Deeply Rooted in History
In 1952, our organization was established by parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) because of their frustration with the lack of services available to their children. These founding families passionately advocated for services and supports and it is their passion that infuses the organization today.
Since that beginning more than 60 years ago, The Arc of Oklahoma has worked to improve the lives of Oklahomans with IDD such as those with, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and autism spectrum disorders. Our organizations remains as committed to fostering the well-being, dignity, and rights of people with developmental disabilities and their families as did those pioneering parents who founded the organization in 1952.
To learn more about the history of serving individuals with developmental disabilities in the State of Oklahoma, visit Oklahoma Department of Human Services’ History Page. We also encourage you to watch Wagons to Waivers, an hour-plus documentary with interviews from Oklahomans touched by developmental disabilities throughout the state’s history.
