Upcoming event: Policy & Practice lecture series presents “Communicating Respectfully with People who have Disabilities”

On February 25, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) will host Ann Trudgeon and Helen Kutz for their talk “Communicating Respectfully with People who have Disabilities” as part of its Policy & Practice lecture series. Trudgeon and Kutz will discuss methods to help overcome fears and insecurities in communicating with individuals with disabilities and to learn empowering language inclusive of individuals with disabilities.

The free public lecture will be from noon to 1pm at the Oklahoma History Center’s Chesapeake Room (800 Nazih Zuhdi Dr., Oklahoma City, OK 73105). For more information, contact the OKDHS Office of Planning, Research and Statistics at 405-521-3552. View the complete lecture series lineup here. 

Ann Trudgeon serves as executive director of the Oklahoma Developmental Disabilities Council, an organization tasked with helping to coordinate the efforts of state agencies and private organizations in Oklahoma in meeting the needs of Oklahomans with developmental disabilities and their families. Ann has been with the Council since 1989 and also serves with a variety of advocacy and education organizations, including the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Panel to address community-based services in Oklahoma; Court-Appointed Advocates for Vulnerable Adults in Oklahoma; the Education Transition Task Force; and the Oklahoma Self-Advocacy Network.

Helen Kutz serves on the board of the Oklahoma Disabilities Council. Presently retired, she devoted her professional career to the development and implementation of programs enhancing the integration of people with disabilities into mainstream society.