Who We Are

Agency Overview

Oklahoma Disability Law Center, Inc. (ODLC) is Oklahoma’s designated Protection & Advocacy (P&A) System.  Since 1977, ODLC has helped people with disabilities achieve equality, inclusion in society and personal independence.

ODLC is a member of the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), an association of protection and advocacy systems across the country.

As part of the nationwide protection and advocacy (P&A) system, ODLC provides free legal services, under several major incentives:

PADD (Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities)

PADD is the first P&A program, created by the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights (DD) Act of 1975. P&A agencies are required by the Act to pursue legal, administrative and other appropriate remedies to protect and advocates for the rights of individuals with developmental disabilities under all applicable federal and state laws.

PADD is administered by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD) located within the Administration on Community Living (ACL) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

PAIMI (Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness)

The PAIMI Program was established in 1986. The P&As are mandated to protect and advocate for the rights of people with mental illness and investigate reports of abuse and neglect in facilities that care for or treat individuals with mental illness. The Act was subsequently amended to allow P&As also to serve individuals with mental illness who reside in the community.

PAIMI is administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), at HHS.

PAIR (Protection and Advocacy for Individual Rights)

The PAIR program was established by Congress under an amendment to the Rehabilitation Act in 1993. PAIR programs provide for services to persons with disabilities who are not eligible for services under the three previously established P&A programs (PADD, PAIMI, and CAP). With PAIR, the P&As were thus authorized to serve persons with all types of disabilities.

PAIR is administered by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), at the U.S. Department of Education (Ed).

PAAT (Protection & Advocacy for Assistive Technology)

The PAAT program was created in 1994 when Congress expanded the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act (Tech Act) to include funding for P&As to assist individuals with disabilities in the acquisition, utilization, or maintenance of assistive technology devices or assistive technology services.

PAAT is administered by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD) located within the Administration on Community Living (ACL) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

PABSS (Protection & Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security)

The PABSS program was established in 1999 when the Ticket to Work and Work Incentive Improvement Act (TWWIIA) was enacted into law.  Under this Act, grants to the P&A programs provide advocacy and other services to assist beneficiaries of Social Security secure, maintain or regain gainful employment.

PABSS is administered by the Social Security Administration

PATBI (Protection & Advocacy for Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury)

The PATBI program was created in 2002 to provide protection and advocacy services to individuals with traumatic brain injury.

PATBI is administered by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD) located within the Administration on Community Living (ACL) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

PAVA ( Protection & Advocacy for Voting Accessibility)

The PAVA program  was established in 2003 as part of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). Under this program, P&As have a mandate to help ensure that individuals with disabilities participate in the electoral process through voter education, training of poll officials, registration drives, and polling place accessibility surveys.

PAVA is administered by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD) located within the Administration on Community Living (ACL) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).