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Ahead of the Times
Volume 25, Number 2
December/January, 2005

The Center will be Closed Wednesday, December 23,Thursday, December 24 for Christmas and December 31 for New Year's 
No Transportation Available

ACCESS AWARD RECIPIENTS
Independence Inc. presented Community Access Awards to six recipients at an agency open house on November 16 to publicly recognize people who have advanced independent living opportunities for people with disabilities in the community. 

The highest award, the Roger B. Williams Community Access Award, was presented to WyLma Mortell, in recognition of her advocacy that positively impacted the state’s Home and Community Based Services program, and the many years of service she has given to people who are homeless in this community at the Lawrence Interdenominational Nutrition Kitchen (LINK) and Jubilee Café. She also currently serves on the LINK board of directors.

WyLma is widely known for her advocacy that contributed to more people with disabilities being given the option and choice to live and receive personal assistance service in their own homes in the community instead of having no other option than to move into nursing home or other institutional setting in order to receive attendant services. 

A Community Access Award was presented to Jeff Kuykendall, a carpenter who constructs ramps and other accessibility modifications to create housing that is more accessible for people with disabilities throughout Douglas and Jefferson Counties. For the last three years Jeff has done outstanding work that is both creative and practical, doing whatever is necessary to accomplish the needed accessibility improvements. He often puts people over profits to ensure the end result meets the person’s need for accessible housing. Jeff’s work has significantly advanced independent living for many people in our community.

Community Access Awards were also presented to four individuals who, for the last four years have provided outstanding mentorship and career development opportunities to students with disabilities participating in National Disability Mentoring Day in Lawrence. 

Recipients were Midge Grinstead, Executive Director of the Lawrence Humane Society; Nancy Hettwer, Administrative Assistant/Student Support Services at the University of Kansas Athletics Corporation; Clay Kucza, Sales and Leasing Consultant at Laird Noller Automotive in Lawrence; and Pat Slimmer, Owner of Slimmer’s Automotive in Lawrence. All of these volunteer business mentors have done an outstanding job giving students with disabilities a very thorough job shadowing experience at their place of employment. This learning experience gives invaluable insight into future employment and career choices.

LEGISLATIVE SESSION PREVIEW
by Tanya Dorf

The 2005 Kansas Legislative Session will convene on January 10, 2005. This will mark the beginning of the Legislature’s two year cycle. All 165 members of the Legislature were up for election this year, so we will see a number of new legislators take office in January. 

- Makeup of the Legislature
Statewide, 15 new Senators and 28 new Representatives will take office. Both chambers will remain in Republican control. The Republican margin increased in the House to 83 to 42. The House Republican caucus is still largely conservative, while the Senate Republic caucus is still more moderate. The margin in the Senate did not change, with 30 Republicans and ten Democrats. Elections will be held at the beginning of December for House and Senate leadership 
In Independence, Inc.’s region of the state, three new Senators will take office: Marci Francisco and Roger Pine, both of Lawrence, and Pat Apple of Louisburg. Three new House of Representatives members from our area will also take office: Bill Otto of LeRoy, Anthony Brown of Eudora, and Ann Mah of Topeka. Our region will continue to be served by Senator, Anthony Hensley, Topeka, as well as by Representatives Tom Holland, Baldwin City; Barbara Ballard, Tom Sloan, and Paul Davis, Lawrence; Lee Tafanelli, Ozawkie; and Joe Humerickhouse, Osage City. We at Independence, Inc. are looking forward to working with these new and returning members of the Legislature. 

- Hot Issues of the Session
One of the most important issues of the Session each year is the state’s budget. State budget officials are projecting the budget will remain roughly flat in the coming year. State revenues are up slightly, but they are offset by similar increases in Medicaid and other critical spending. A flat budget is both good and bad news. It is welcome news in that we can be relatively assured there will be no need for state-level budget cuts, but it also means the likelihood of increasing state spending on existing services is not high. 

The major issues likely to be debated during the 2005 Session are school finance, the Governor’s proposed gaming compact with the Kickapoo and Sac and Fox tribes, a constitutional ban on same sex marriage, and whether to raise cigarette taxes to pay for the Governors’ plan to extend health care benefits for tens of thousands of uninsured Kansans. 

