OWASSO, Okla. — Dozens of people at A New Leaf are up bright and early Thursday morning to head to the state Capitol to advocate for disability rights.
March 23 is Developmental Disability Day. A New Leaf, along with self-advocate groups, families, and other service providers across the state, will take the day to raise awareness and have conversations with legislators about the support and rights of Oklahomans with developmental disabilities.
“People with disabilities are people first. They are more than their disability. They sometimes they just need a few extra steps an alternative path to be full inclusive members of our community,” said Maranda Figueroa with A New Leaf.
A New Leaf started their journey at the village in Owasso. Decked out with matching shirt that say “disability counts” dozens of clients and staff hit the road to the capitol with one message.
“We gotta tell people we that we have a disability we don’t have a disease. You can’t catch it," said Katy Lew a client with A New Leaf. "We are very friendly people we work and we hold a job and we do a lot of stuff in the community.”
Workforce is one topic Autumn Kinkade made sure to speak to lawmakers about sharing her personal experience with being discriminated against.
“Like being called retarded or that I don’t know what I’m doing. There needs to be change within that because I know what I’m doing and they need to not say all those bad things about me because they don’t know me,” Kinkade said.
She was just 16-years-old the last time she visited the capitol. Now at 23, Kinkade is back advocating for disability rights.
“I’m going back with a more wise message to where people will hear me,” she said.
A New Leaf said there are about 65,000 Oklahomans with developmental disabilities, and 1 in 44 Oklahomans are on the autism spectrum. The organization also said Oklahoma does not classify autism as a developmental disability, meaning that group of people don’t qualify for certain services.
But it's not just A New Leaf at the capitol Thursday. It's a statewide initiative as Governor Kevin Stitt proclaimed March 23rd as people with disabilities awareness day and being able to rally is something that means a lot these groups.
“It means that we are being accepted," Kinkade said. "They are being really inclusive and we are not just some random people out there with a disability. We actually matter.”
A New Leaf said they plan to make this an annual event advocating at the capitol again this time next year.
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