The Oklahoma Self-Advocacy Network (OKSAN) is a collaborative effort to strengthen the self-advocacy movement in Oklahoma and to increase the inclusion and independence of people with disabilities. It was formed in 2011 after a challenge from the commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities who asked states to form teams to improve the lives of people with developmental disabilities.
In Oklahoma, self-advocates asked their partners to “teach us to do it ourselves.” Self- advocates developed a participatory leadership class, became peer trainers, and created an evaluation process. OKSAN has developed Self-Advocate Leadership Training, Getting Ready for an Emergency, Taking Control of Your Health, How to Deal with a Bully, Developmental Disabilities Awareness Training, and are in the final stages of a sexual health and wellness training. Self-advocates are involved in every aspect of developing and training their curriculum.
The Center for Learning and Leadership (CLL) contracts with Oklahoma People First to provide speaker fees and travel expenses to self-advocate trainers. Assistance is also provided to support staff and OPF advisors to assist in meeting facilitation, trainings, and advocacy efforts. CLL also provides partial funding for OKSAN's project coordinator, Rose-Ann Percival.
https://ouhsc.edu/thecenter/Projects/Training-and-Collaboration/OKSAN/Training-Information
Linda Gonzales is currently a Master Trainer for Sexual Health and Wellness, Self-Advocate Leadership Training, Let’s Make a Plan: Getting Ready for an Emergency, How to Deal with Bullying, Disability Awareness and Taking Control of Your Health. She is President of Anadarko People First, Project Coordinator for the SABE VOTE project, and a member of the Oklahoma’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities’ Consumer Advisory Committee. She graduated from the Developmental Disabilities Council of Oklahoma Partners and Policy Making in 2011 and was a founding member of the Oklahoma Self- Advocacy Network.
Nancy Ward was a founding member of the national self-advocacy organization, Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE) and served as the first Chairperson. She began her career with Advocacy First of Lincoln in 1979. She assisted with building the self-advocacy movement in Nebraska before moving to Oklahoma in 1997 to build Oklahoma People First. Nancy has served as the Information Coordinator for the Medicaid Reference Desk and currently for the Oklahoma Disability Law Center as the SABE Voter Project Coordinator and trainer in Oklahoma. Ms. Ward is currently a Master Trainer for Sexual Health and Wellness, Self-Advocate Leadership Training, Let’s Make a Plan: Getting Ready for an Emergency, Disability Awareness, How to Deal with Bullying and Taking Control of Your Health. She serves on the Oklahoma’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities’ Consumer Advisory Committee and serves on the board of Oklahoma People First.
Dee Banta is from Tecumseh, Oklahoma. Dee is currently a Master Trainer for Sexual Health and Wellness, Self-Advocate Leadership Training, Let’s Make a Plan: Getting Ready for an Emergency, Disability Awareness, How to Deal with Bullying and Taking Control of Your Health. She serves on Oklahoma’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities’ Consumer Advisory Committee and has served as the Self-Advocacy Coordinator Intern for CLL. She served as a Deputy Ambassador for the Nutrition is for Everyone grant. Dee is a graduate of Partners in Policymaking, past President and current board member of Oklahoma People First as well as Representative for Region 9 of SABE.
Kelly Zaikis is a Master Trainer for Sexual Health and Wellness, Self-Advocate Leadership Training, Let’s Make a Plan: Getting Ready for an Emergency, Disability Awareness, How to Deal with Bullying and Taking Control of Your Health. She serves on Oklahoma’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities’ Consumer Advisory Committee and has served as the Self-Advocacy Coordinator Intern for CLL. Ms. Zaikis is a founding member of the Oklahoma Self-Advocate Network. Ms. Zaikis served as a Self-Advocacy Coordinator Intern for CLL, Ms. Zaikis is also a graduate of Partners in Policymaking with the Developmental Disability Council of Oklahoma.
Jeryldine Schutte-Pogue, Executive Director of Oklahoma People First, Inc., has over 30 years of experience working with individuals with developmental/intellectual disabilities and volunteering for self-advocacy organizations. She has been a direct support staff in vocational settings, a program coordinator for a residential agency, and a case manager for Oklahoma Developmental Disabilities Services. She became Executive Director of Oklahoma People First in September of 2017. Mrs. Schutte-Pogue received her Bachelor of Science degree at Cameron University.
Rose Ann Percival is currently the Community Partnerships Coordinator for the OUHSC Center for Learning and Leadership (CLL). Prior to CLL, she served in many capacities with OKDHS for 27 years with 22 of those years with Developmental Disabilities Services (DDS). She has worked for ten years at the Center for Learning and Leadership, Oklahoma’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities as the Community Partnership Coordinator and project director for Oklahoma Self-Advocacy Network. She served as the statewide facilitator for the Oklahoma Olmstead Strategic Planning Committee, coordinator of the Self-Directed Services Advisory Committee for Developmental Disabilities Services, programs manager for self-direction, the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel on Disabilities and a member of the advisory board for the Oklahoma Family Support Partnership Council. She is a founding member of the Oklahoma Respite Resource Network and serves on the board of Oklahoma People First.