We Are Not Fraud!

Posted March 7, 2012 by Mandy Smith in

The House Social Services Budget Committee’s report on SRS and KDOA budgets stated “…there is considerable fraud and abuse in the system of Home and Community Based Services.” It goes on to state that this fraud, by Centers for Independent Living, is responsible for the Waiting Lists.

These statements seek to villify the Centers and the people who are working so hard for the disability community in Kansas. WE are the ones forced to tell people that although they are eligible for services there is an over-3-year-long waiting list. WE work with Kansans with disabilities on a daily basis struggling to change the misconceptions, provide education to the Legislature, and advocate for needed services to save the lives of Kansans.

SRS’ own testimony, audits, and cost studies show that Centers for Independent Living are good stewards of state money, there is not “considerable fraud and abuse”. It is time that we push back against an Administration and some members of this Legislature who continue to ignore facts and data and deny their own responsibility for the tragic situations that Kansans with disabilities are forced into now.

We are a Center for Independent Living, we are Kansans with disabilities, we are advocates, WE ARE NOT FRAUD!

Mandy Smith

Mandy has worked at RCIL since June of 2009. She is a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist and provides services in 32 counties to individuals who are blind or have low vision and are 55 years and older.

Related Articles

Action Alert – Disability Integration Act

By Mandy Smith | August 29, 2016

On Tuesday, August 22nd an Action Alert went out to over 14,000 people asking people to take 30 seconds to fill out a form to ask their legislators to cosponsor the Disability Integration Act. Of all the people from KS, 4 responded to this alert and of those who responded, 2 were from your District KS-02. That means your Senators…

Voter Registration Drive

By Mandy Smith | June 30, 2016

RCIL will be hosting a voter registration drive at each office (locations listed below) on July 11th from 8:00am-3:00pm. The primary election is on August 2nd and in order to vote you must be registered with correct documentation by July 12th.   Independent Living Specialists and other staff will be available on July 11th to help with the registration process and to…

Voting Hotline for Kansans with Disabilities

By Mandy Smith | November 5, 2012

    Tomorrow, November 6 is Election Day.  Please get out there and vote.  The Disability Rights Center will have a hotline for Kansans with disabilities to call with any questions or concerns about voting rights for persons with disabilities until Tuesday, November 6th (Election Day) (TOMORROW) at 8PM. People with disabilities should call the DRC Voting Hotline Toll-Free at (877)…