Mandy Smith
Is your mom, dad or grandparent struggling with their eye sight? RCIL has a program (iKan-RCIL) for anyone 55 years or older that has a vision loss that is affecting their daily living. This service is free and offered in 32 counties. Services include: white cane training, independent living skills training (such as cooking and…
Read ArticleThe Iola Police Department is hosting a drug take back event tomorrow from 10am-2pm. This allows individuals to safely discard unneeded/expired medication and ensure safety and wellbeing to the community. The police department is located at 2 W. Jackson (in the City Hall). Reminder: make sure you always store your medication in a safe location…
Read ArticleHave you moved in the last three years? KIERA is KanCare’s new chatbot and makes it easy to updated your information. So make sure your contact information is up-to-date and to read and follow the instructions on any mail that you receive from various State of Kansas departments. This is very important to not lose…
Read ArticleDid you know RCIL has a PEER program? PEER stands for Peers Empowering Each (other) Responsibly. So what does this mean? RCIL has people with disabilities on staff, Peer Specialists, who work with our consumers (who have disabilities). The Peer Specialist assists the consumer with setting up an independent living plan and helping the person…
Read ArticleI attended the Kansas Disability Caucus earlier this month and was able to not only be present a session but attended some fabulous sessions. The one that stuck out the most, and I can’t stop thinking about, was presented by Robert Cooper who works for the Kansas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.…
Read ArticleGovernor Laura Kelly ceremonially signed Senate Bill 19, bipartisan legislation that launches 9-8-8 as the official 24/7 three-digit dialing code for the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Beginning Saturday, July 16, Kansans and all Americans can call 9-8-8 during mental health and substance abuse emergencies. Governor Kelly joined Sedgwick County Commissioners, legislators, and local advocates…
Read ArticleI will be hosting three events in July for individuals who are blind or have low vision. As I’ve posted in the past, I run RCIL’s program, iKan-RCIL, which is for anyone 55 years and older who has a vision loss that affects their daily living. I will be hosting two independent living classes in…
Read ArticleI might be aging myself here but I always remember that Reese’s commercial “There’s no wrong way to eat a Reese’s”. This is how I feel about marking appliances to assist individuals who are blind or have low vision. As long as you get the person’s feedback and the buttons they need are marked, its…
Read ArticleThe National Survey on Health & Disability is conducting a survey on health care experiences. Any adult in the US over the age of 18 with any type of disability, mental illness or chronic health condition is encouraged to complete the survey. And if you choose, you can enter a drawing to win one of…
Read ArticleOn April 20, 2022, Governor Kelly signed the FY 2023 budget, which includes funding to extend Medicaid dental benefits to adults! The current Kansas Medicaid state plan offers only emergency extractions in terms of dental coverage. Additional dental services, vary year to year, are offered by the Managed Care Organizations. Please fill out the following…
Read ArticleK-State Research and Extension Office is hosting a 3 day, 6 part learning series called Aging Well. The first date has already past but the second date is approaching next week, April 26th. The third and final date is May 24th. Register online at https://tinyurl.com/AgeWellSeries to receive the link for the event. Or call 913-294-4306…
Read ArticleFamily Strong is a federally funded grant, led by the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare and Center for Public Partnerships and Research. Family Strong is designed to transform the child and family service system in Southeast Kansas. Family Strong’s intention is to provide all families in the Southeast Kansas region with a vast…
Read ArticleRehabilitation and Research Training Center on HCBS Outcome Measurement along with the Institute of Community Integration from the University of Minnesota are looking for research participants for interviews.They are testing measures to improve person-centered Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) outcomes for people with disabilities. Getting services at home or in the community is important for…
Read ArticleDogs are great! I mean really, dogs are loveable, smart, and can be very hard workers. I wanted to refresh people on some etiquette when it comes to seeing a guide dog in public. * Do not pet, talk to or distract the guide dog while he/she is working. – People might think a guide…
Read ArticleThe 2022 Kansas Youth Leadership Forum for Students with Disabilities will be held July 11-16, 2022 at Washburn University in Topeka. The KSYLF is an annual conference that is heading into its 21st year serving students with disabilities across the state. During the forum, delegates enjoy a week full of learning, fun, friends, and, most…
Read ArticleDid you know RCIL offers Braille translation? As a service to consumers, partner agencies, and businesses, RCIL has the equipment and software to transcribe and produce documents in Braille. RCIL offers: free quotes, no set up fees, no minimum number of copies, free shipping, multiple languages, most files types accepted, multiple binding options, Interpoint or…
Read ArticleA photographic identification document is required to vote in Kansas. Any person who does not have a valid identification document may receive a fee waiver when applying for a Kansas nondriver’s ID (ID Card). All you have to do is fill out the form below (first link) and show evidence of voter registration. Below is…
Read ArticleYesterday was World Sight Day and today is White Cane Day. I feel like with both of those days this week, its a perfect time to remind everyone of RCIL’s services for those with vison loss including blindness. RCIL provides a service that we call iKan-RCIL. This service is for anyone 55 years and older…
Read ArticleThe Brain Injury Association of Kansas and Great Kansas City is presenting Moving Foward with a Brain Injury. This presentation is on Saturday, November 13th from 9:00am to 2:00pm at the Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park. Those who have had a concussion or brain injury along with family members, friends, or caregivers are encourage…
Read ArticleThe Emergency Broadband Benefit program is a Federal Communications Comission (FCC) that provides a temporary discount on monthly broadband service bills. To qualify a person could have one of the follow: Medicaid, child(ren) receive free/reduced lunches, receiving social security income, Tribal benefits, reduced income due to COVID-19, and many more options (link is below for…
Read ArticleI will be hosting a two-day event, for people who have vision loss, at the Riley County Senior Center on August 12th and 19th. The event will last from 1:00pm to 3:00pm both days. Come learn everything from self-care to using assistive technology to help with traveling and reading. Riley County Senior Center is located…
Read ArticleRCIL will be hosting a low vision fair at the Marion County Senior Center on July 28th starting at 12:30pm. RCIL’s Mandy Smith, Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, along with Audio-Reader and Kansas Talking Books will be speaking about their free services and options for people with vison loss. Along with presentations,equipment will be presented…
Read ArticleThrive Allen County is providing non-emergent medical transportation to Allen County residents regardless of age or income. Service hours are 8:30am-5:00pm Monday-Friday and all trips must be made in Allen County or 115 miles within the county (including Topeka, Kansas City, Wichita, and Joplin.) Eligible trips include the grocery store, pharmacy, social services agencies, and…
Read ArticleProfessional Mentoring Opportunities for Blind College Students: Apply Today Apply to the Pearson Corporate Disability Mentoring Program, a six-month program in which sighted Pearson and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) professionals are paired with blind young adults to provide blind mentees with greater access to beneficial workplace experiences and strategies. Participants, through a virtual mentoring relationship with a…
Read ArticleEvergy will be resuming residential disconnects on Monday, May 3rd. Evergy will not be offering any special pay agreements after Friday. If you have a large balance that has previously been on a pay agreement, please contact Evergy by Friday to get a quote to set up a pay agreement. You will also need to…
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