Cushing, Okla. -- Two Cushing businesses, Pizza Hut and Wal-Mart Super Center, received commendations from Gov. Brad Henry Oct. 30 during the Governor’s Disability Employment Awards ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion in Oklahoma City.

Pizza Hut was recognized for hiring five persons with disabilities over the past five years.  Two of those employees are currently working in the restaurant. Wal-Mart Super Center has employed people with disabilities over the past 16 years by working with the Central Tech Supported Employment Program in Drumright. Both businesses were recognized for their dedication to hiring persons with disabilities and enabling those employees to succeed.

“It is employees and businesses like these that have put Oklahoma ahead of every state in the nation at employing people with disabilities,” said Howard Hendrick, Cabinet Secretary of Human Services and Director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. Hendrick presented the commendations on behalf of Gov. Henry who was unable to attend the ceremony.

“For the past three years, Oklahoma has led the nation in assisting people with developmental disabilities to find competitive jobs and become working taxpayers,” said Hendrick. “Today, 60 percent of individuals with developmental disabilities served by the OKDHS Developmental Disabilities Services Division participate in supported employment services.”

The Governor’s Disability Employment Awards are co sponsored by Gov. Brad Henry and Lt. Gov. Jari Askins, along with OKDHS/DDSD, the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services and the Oklahoma Association of Persons in Supported Employment.

*To see Oklahoma’s ranking as compared to other states in regard to the numbers of persons with developmental disabilities in competitive jobs (supported employment) go to, www.statedata.info/.  This website is a project of the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston, supported in part by the Administration on Developmental Disabilities, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under cooperative agreement with additional support from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the U.S. Department of Education. 

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• Cheryl Hainsey and Jeremy Porter | High Resolution Image | Cheryl Hainsey, center, and Jeremy Porter, right, witht he Walmart Super Center, receive a Governor's Commendation from Howard Hendrick, Cabinet Secretary for Human Services and Director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services on behalf of Gov. Henry.
• Kim Ward | High Resolution Image | Kim Ward, right, Central Technology Center, accepts a Governor's Commendation on behalf of Pizza Hut from Howard Hendrick, Cabinet Secretary for Human Services and Director of the Oklahoma Department of Human Services on behalf of Gov. Henry.