advocacy
Last Friday a new advocacy group named Kansans United in Voice and Spirit held their first rally at the Statehouse. The turnout was good as far as such things go with a little over 250 people present on a cold and damp day. The group’s website states that they are “Concerned citizens of Kansas…
The Resource Center for Independent Living is partnering with Centers for Independent Living(CILs) all across Kansas in a Letters to the Editor campaign coordinated by the Statewide Independent Living Council of Kansas(SILCK). I have drafted 9 sample letters for advocates and consumers to use as inspiration for their own letters covering a range of topics.…
Saturday Sept. 10th dozens of advocates gathered at the Statehouse in support of Home and Community Based Services, independent living in Kansas for people with disabilities, and (although it was unplanned) Consumer Run Organizations(CROs) for people with mental illness. The Topeka Independent Living Resource Center and Kansas ADAPT sponsored and held the rally with speakers…
On Saturday, September 10th Topeka Independent Living Resource Center (TILRC) and Kansas ADAPT are teaming up to host a rally on the steps of the Statehouse from 1:00pm-2:30pm. The Rally is in support for Medicaid Home and Community Based Services. These services are imperative for Kansans with disabilities to remain in their homes and…
Last week, members of the disability community from across the state came together in Topeka for the Kansas Disability Caucus. This year’s theme was “Fan the Flame” to get everyone pumped up and excited to accomplish what needs to be done in the next couple of years. Mark Derry, from West Virginia, started the Caucus…
“Fan the Flame” The 12th Kansas Disability Caucus will be held in Topeka on August 10, 11, and 12 with a Pre-Conference on August 9 and 10 provided by ikan that will focus on providing Independent Living services to individuals who are blind or have low vision. Individuals throughout the state with all types of…
Tomorrow April 28th, the Resource Center for Independent Living will unite at the Kansas Statehouse with Kansans for Quality Communities members to urge our Legislators to do what’s right for Kansans. You can read about this Action on the Kansas Health Institute site here. We will be spreading the “Save Our State” message which has…
While everyone was hopeful that the current fiscal year’s budget Rescission bill would be worked out between the House and Senate yesterday, that did not happen. Today Governor Brownback advised that he will cut $56 million from the current budget. He has not yet specified where that money would come from but indicated he…
On Tuesday January 25th from 5:00pm-7:00pm, the Big Tent Coalition is hosting a Legislative Reception. It will be held in Topeka in the Florentine Room of Jayhawk Towers at 700 SW Jackson. This will be an excellent time for members of the disability community to come together and mingle with their elected representatives. We encourage…
A 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…
Kansas 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…
As 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…
When 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…
The 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…
Did 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…
The 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…
The 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…
The 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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