Oklahoma disability services has a long waiting list. Experts say that the list is around 10 years long and it doesn’t look like it’s getting shorter anytime soon. However, state officials are still working on plans to try to compensate for this massive need.
Can the Wait List for Oklahoma Disability Services Be Shortened?
It’s been a long wait for many Oklahomans on the state’s disability services list. Every year, law makers set aside $1 million to attack this list and shorten it, but in 2015, that didn’t happen. Due to budget shortfalls, the $1 million allocation was never given, and so the waitlist grew last year.
This year Oklahoma faced another crippling budget crisis. Programs all across the board were cut, and though Medicaid cuts were minimized, the Department of Human Services took a hit. That means it’s very unlikely that the department could see the $1 million it uses to try to shorten the list.
Last year, efforts were made to try and shorten the list without allocating $1 million to the effort. This method engaged people who were on the lists, and tried to direct them to alternative state services. Officials hoped this effort would get people to remove themselves from the wait list, but there has been scant news on the success of the program.
With winter coming, all eyes are turned to the Department of Human Services to see what direction this program took. Did it help shorten the list? Did the list grow again? Are there any other plans to shorten the wait list for Oklahoma’s Disability Services? Your Tulsa disability attorneys are monitoring the situation. You can share your ideas with us on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