The underlying themes here are taxes and the so-called moral issues we saw emerge during the Presidential election. The state is recovering from its recession, but in order to continue to provide basic state government services, additional revenue will be needed. And, with the looming Kansas Supreme Court decision on the state’s school finance formula, it is entirely possible the 2005 Legislature will be asked to come up with significant new state dollars to fund public education. Thus whether to raise taxes or not and whether to allow gaming revenues to increase will be big issues. It is also important to remember that the 2006 legislative races and race for Governor have essentially begun. This means we will continue to see moral issues like same sex marriage be hot debate topics. 

- Independent Living Priorities for the Session
Independence, Inc. is a member of the Kansas Association of Centers for Independent Living (KACIL). One of the major responsibilities of KACIL is to advocate for the legislative priorities of its members. Several key long-term care and independent living issues will take center stage for KACIL and its members during the 2005 Legislative Session. Following is an overview of the key issues on which we will focus: 

- Consensus Caseload Estimating Process:
The Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services waivers should be fully funded each year, thereby eliminating the need for waiting lists. KACIL urges the Legislature to adopt a policy of including the waivers in the Consensus Caseload Estimating process, which would ensure Kansans with disabilities would have equal access to institutional and community-based services. Kansans with disabilities who qualify for the waivers will be able to count on those services being in place. They will not have to wait, and in some cases, this could lessen the length of time for which they need the services by providing critical rehabilitative services as soon as people need them.

- Money Following the Person: 
At the beginning of FY 2004, the state of Kansas began affirming its belief that people have the right to live in the community and should not be discriminated against by having to live in a nursing home when that is not their choice. This was affirmed with the passage of a provision which ensures money will follow people when they transition from nursing homes to HCBS services. To ensure Kansans will continue being able to choose to move from nursing homes into the community, KACIL will propose legislation in the 2005 Session to put the Money Following the Person concept into law. Transitioning this concept from a provision to a law will affirm that it is the policy of the state to allow people who live in nursing homes to choose community-based services. 

- Base CIL Funding Increase:
Each Center for Independent Living (CIL) is required to provide a set of five core services: advocacy, information and referral, peer networking, independent living skills, and deinstitutionalization. But the level of funding CILs receive to provide these services varies widely. KACIL will advocate for implementation of a base level of funding of $250,000 per CIL for these core services. This base level of funding will allow CILs to be better prepared to provide the core services to any Kansan with disabilities who needs them. 

- Adult Dental Services:
SRS has proposed a FY 2006 budget enhancement to add adult dental coverage to the range of services paid by Medicaid. Dental services are some of the most important preventive medical services available, but without access to them, people with disabilities and people with low-income levels are not able to stave off many preventable medical conditions. This is a service Kansans have not had for many years, and KACIL will advocate that it is time to restore it.

- Equal rates for services: 
KACIL believes the rates paid for similar services should be equal among the HCBS waivers. The rates paid for services such as personal assistance vary in both amount and type of payment depending on whether they are provided through the Developmental Disabilities, the Physical Disabilities, the Frail Elderly or the Head Injury waiver. The level of staff providing the service and the type of service itself, however, does not vary greatly depending on which waiver pays for the services. KACIL would like to see a study of why this disparity exists and a plan to bring the rates to the same level.

- Statewide Independent Living Council of Kansas Priorities
The other key statewide advocacy organization for independent living issues is the Statewide Independent Living Council of Kansas (SILCK). SILCK has similar legislative priorities for 2005, but they are framing their agenda in terms of a new system for delivering human services in Kansas which would offer choice and quality services, minimize institutional services, and enhance community living. 

This new system for delivering human services includes a reduction in the number of beds in nursing facilities. By reducing reliance on nursing facilities, the state’s long-term care system would be rebalanced, and the state’s belief that community services should be equally available to people with disabilities would be affirmed. 

SILCK also proposes that all long-term care services be organized within one state agency, SRS. Essentially, this means the programs and services run by the Department on Aging would transfer to SRS. This approach would allow the state to effectively coordinate various policies that will promote people living in the most integrated setting. 

The SILCK plan next proposes reassigning use of the Client Assessment, Referral and Evaluation (CARE) instrument to the single state agency for long-term care services, SRS. The purposes of the CARE instrument are data collection and individual assessment and referral to long-term care options. By reassigning the CARE instrument to the control of SRS, and possibly to be implemented by Centers for Independent Living, this instrument would be able to identify which services would be necessary in order for the individual being assessed to be served in the community first.

