Independent Living
RCIL received a grant from Kansas Health Foundation Public Health Fund administered by the Community Foundation of Southeast Kansas to purchase medical equipment for its medical equipment loan and distribution program in Iola. Items such as shower chairs, toilet seat risers, and tubs of Sani-Cloth will be able, free-of-charge, while supplies last to local consumers…
Read ArticleRandy has been working on a book series for years and is getting closer and closer to a publication date. He is now in the process of editing the first book which can be very tedious. This task can be even more difficult with a vision loss like Randy has. Randy was able to obtain…
Read ArticleAs a service to the community, RCIL has durable medical equipment available for loan, free of charge, through the Anita Casey Equipment Loan Program in Osage City and the Phyllis Patteson Equipment Loan Program in El Dorado. RCIL also has the Equipment Loan Program in Emporia. The equipment is provided as a service not only…
Read ArticleIndependent Living Specialist, Macy, assisted Marie in obtaining a ramp. Marie’s ramp was so rotten that Marie and her boyfriend thought they were going to fall through. Marie needed financial assistance and did not know what resources to utilize. She reached out to Macy for assistance. Macy educated her on funding resources available in the…
Read ArticleAttention Emporia area consumers! ECKAN, the United Way of the Flint Hill, and Housing & Credit Counseling, Inc. are offering a free budgeting class on April 25th from 3 – 4 pm. You will have the opportunity to learn to create and manage a household budget. See the flyer below for more details! The class…
Read ArticleThe Research and Training Center on Independent Living at Kansas University are currently recruiting research participants for a couple of their research studies. Check out their flyers below for inclusion criteria and contact information for study inquiry. Weight Management Research Study (Participants must live within 50 miles of Wichita) Physical Study Research Study (Location can…
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 ArticleThe Salvation Army is offering a Life Skills Class in Emporia on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays every month at 6:00pm. The class will cover simple life lessons that every family needs to make it through the day. Topics include budgeting, cooking, self-care, scheduling, and much more. For more information, download their flyer below or…
Read ArticleDo you know that one of the five Core Services that RCIL offers is Advocacy? RCIL offers two forms of advocacy services and they are individual advocacy and system advocacy. Individual advocacy services help people with disabilities develop the skills they need to represent themselves. These skills help them act on their own behalf to…
Read ArticleRCIL consumer Jerry has been working with an RCIL Independent Living Specialist (ILS) to learn how to use the many different programs and features of an iPad to keep track of appointments, communicate with his friends and family, and other Independent Living skills. Jerry recently learned about the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) through a newsletter…
Read ArticleIndependent Living Specialist, Macy, assisted a consumer in getting her bathroom remodeled. The consumer was having a difficult time getting into her bathroom because the doorway was too narrow for her wheelchair. The consumer explained, “I was hurting myself by falling in the bathroom without my wheelchair and not making it to the toilet in…
Read ArticleOctober is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)! Every October, NDEAM aims to educate about disability employment issues and celebrate the diverse contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. Each week throughout the month, the Department for Children and Families (DCF) will be sharing valuable information about workers and job seekers with disabilities, details about the…
Read ArticleInterested in receiving the COVID-19 vaccination, but need a ride? You might be eligible for a free ride with Uber through the Vaccine Access Fund. Reach the service by calling their partner, GoGoGrandparent at (855) 921-0033 Say that you would like to book a free ride to and from your vaccine location, and they will…
Read ArticleThe University of Montana Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities are conducting a study on rural personal assistance services. They are seeking people with disabilities living in rural communities who receives personal care services in their home to participate in this study. Individuals who participate in this study will receive $30 cash…
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 ArticleRCIL Independent Living Specialist (ILS), Macy Collins, assisted Charla in obtaining a power chair carrier for her vehicle. She had a carrier at one time, but it was stolen off her car. Macy taught her the different funding organizations and resources available, how to request use of her assistive technology funds through her Managed Care…
Read ArticleGet paid to help someone stay out of a nursing home! Persons with disabilities are seeking friendly, compassionate, and reliable individuals to assist them with daily activities to enable them to remain independent in their own home. Some examples include housekeeping, errands/shopping, cooking, personal care, and more. These are rewarding opportunities for the right individuals! …
Read ArticleRCIL is hosting an Independence Celebration to celebrate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 31st Anniversary on July 28, 2021 in Osage City! Food will be provided. Come and celebrate with us! Check out the flyer below for details.
Read ArticleThe recently updated RCIL Consumer-Directed Handbook is now available. In it you can find information on how to direct your own care and be the employer of your Direct Support Workers (DSW). Information in the handbook includes tips on advertising and interviewing potential Direct Support Workers, using the AuthentiCare KS Electronic Visitor Verification system, background…
Read ArticleResource Center for Independent Living, Inc. (RCIL) is inviting you to join Youth Transition Club! This group is for youth and young adults ages (14-24) with disabilities in Lyon County. In this group you will have the opportunity to learn independent living skills such as cooking, cleaning, budgeting, and employment skills. Youth Transition Club meets…
Read ArticleThe Kansas Disability and Health Program (KDHP) is compiling a list of accessible recreation opportunities across the state of Kansas. The list is posted on their website at www.ihdps.ku/accessible-recreation-opportunties. The list is organized alphabetically by county and within the list of counties, it is organized alphabetically by city or town. The list includes accessible playgrounds,…
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 ArticleThe State Independent Living Council of Kansas (SILCK) is an independent, non-profit state council with the primary responsibility to jointly develop, monitor and evaluate the three-year Statewide Plan for Independent Living (SPIL) with the network of Centers for Independent Living (CILs) and the Kansans with disabilities they serve. The council is authorized under Section 705…
Read ArticleA consumer’s daughter called Mandy Smith, Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist, wanting to get her mother a device that would help her read. The family had tried to work with another organization but kept hitting a brick wall due to COVID. The consumer who is 102 years old and has vision loss is “as sharp…
Read ArticleRCIL offers five core services to individuals with disabilities, their families, and their community. The five Core Services are: Advocacy, Peer Counseling, Independent Living Skills Training, Information and Referral, and Deinstitutionalization/Youth Transition Services. These services are free of charge to individuals across all ages and disabilities that live in Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Butler, Chase, Coffey,…
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