Ability Connection Oklahoma

06/18/2026

Well said UCP! Autistic people are an essential part of our communities. They belong in every space and deserve to be heard, valued, and respected.

UCP celebrates the diverse strengths, perspectives, talents, and voices of autistic people. Today is an opportunity to recognize the meaningful contributions they make to our families, schools, workplaces, and communities every day.

By embracing neurodiversity and challenging stigma, we help create a world where everyone can thrive.

Tell us in the comments: What does mean to you?

Autistic people are an essential part of our communities. They belong in every space and deserve to be heard, valued, and respected.

UCP celebrates the diverse strengths, perspectives, talents, and voices of autistic people. Today is an opportunity to recognize the meaningful contributions they make to our families, schools, workplaces, and communities every day.

By embracing neurodiversity and challenging stigma, we help create a world where everyone can thrive.

Tell us in the comments: What does mean to you?

06/17/2026

Thank you Bank of Oklahoma for inviting us to participate in the BOK Guide the Giving nonprofit information fair. Thanks Natalie!

Michelle

06/12/2026

People with disabilities should not face new barriers to accessing the health care and supports they rely on every day.

UCP appreciates that the Medicaid work requirements maintain exemptions for individuals with disabilities and their caregivers. However, we remain concerned that repeated exemption verification and increased administrative requirements could create unnecessary obstacles to coverage and divert resources away from critical services such as Home- and Community-Based Services.

05/25/2026

Thank you UCP: Memorial Day began after the American Civil War as a way to honor soldiers who died in military service. Originally called Decoration Day, people would decorate the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers, flags, and wreaths.

The red poppy became a symbol of remembrance for fallen soldiers after World War I.

The tradition stems from the famous 1915 poem "In Flanders Fields" by Canadian military physician and officer John McCrae. He wrote about bright red poppies growing across the battlefields and graves in Flanders (in present-day Belgium), where enormous numbers of soldiers had died during the war.

One of the poem’s most famous lines is:

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row ...”

United Cerebral Palsy honors the courageous service members who gave their lives to defend our nation. May their sacrifice never be in vain.

As we reflect on their legacy, let us continue striving for a world where freedom and dignity are extended to all.

Memorial Day began after the American Civil War as a way to honor soldiers who died in military service. Originally called Decoration Day, people would decorate the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers, flags, and wreaths.

The red poppy became a symbol of remembrance for fallen soldiers after World War I.

The tradition stems from the famous 1915 poem "In Flanders Fields" by Canadian military physician and officer John McCrae. He wrote about bright red poppies growing across the battlefields and graves in Flanders (in present-day Belgium), where enormous numbers of soldiers had died during the war.

One of the poem’s most famous lines is:

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row ...”

United Cerebral Palsy honors the courageous service members who gave their lives to defend our nation. May their sacrifice never be in vain.

As we reflect on their legacy, let us continue striving for a world where freedom and dignity are extended to all.

05/22/2026

Today in The Hill, ANCOR CEO Barbara Merrill, Easterseals President and CEO Kendra Davenport, and United Cerebral Palsy Interim President and CEO Diane Wilush put a spotlight on the caregiver workforce crisis and why policymakers must invest in community-based services.

Click below to read our op-ed ⬇️

This workforce and the home and community-based care system that supports them is in crisis.

05/12/2026

Thank you Erin Schalk and Free Press OKC for the lovely article!
https://freepressokc.com/ability-connection-oklahoma-helping-okies-find-speech-spirit-support/

OKC-based non-profit Ability Connection Oklahoma has spent nearly 70 years helping children and adults with disabilities to communicate, move, and play.

05/04/2026

Yay Krissa! We are so proud of you and all the Moore Xtreme athletes!

05/02/2026

Day one of the 2026 UCP Annual Conference set a powerful tone for what's ahead.

Writer, comedian, and disability advocate Zach Anner opened the conference with his keynote, Joyful Grit: How Embracing Obstacles Unlocks Optimism.

“Happiness fades, but joy echoes,” he shared. “If you’re willing to laugh at something, odds are you’re willing to learn from it.”

A person living with cerebral palsy, Zach’s journey with UCP has come full circle. As a child, he received therapy at a UCP Affiliate in New York, and today he returned to energize our network with his story, which captures what’s possible when determination meets resilience, with a side of laughter.

Zach, thank you for your authenticity, your humor, and your message. We’re honored to have you as part of the UCP family.

This is what our community is all about — learning from one another, lifting each other up, and continuing to push what’s possible.

04/28/2026

Congratulations Moore Xtreme Powerlifting! 25 Moore Xtreme athletes competed!

04/14/2026

We're sad to miss the Cleveland County disABILITY Coalition Resource Fair tonight, hoping to reschedule! Stay weather aware 🙂

Well folks, we hoped the weather would be more agreeable for us, but it's just looking stinkier as the day goes on. Tonight's Disability Resource Fair is CANCELLED. We hope to have a new date and time rescheduled soon. Please share this so folks don't show up to an empty event space! Stay weather aware tonight!

The Coalition is here to support people with physical, developmental, and/or intellectual disabilities not just today, but every day. If you need support, resources, and/or would like to learn more about the Coalition, drop us a message. Hope to see you all soon!