SILCK proposes that the Working Healthy program be expanded to include all disability types. Many people with disabilities want to work but worry that doing so could jeopardize their vital health and long-term care coverage. The Working Healthy program offers people with disabilities who are working or interested in working the opportunity to get or keep Medicaid coverage while sharing in the cost of their premiums. Currently, the program has 781 enrollees. People who use personal assistance services are not yet able to access this program. If personal assistance services were available, it is estimated an additional 1,200 persons would access this program.
Improving opportunities for people with disabilities is a win-win situation. For people with disabilities, it means inclusion, freedom and empowerment. For business, it means more customers, higher profits, and additional qualified workers. For taxpayers, it means more people contributing to the system, and fewer people dependent on it.

To help underwrite the expense of eliminating the waiting lists and pay for the cost of administering a new choice-based system, SILCK proposes a five cent tax on each can of soda sold in Kansas. SILCK estimates such a tax could bring in revenue approaching $50 million per year. 

- Conclusion
Independence, Inc. will work with KACIL, SILCK, and many other statewide advocacy organizations to advocate for funding and state policies which promote independence for Kansans with disabilities. If you have any questions about the Legislative priorities of Independence, Inc., please contact Tanya Dorf, Executive Director, or Bob Mikesic, Advocacy Coordinator at 784/841-0333 or 1-888-824-7277 (toll-free).

CONSUMER SUPPORT GROUPS CALENDAR OF EVENTS

• December 
  
  Cooking Club’s Winter Festival
  Come celebrate a little holiday cheer at Cooking Club’s “Winter Festival” on Monday, December 13, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. in the large conference room at Independence, Inc. We will learn how to make a hearty winter stew. Please feel free to bring some treats to share. Holiday songs and games will also be part of the festivities. RSVP with Ranita at 841-0333 by 5 p.m., Friday, December 10. 

• December and January
  
  Accessible Self Defense Training Group
  Interested in learning accessible self- defense techniques through the practice of Martial Arts? Join the Accessible Self-Defense Group of Independence, Inc. for weekly self defense trainings every Tuesday, 4:30 - 5: 30 p.m. in the large conference room at Independence, Inc. Steve Carrier, professional trainer and martial arts expert, will teach the class. Individuals of all different abilities are welcome to attend. There is a $5 fee for the class. Questions, please contact Ranita at 841-0333. Please note: Class will be canceled Tuesday, December 28 for winter break.
  
• January
  
  Consumer Group “Dinner and Planning Meeting”
  It’s a new year and time to start thinking about consumer group activities for 2005. The consumer support groups of Independence, Inc. will have a “Dinner and Planning Meeting” on Monday, January 10. 4 - 6 p.m. at King Buffet, 1601 W. 23rd Street. Please bring $5 for the dinner. King Buffet offers a variety of Asian and American cuisine. Don’t forget to bring all of your great activity ideas for the year 2005 to the dinner. RSVP with Ranita at 785/841-0333 by 5 p.m. on Friday, January 7.
  
  Peer Support Group to Attend Wheelchair Basketball Tournament
  The Peer Support Group will attend the Kansas Wheelhawks Tournament Games at Lawrence Holcom Recreational Center, 2700 W. 27th, on Saturday, January 15. The first tournament game is the Kansas Wheelhawks (host team) vs. the KC Thunder. Game time starts at 9 a.m. There will be three tournament games that day. Ranita will meet PSG members at the main front entrance of Holcom at 8:45 a.m. Attendance is free. No Independence, Inc. transportation available for the event. For questions, please contact Ranita at 785-841-0333.

FREE SMOKE DETECTORS AVAILABLE
Douglas County Fire and Emergency Department has a limited number of smoke detectors available at no charge for homeowners who cannot afford them. Personnel from the Department will also install them at no charge. For more information contact Stephanie at 841-1067.

COMPUTER LEARNING CENTER CLASSES
Check out the Spring CLC Course Catalog online at http://independenceinc.org/forms.html or stop by the front desk at Independence, Inc. to pick up a copy. 

There are still openings in the Office Assistant Vocational program, and we will be teaching Networks certification in the spring as another vocational program. In addition, regular classes will include Computer Basics (taught every month), Introduction to XP (postponed from the fall), word processing, all about online banking, advanced basics, and others to be announced.

COPING WITH STRESS MANAGEMENT
The Coping with Stress Management classes are held every Friday, at 12:30 p.m. at Independence, Inc.. For more information call 841-7108, 2 - 6 p.m. and leave a message.

RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS WANTED
Are you an adult (18+) with a diagnosed learning disability? Are you interested in making $30.00 for an hour of your time? If you interested in participating in a research study, please contact Noelle Kurth in Lawrence at 785/218-6516.

