Adult Services Minutes - March 01, 2023

People First Language and Cultural Awareness When Serving Guests with Special Needs/Disabilities - Lakisha Cobb, SoonerSuccess 

Partner with Center for Learning & Leadership and Sooner Success. Serve all people with disabilities and their families.  

Sooner Success serves families with a loved one with special health care needs. Needs include: developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, mental/behavioral health needs, abuse/neglect, & medical diagnosis. No income guidelines or qualifying criteria. No application process. Statewide. Resources and information include respite, physician referral, individual education program assistance, navigate SoonerCare eligibility and benefits. 

Supporting Minorities with Disabilities Coalition: Raise awareness of all abilities. Partner to strengthen coordination to improve services for families. Increase quality of resources. Explore new ways to bring additional supports to underserved populations. Monthly meetings every 4th Wednesday at the Library for the Blind at 10am-11:30am. 

People First Language - Emphasis on abilities not limitations. Speak of the person first, then the disability. Don’t say “The disabled”, say “People with disabilities”. Don’t give excessive praise or attention, don’t patronize. Let the person do/speak for themselves as much as possible. 

Over 60 families have completed the Coalition’s survey for community feedback. Hinderances: not aware the library offers sensory programming, child loses focus and gets distracted. Interested in services: interactive programming for young adults with disabilities, celebrating more cultural events. Best way to reach them: mail, email, afternoon or evening times. 

Suggestions: Having more diverse staff and volunteers will help families feel more comfortable. Accessibility with adult changing rooms (include on our website?), Keep attendance in mind (more diverse vendors or agency representatives at events. Offer a calming room or sensory baggies. Easy access to disability resources. Bring awareness of cultural and community celebrations: autism awareness, Día del Niño, Juneteenth, Kwanza, Chinese New Year, etc. Continue to offer trainings on diversity, inclusion, and awareness. Use intentional and welcoming language for people of all ages with disabilities. 

Lunch and Learn Sensory Training with Autism Foundation of Oklahoma and SMWDC. 

Outreach: Community Celebrations (Fiesta de Las Americas, Dia del niño, Fiestas Patrias. Send events to schools, Newspapers and TV news: telemundo, News4, etc. Joint collaborations: resource fairs, host a sibshop to help families familiarize themselves with a location. Unite with SMWD coalition to increase outreach. Newsletters. Family Voice/feedback. 

Updates 

Winter Reading recap – Kristin - still have mugs and coupons if any locations need more, over 2200 signups with 70% completing so far, drawings will be March 6 

Summer Reading – Kristin and Emily - provided updates, Scholastic book order has been placed, training is coming in April, toolkits in March and April, new Saturday afternoon performance of Neighborhood Arts at Penn Square Mall 

ReadOKC on the Go – Emily- Big event at BI this Saturday, March 4th, grant-funded through Foundation for OKCPS, please keep promoting it 

Gardening Tools – Jessica - Program launched today. Jessica welcomes feedback, please contact with questions or concerns. Demo videos coming soon to the landing page. Programs in coordination with tool lending: raising chickens and spring gardening. 

This Universe is You in April @ BI // Joy Harjo – Jessica - Celebrating Earth Month and Indigenous authors. April 8th, reading her poem “Remember”, which is featured on the sculpture at BI. Full Circle Bookstore will be on site to sell copies of Joy’s books. 

Casey McQuiston in May @ DN – Jessica - 2 hour event with Full Circle Bookstore to sell copies of books. 

1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows – Judie - Partnership with Oklahoma Contemporary. Big Read-style event with Ai Weiwei’s work. Email Judie if you would like a copy and/or want to be involved. 

Sharing and Programming Discussion  

ED – Black History Month take home kit, Seed Exchange with 39 participants, AAPI plans, tiny art program coming up, yoga on Monday evenings is very successful, adult dance lessons this summer, book clubs, doing more outreach including Edmond Vibes and Heard on Hurd 

NW – nonfiction book club In Between the Lines 

VI – parking lot construction, will resume tai chi and yoga, monthly book club, Natural Grocers 

CH – BIPOC book club, OKCine Latino film festival full day of free screenings this Sunday, resource fair from Dream Action Oklahoma, tech help at senior center, Black History Month programs, collage art take home kit in collaboration with WA and RE, gardening program displays 

WA – period poverty with PeriodOKC, tech tutoring, book club with 2 sessions to reach different schedules, creative writing chapbooks 

AL – crafts, gardening, BritLit book club, senior outreach, looking forward to OLA 

RE – outreach with local church on health resources, meal-planning program in the works, OSU Extension food preservation this summer, Black History Month with Al Bostick, Society of Urban Poets 

DC – starting gardening projects including community garden and seed library, African American genealogy, Goodwill mobile job connection center, Mobile Market draws a large audience 

DN – seed starter take home kit, crafternoon with paper flowers, crochet and knit club, GeekCon in May with all-ages escape room, display of local art in Philomathea Hall for Women’s History Month, Zinefest in April, Dance Around the World, NYAJ’s coffee shop opening this month with staff getting 25% off 

SO – masquerade murder mystery program, RACE Dance, afternoon crafternoon after school, excited about gardening tools, lots of plans for spring break activities, Bigfoot event, Thunder bus 

BI – Invisible Hands documentary about human trafficking, Native American genealogy, adult LEGO night with challenges, backyard chickens and spring gardening, murder mystery in space, Joy Harjo event on April 8, poetry write-in, Hell’s Half Acre OETA documentary screening, Star Wars trivia night, tiny art show in June-July with grand gallery opening 

PSA – GX implementation starting this month with BE/BUS/SCR, budget season beginning 

DVS – thank you for patience during book sale, we had 940 volunteers and 24,000 guests at the event, volunteer reception during Joy Harjo event 

SCR – Judie chosen for 40 Under 40, camera kit for photography class, regular Oklahoma Contemporary tours and program planning – please let Judie know if you are interested in helping, availability for primary sources lessons or training, 100 books travelling Holocaust Resource Collection 

OES – thank you for all your work on the Americans and the Holocaust exhibit and programs, had almost 600 people come through DN on grand opening day, news interview about social work interns