State Lawmaker Wants To Rename Agency

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A lawmaker wants to change the name of a state agency that some people with disabilities find offensive. <br/><br/>Rep. Paul Wesselhoff, R-Oklahoma City, has filed a bill to rename

Thursday, January 11th 2007, 2:52 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A lawmaker wants to change the name of a state agency that some people with disabilities find offensive.

Rep. Paul Wesselhoff, R-Oklahoma City, has filed a bill to rename the Office of Handicap Concerns as the Office of Disability Concerns. He said his plan has the backing of the agency.

Steve Stokes, agency director, said Thursday the word handicap comes from the expression ``cap in hand,'' a reference to beggars.

``We want to utilize more appropriate language and get rid of a derogatory term,'' Stokes said. ``It is time we modernize the language to be acceptable to those it affects.''

Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson, R-Oklahoma City, is Senate author of the proposal.