Jeff Hughes has no time for stupid reporters.

My first mistake was asking him where I might be able to interview an employer who had taken advantage of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit program.

"We're not looking for charity," he said. "We're looking for employers who hire people because they're qualified -- not because there's a tax incentive.

"We're tired of charity programs," he said.

Unemployment rates for people with disabilities typically run anywhere from 75 to 85 percent, Hughes said.

"Most people, for many reasons, cannot find decent, gainful employment and people want it. That's what we do is hook up people with opportunities."

Hughes suggests looking at the situation from another perspective: "Let's take the issue another way and get out of the charity realm," he said. "It's up to those companies to respect the rights of their employees and provide them with accommodations.

"That's the kind of company that should be showcased. The kind of company that asks: 'How can we accommodate you?'" he said.

Hughes has been executive director of the Progressive Independence Living Center, 121 N. Porter Ave., for eight years.

Progressive Independence is one of five independent living centers in Oklahoma and more than 200 across the country. The office, established in 1981, bustles with activity.

"What we're about is helping people go back to work and advocating for the rights of people with disabilities to live and work in the community," Hughes said.

Progressive Independence has "four core services," Hughes said: Counseling, peer support, independent living skills training and advocacy.

"All designed around helping people with disabilities to remain independent in the community. We also advocate for full participation and integration in all aspects of society," he said.

Hughes said PI's "priority over many years has been to assist people with disabilities who -- for whatever reason -- have been institutionalized, to move back into the community."

That reintegration assistance eventually will be added to the core services, he said.