SAFE WINTER WALKWAYS PROGRAM
The City of Lawrence and the Roger Hill Volunteer Center announce the Safe Winter Walkways program, which will match volunteers who will shovel snow to senior citizens and persons with disabilities who are unable to shovel their own walkways and cannot afford to pay a service. Volunteers will be matched with a single household for the season and are asked to shovel the snow from that household’s front door walkway and the public sidewalk in front of the home after every snowfall. Interested volunteers and persons in need of snow removal may call (785) 832-3338 to request application materials or visit lawrenceks.org to download them.

DISASTER PLANS LACKING FOR PEOPLE WITH MOBILITY IMPAIRMENTS
The reports of wheelchair users being left behind in the World Trade Center on 9/11 because they were unable to evacuate revealed the acute need for better disaster planning, according to Glen White, director of the KU Research and Training Center for Independent Living. 

The Nobody Left Behind project, directed by White with Michael Fox, associate professor of health policy and management; Jennifer Rowland, lecturer in applied behavioral science and Catherine "Cat" Rooney, project coordinator, has begun that process.

The research team investigated 30 randomly selected U.S. counties, cities, parishes and boroughs where a natural or man-made disaster occurred in 1999- 2004 to determine if disaster plans and emergency response systems met the needs of persons with mobility impairments. 
The team presented the early results of the study at the first Conference on Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security with the National Organization on Disability on September 23 in Arlington, VA.
For more information on this project, visit www.nobodyleftbehind2.org.

ABLEHAWKS 
AbleHawks is a group of University of Kansas students with disabilities on the Lawrence campus. The group began in September, 2004 and is organized as an official campus group and funded by the KU Student Senate.

The mission of AbleHawks is to raise awareness of disability issues on campus and to provide an opportunity for students to join together in promoting disability as a multi-cultural and diversity issue. Although anyone on campus, including faculty and staff can join and support AbleHawks, the primary mission of the group is to serve the student body.

The group meets twice monthly and meeting places and times are posted on the AbleHawk website. For more information, visit their website at http://www.ku.edu/~ablehawk/.

SURVEY ON TELECOMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES 
The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Mobile Wireless Technologies for Persons with Disabilities (“The Wireless RERC”) is gathering input about how people with disabilities use products and services like telephones, remote controls, pagers, computers, and the Internet. Results of this research will help identify ways to make these products more usable for people with or without disabilities. 

The survey takes about 15-20 minutes to complete and is available on the internet at http://www.wirelessrerc.gatech.edu/survey/coverletter.html. Survey participants are eligible to join the Center’s Consumer Advisory Network of people with disabilities. Those who join this network will be invited periodically to complete written surveys, participate in live or on-line focus groups, and test new products and services. A $5 check will be sent to the first 1200 persons to complete the survey. 

For more information or to request a paper copy of the survey, please email rerc@gcatt.gatech.edu  

PURCHASES HELP SUPPORT INDEPENDENCE, INC.
Independence, Inc. has been designated to be one of three recipients of donations from Lawrence’s World Wine and Beer, LLC’s Charitable Giving Program. The company, which began operating in the summer of 2004, wants to be able to share its success with the community, thus they have designated Independence, Inc. and two other local non-profits as their charitable giving partners in the coming year. Stop by World Wine and Beer, located in World Market at 31st and Iowa to find out more. 

APRIL CONFERENCE REPORT
by Zach Coble
During the weekend of October 16, I had the distinct privilege of attending the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL) Annual Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota on behalf of Independence, Inc. and also as part of the association’s youth planning committee. Creative acronyms aside, this conference gave participants opportunities to discuss and learn about important issues that directly affect the disability community and Centers for Independent Living (CILs) across the country. 

Many topics were covered by people from a wide array of Centers ranging from Hawaii to Vermont. The subjects covered at the conference included advocacy, consumer service in remote areas, housing, and legislative updates. Although all of these matters are extremely important, another larger theme of youth involvement emerged from the conference.

APRIL kicked off this effort to “bring on the youth” by hosting its inaugural Youth Pre-Conference on the Friday before the main conference began. The planning committee spent almost a year developing this portion of APRIL’s program. Youth from all parts of the country were given an opportunity to come together to learn and engage in dialogue about things that affect them like employment, education, adaptive technology, transition aide, and advocacy. By just discussing these among the youth, they learned from each other and began to formulate ways of improving their specific community for people with disabilities. Some of the ideas that came out of these discussions centered on connecting isolated youth in rural areas via the internet, giving youth advocacy skills to take charge of their education, and teaching conflict resolution skills to youth with disabilities to use with their potentially insensitive peers. Not only were the youth able to discuss these issues, many of them will be able to turn those ideas into action in their communities. APRIL is offering $500-1000 grants for these youth to start a program to help people with disabilities in their area.

