advocacy
Do 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 ArticleEmpowHer Camp is a fun and exciting one year program for girls with disabilities ages 13-17 EmpowHer Camp starts with one week of adventurous camping in the Adirondacks where they explore nature, make friends, and laugh around the campfire. They also connect with mentors who will help them set goals and achieve them! After the…
Read ArticlePlease take a few moments to review this message from the Kansas Disability Rights Center: “The Disability Rights Center (DRC) of Kansas is our State’s Protection and Advocacy system for people with disabilities. DRC Kansas provides advocacy services and legal representation at no charge in certain disability cases where the civil or legal rights of…
Read ArticleWatch the following video on how our RCIL Friends’ Group in Emporia was able to advocate for more accessible crosswalks! “Stoplights Don’t Stop Us!” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQEf-y08-To “Stoplights Don’t Stop Us!” with audio description: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmeCIZuqwcI
Read ArticleMs. Wheelchair Kansas is currently searching for women to participate in their 2016 event to be held March 11-13 in Topeka. Contestants can be nominated by a person or group or can choose to participate in the program. Are you a woman of achievement who is wheelchair mobile? Would you like to share your voice with the…
Read ArticleDon’t forget, November 4th is the General Election. If you are not able to vote that day, Kansas is one of the many states who allow early voting (by anyone). If you require assistance with voting you may have someone enter the booth with you. That person could be your family/friend or someone working at the election poll. …
Read ArticleThe Self Advocate Coalition of Kansas (SACK) will be having a meeting September 30th, 2:00pm at RCIL’s main office in Osage City. They will be discussing what advocacy is and what you can do to help. All ages are welcome. For more information please contact SACK at (785) 749-5588. *The Self Advocate Coalition of Kansas (SACK)…
Read ArticleFor those of you who are receiving Home & Community Based Services, the State of Kansas will be holding meetings to inform consumers, families, advocates, and providers to inform all of the new changes. Below is a list of the meeting locations and times. Federal rules and necessary program changes will be made to the following programs:…
Read ArticleTomorrow, 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…
Read ArticleYou 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…
Read ArticleDATE DESCRIPTION Tuesday, October 16 Last day to register to vote in general election Wednesday, October 17 Advance voting begins for general election Friday, November 2 Deadline for voters to apply for advance voting ballots to be mailed Monday, November 5 Noon deadline to cast advance voting ballots in person in office of County Election…
Read ArticleKansas has recently changed its law about requiring an ID in order to vote. (You may have seen a commercial lately about it.) DO NOT let this stop you from voting! First off, a registered voter who does not possess any of the valid ID documents may obtain a FREE nondriver’s ID from the Division…
Read ArticleThe House & Senate conference committee for the FY 2013 budget have held four rounds of negotiations thus far. Next round is scheduled for 1:30 this afternoon. Senate negotiators (Carolyn McGinn, John Vratil & Laura Kelly) have held firm on two items that are crucial to the disability community. Please take a moment and email…
Read ArticleThe Legislative Session has passed the halfway mark and our advocacy efforts are ramping up. There are so many big concerns for the disability community this time around and it is imperative that we get input to the Administration, the Legislators, and to our communities from Kansans with disabilities. The Resource Center for Independent Living,…
Read Article“The moral test of government is how it treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadow of life, the sick, the needy, and the disabled.” – Hubert H. Humphrey Reflect on those words for a…
Read ArticleOn February 1, 2012 disability advocates across the state began a concerted effort to contact the Governor’s office and SRS regarding the Waiting Lists for Home and Community Based Services. The Governor’s office and the SRS administration responded less than satisfactorily advising (after several off the wall suggestions) that the Waiting Lists for Home and…
Read ArticleToday at 2:00pm the Kansas House and Senate will convene to start the 2012 Legislative Session. This promises to be one of the busiest, and maybe toughest sessions in recent years. All eyes are on the Senate as it is an election year for them and the coalition of moderate Republicans and Democrats that…
Read ArticleWith the new year comes a new Legislative session in Kansas. The 2012 Session starts on Monday January 9th at 2:00pm and promises to be a busy one. The disability community will be closely watching as the Administration and the Legislature take on huge items including an expected Executive Order re-organizing SRS, the Medicaid…
Read ArticleHome and Community Based Services (HCBS) became an integral part of the lives of Kansans with disabilities and those who are elderly though legislation passed in 1989 (KSA 39-7, 100). This legislation provided Kansans who wanted to have choice and remain independent with the ability to receive long-term care services in their own home and…
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I talk to people a lot about the proud history of the disability community in Kansas. The progress that was made in the state by dedicated advocates placed Kansas in the forefront on disability rights. We have constructed a system that, while not perfect, works to empower Kansans with disabilities, helps them acquire gainful…
Read ArticleTwelve years ago, the United States Supreme Court rejected the state of Georgia’s appeal to enforce institutionalization of individuals with disabilities and affirmed the right of individuals with disabilities to live in their community in its 6-3 ruling against the state of Georgia in the case Olmstead v. L.C. and E.W. The Olmstead Decision…
Read ArticleI am a Case Manager, yet I do not manage cases, I work with people. My job is to visit people in their homes who have physical disabilities and complete an assessment to determine if they are eligible for a Medicaid program that provides long term care services to them in their own homes.…
Read ArticleYesterday Gov. Sam Brownback and Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer unveiled sweeping changes to the Kansas Medicaid program. These changes were a part of the Governor’s “Roadmap” and took on one of the three big areas he wanted to tackle along with KPERS and Education. Beginning in January of 2013 all Medicaid recipients will be under…
Read ArticleThe Big Tent Coalition and Kansans for Quality Communities are teaming up to bring Town Hall meetings to towns across Kansas. The purpose is to “discuss the impact of continuing budget cuts on vital state services and the ramifications of eliminating the Kansas income tax.” The Resource Center for Independent Living is working to ensure…
Read ArticleAs we edge closer to winter, the leaves are changing and falling, the air is cooler, and the days are shorter. These are expected changes we prepare for each year. This year, Kansans with disabilities are experiencing many other changes. There is a new administration in Kansas state government and in SRS, over the last…
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