacles and changes in surfaces, such as drop-offs at stairs or curbs, in a quest for medals and prizes.

White Cane Safety Awareness Day 2024

TULSA – White cane users with visual disabilities and sighted supporters will celebrate National White Cane Safety Awareness Day from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Oct. 15 with a walk through the heart of downtown Tulsa.

Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, a division of the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services, will host this year’s event. SBVI staff invites participants to gather in Williams Green Park, 61 E 3rd St, in downtown Tulsa.

Read more about White Cane Day on Oct. 15

School for the Blind students to celebrate White Cane Safety Awareness Day Oct 16

Oklahoma School for the Blind will celebrate White Cane Safety Awareness Day starting at 1 p.m. on Oct. 16 at Mural Park in Muskogee.

The school’s event will be held one day after the official national White Cane Safety Awareness Day. It is typically observed every year on October 15.

OSB students and staff will meet in Mural Park, 230 W. Broadway Street and walk a 15-minute route in the downtown area while demonstrating proper cane technique, safe street crossings and travel awareness.

Oklahoma School for the Blind Hosts Annual Spaghetti Dinner

Muskogee, Okla. – Spaghetti and meatballs will top the menu and the plates on Oct. 15, when the Oklahoma School for the Blind partners with Muskogee Masonic Lodge #28 A.F. & A.M. to host their annual fundraiser.

The public is invited to attend from 5 to 8 p.m. at the OSB campus in the new gym. The school is located at 3300 Gibson Street in Muskogee.