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We all know that sitting at your desk staring at your computer screen all day isn’t healthy for your body. But have you thought about what it does to your eyes? Digital eye strain is eye and visual related problems after prolonged computer use. This condition doesn’t just occur because of computer use; it can…
Read ArticleThis blog entry was adapted from information provided by the Statewide Independent Living Council of Kansas (SILCK) Through the dedicated work of the Centers for Independent Living (CILs), a significant change has taken place in terms of the cost of persons with disabilities who are employed and those who remain unemployed. KU conducted a five…
Read ArticleLately, I’ve felt like things have been really good. I’ve had a few problems here and there but nothing horrible. When I do have a problem, I like to talk to my friends about it and see what they think. This is what I’ve noticed a real friend will do: Listen! Real friends will listen…
Read ArticleThis blog entry was adapted from information provided by the Statewide Independent Living Council of Kansas (SILCK) RCIL is one of 13 Centers for Independent Living (CIL) in Kansas. The expenditure for CILs across the state is approximately $2.7M federal and state funds. For over 30 years, CILs have helped thousands of Kansans with disabilities…
Read ArticleA majority of our staff attended the Big Tent Rally on April 29, 2010. The leaders of the Big Tent asked us to wear red to be more visible. Our staff was also spending a lot of time at the Capitol building during this time, so we decided we would order shirts for staff members…
Read ArticleKansas is facing tough economic times, as we confront budget shortfalls, some are looking to cut Medicaid benefits, including home and community based services (HCBS). Home and community based services are vital to helping seniors and people with disabilities stay in their communities and out of institutions. If home and community based services cuts are…
Read ArticleYesterday we had an all staff holiday party. I really enjoy events such as this because I can talk face-to-face to my co-workers that I don’t see on a daily basis. Yesterday, our Executive Director, Chad Wilkins, and our Direct of Independent Living, Rosie Cooper, did a presentation on the book, How Full is Your…
Read ArticleEvery time we turn on the television or open up a newspaper, we are bombarded with news of the bad economy. It seems as though most people are in survival mode when it comes to finances and asset building isn’t their top priority; however, at a recent conference session about a program called Access to…
Read ArticleLast summer I was going to have a birthday party at my house for my 1 year-old. I was so excited that I started all these lists to make sure everything was in order. I had a list of people to invite, a list of food to buy and prepare and a list of…
Read ArticleWith today being the day before Thanksgiving, I thought I’d just write a little about what we are thankful for at RCIL 1.) Our Consumers! Without our consumers we would not exist! Thank you! 2.) Personal Care Attendants (PCAs)! Without PCAs, many of our consumers would not be able to stay at home and not…
Read ArticleAs a Center for Independent Living (CIL), RCIL is committed to working with Kansans with disabilities to enable them to live independently in their homes and communities. But what exactly does that mean? In Kansas, Centers for Independent Living are tasked with providing 5 core services. They are Information and Referral, Peer Counseling, Independent Living…
Read ArticleInformation on Agribility courtesy of Kerri Ebert, Kansas AgrAbility Project Coordinator, with the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering at Kansas State University. The Kansas AgrAbility Project assists people with disabilities who are employed in agriculture. Its goal is to inform, educate, and assist farmers, farm families, and farm workers who have disabilities, so they can…
Read ArticleThis blog was written by Mandy Smith, an RCIL Staff member, who recently became an O&M Specialist. She has been working with RCIL since June 2009. In August of this year, I applied for a new position at RCIL. When I found out I had the position, I was so excited I went and told…
Read ArticleWhile you’ve probably heard of glaucoma, you may not know exactly what it is. Glaucoma is not one disease but rather a group of eye diseases that slowly steals a person’s sight without warning. The vision loss occurs due to damage to the optic nerve, which is responsible for carrying images from the eye to…
Read ArticleWhen we go to the polls on November 2nd we have a huge responsibility not only to ourselves and our families but to our communities as well. Unfortunately, there is an entire portion of our society that is regularly disenfranchised by our government; they are the members of the disability community. While most of us…
Read ArticleThe election is less than 2 weeks away and we are in danger of losing what we worked so hard to get in the last legislative session. As November 2nd gets closer it becomes more apparent that our next governor will be Senator Brownback. For the disability community this is a very scary prospect. He…
Read ArticleDid you know that the Kansas Constitution sanctions discrimination against all people with a mental health issue? Probably not. In fact, the issue had basically flown under the political radar until 2008. That’s when a group of mental health consumers and advocates learned that the state constitution allows the Legislature to take away the right…
Read ArticleOn Thursday August 26 we held a Self Direction Tool Kit Training in Topeka for our consumers and personal care attendants (PCAs). The training was a full day of empowerment, useful tips for recruiting, interviewing, hiring, and managing PCAs, Independent Living Philosophy, and group discussions on all of the above. Thank you to everyone that…
Read ArticleThe Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns (KCDC) is taking applications for consideration for appointment. KCDC is an advisory body to state government for changes to state programs, laws and regulations that improve participation of Kansans with disabilities in those programs and their communities. The commission must have representation of a variety of disabilities, geographic locations…
Read ArticleThe FMAP Extension passed the House and will be signed into law by President Obama! While we did not get the full amount passed that was in the original bill, it is still a victory! The bill that passed maintains the 3.2 % increase in Medicaid funding in the first quarter of 2011 and lowers…
Read ArticleThe US House of Representatives has passed a Jobs bill that does NOT contain the extension of FMAP (Federal Medicaid Assistance funding) that the KS state budget is relying on. This means a reduction in state Medicaid funding by 21% effective January 1, 2011. We need to ACT NOW and contact our Senators to let…
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