Mandy Smith
Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services Secretary Shawn Sullivan today reminded KanCare participants that the April 4, 2013, deadline for changing their Managed Care Organization (MCO) health plan is rapidly approaching. KanCare participants who wish to stay with their current MCO do not need to take any action. Those wishing to change to a…
The Miss Wheelchair Kansas event was held at Capitol Plaza Sunday. The program annually selects one woman who is wheelchair mobile, to successfully empower people at a state level. Angel Shaver, 38, of Wakeeny, Kansas was crowned as the winner. She suffers from nerve damage and traumatic brain injury from a car accident. She overcame…
If you can’t see it, it’s not real. Right? But we don’t see the air that we can feel in our lungs. We don’t see the wind that we can feel on our skin and blow our hair. And the same goes for people with disabilities that we (society) can’t see, they can feel them and…
Our Iola office is moving! Right now, as you read this blog actually. Our Iola office is closed today and tomorrow to allow our office to move to its new location 335 N. Cottonwood, Iola, KS 66749. March 4, 2013 the office will re-open at 335 N. Cottonwood but if you need anything in the…
All RCIL offices will be closed Tuesday, February 26, 2013, due to weather. Please call our toll free number at (800) 580-7245 and leave a message and your call will be returned when we reopen. Thank you!
I’ve been told I can be a perfectionist. I’m definitely not a perfectionist about everything in my life especially not with housework, my car, or basically anything with cleaning! But I am a perfectionist when it comes to the quality of my work whether school work or my career. I guess I always assumed this…
The cold and flu season is in full swing. If you haven’t already gotten your flu shot, it is important that you get it now. There is still time! Certain people are at greater risk of getting the flu. This includes: Young children. The elderly. Pregnant women. And people with certain long-term medical conditions. If…
Assistive Technology for Kansans, RCIL and Freedom Scientific are hosting Vision Awareness Days where individuals can learn more about living with vision loss. The event will be held on February 6th from 10:00am-4:00pm at the Topeka Public Library Aud. 101 B. This event will include free learning sessions, free lunch and hands-on demonstrations. The learning…
Did you make a New Year’s Resolution this year? I did and usually do but this year’s is different. Every year I make the resolution to lose weight and do better. These seem easy but aren’t really measurable so can lead no where real quick. This year I have set specific goals including increasing my…
RCIL wishes for all to have Happy Holidays. All office locations will be closed December 24 and 25 for Christmas and January 1, 2013 for New Year’s Day.
I am so pleased to be here at the Kansas Infinitec Coalition Outstanding Student Technology Awards luncheon. This award luncheon is to honor students who are using assistive technology to better their learning experiences. This luncheon is a “Celebration to the power of technology that these students are using” Paul Dulle, President and CEO UCPGC/Infinite…
RCIL’s Emporia office has changed it’s location to 215 West Sixth Avenue Suite 208 which is Emporia’s new Humanitarian Center. Emporia’s Humanitarian Center was formerly known as Lowther South Intermediate school and is located two blocks from downtown (on 6th Avenue). The office’s phone number and fax number are the same but their new office…
Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Resources Secretary Shawn Sullivan announced Thursday that a new resource is available to help Kansans. Effective November 1, the Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) is now available to provide Kansans with information and referrals. ADRC staff members can also put residents in contact with local Options Counselors. The…
Learn more about choosing the KanCare health plan that is right for you and your family. Medicaid participants are encouraged to attend a meeting where they will be provided information to choose your KanCare plan. If you have questions, please call 1-866-305-5147. If you require special assistance for a meeting (like a translator or hand…
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…
Disability Mentoring Day is a nationwide effort to promote career development for students with disabilities through hands-on career exploration. What is Disability Mentoring Day? Students with disabilities (mentees) are matched with workplace mentors according to expressed career interests. Mentees experience a typical day on the job and learn how to prepare to enter the world…
You must show a photo ID if you are going to vote at the polls. BUT, if you apply for a permanent advance ballot, you do not have to show ID (you must have a permanent disability or illness). To vote you must be registered! Voter registration deadline is October 16, 2012 Get registered to…
Does opportunity happen or do we go looking for it? According to Hubert B. Von Holton we must have our eyes and ears open to because opportunity happens but most aren’t looking for it. “The older I get the more I believe that opportunities pass everyone equal. When you are young you only think they…
RCIL is hosting a booth at the Assistive Technology Expo this year in Wichita. I am “manning” the booth to share with the participants my newly offered service, orientation and mobility. I have spoken to approximately 30 participants this far and explained some of the services RCIL has to offer. Remember, assistive technology does not…
The State of Kansas will be holding KanCare educational meetings in eight cities across Kansas September 24-26 to meet with Medicaid members and providers. Through the presentations and the question-and-answer sessions, details will be provided about the transition from old Medicaid to KanCare. This is the second round of educational tours hosted jointly by…
Eleven years ago today our lives were forever changed. Please read below as RCIL staff share their thoughts and stories of 9/11. Vicki Gillespie – “I was with my RCIL family!” Kathy Holloway – “We had a staffing meeting in Osage City that day! I remember standing outside in the parking lot looking at all…
I thought what better way to celebrate achieving my orientation and mobility certification than to look at pictures over the last two years. (Click on each picture for a more detailed description.) A lot has changed in the last two years and I’m thankful for it all. I’d like to thank all of my iKan…
The board of directors of the Statewide Independent Living Council of Kansas (SILCK) has accepted the resignation of its executive director, Shannon Jones, effective Aug. 31. Jones has served as the organization’s director for the past 18 years. “Shannon has been a strong voice for Kansans of all ages,” said Lou Ann Kibbee, board president.…
The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) invites you to attend one of the following informational sessions for people receiving services, family members/friends, providers, advocacy groups and others interested in the disability, aging, mental health and substance use disorder services we administer. The purposes of these sessions are to provide updates and information…