Youth were also featured prominently in the regular conference as well. Sarah Triano, who is a nationally recognized youth disability activist, was the keynote speaker for the conference as a whole. She called for a more involved role for youth with disabilities within the disability rights movement and in the civil rights movement in general. 

There were several presentations by people at the conference on youth related issues and programs Groups from Montana and Vermont both presented on the youth leadership forums for high school aged youth in their states. Additionally, the Montana delegation presented on a program they have started in high schools which educate students with disabilities on independent living history, issues and culture. A group from Alaska presented on a recreational program for youth with disabilities that was one of the most popular activities in their community. Finally, Curtis Richards, who served as Deputy Secretary in the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services under the Clinton Administration talked about helping youth to transition from high school to the workforce or college. 

As it began, the conference ended with a message to help more youth become actively involved in the movement, on the APRIL Board, and most significantly with CILs themselves.
Obviously, the conference included much more activity than I can convey. Although the weather in Minnesota was frigid, the warmth of the people and the learning experiences I received while I was there more than made up for it. My hope is that I can share some of these ideas with all of you in the Lawrence community.

Zach Coble is a sophomore at the University of Kansas majoring in Applied Behavioral Science and Political Science. 

WANTED: Electric box or oscillating fans that are broken or that you no longer want. Any brand and size accepted. If necessary, unwanted fans can be picked up. Contact Michael at 785/840-9861 or 841-5046 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Mon. - Fri.

SUPPORT INDEPENDENCE INC. 
and enjoy free entrees at 16 great Lawrence restaurants

For $15, you'll receive buy-one, get-one-free offers, free dessert and appetizer offers, plus additional savings from 16 of the best restaurants in Lawrence. For only $15 you'll not only save hundreds of dollars dining out, you'll support Independence Inc. which receives $10 of the $15 price. Its a great value and savings all year, and a fun way to enjoy dining out in Lawrence. It also makes a great gift! Cards are available by contacting Independence, Inc. 2001 Haskell Ave., Lawrence, KS 66046, 785/841-0333. Participating restaurants are:

• Paisano's 
• Set 'Em Up Jacks
• Zen Zero 
• Aladdin Cafe
• Sushi Station 
• Teller's
• J.B. Stout's 
• Pachamama's
• Hereford House 
• Marisco's 
• 75th Street Brewery 
• Scarlet Orchid
• Westside Deli 
• Stone Creek
• Wheatfields Baker & Cafe
• Bambino's Italian Cafe

December -- events calendar  

Thursday         12/2

Friday              12/3

• Coping with Stress, 12:30 pm at Center 
• Recovery Support Group, 7:30 pm at Public Library

Monday           12/6

Tuesday          12/7

• Accessible Self-Defense Group, 4:30-5:30 pm at Center

Wednesday    12/8

• DAV Meeting, 7 pm, United Way Building

Thursday         12/9

Friday              12/10

• Coping with Stress, 12:30 pm at Center 
• ATF meeting, 6:00 pm at Mark's
• Recovery Support Group, 7:30 pm at Public Library

Monday             12/13

• Cooking Club's Winter Festival, 4:30 - 6:30 pm at Center

Tuesday            12/14

• Self Defense Group, 4:30 pm at Center

Wednesday      12/15

Thursday           12/16 

• Board Meeting, 5:15 at Center
• Cancer Support Group, 7 pm at LMH

Friday                12/17

• Coping with Stress, 12:30 pm at Center 
• Recovery Support Group, 7:30 pm at Public Library

Monday            12/20

• SHHH, 1 pm at 1700 Mass 

Tuesday            12/21

• Self Defense Group, 4:30 pm at Center
• Dg Co Head Injury Support Group, 7 pm at LMH 

Wednesday       12/22

• CLOSED for Christmas
  No Transportation Available
• Cancer Support Group, 7 pm at LMH ????

Friday                12/24

• CLOSED for Christmas
  No Transportation Available

Monday            12/27

Wednesday       12/29

Thursday            12/30

Friday                12/31

• CLOSED for New Year's
  No Transportation Available

January -- events calendar 

Monday           1/3

Tuesday          1/4

• Self Defense Group, 4:30 pm at Center

Wednesday    1/5

Thursday         1/6

Friday              1/7

• Coping with Stress, 12:30 pm at Center 
• Recovery Support Group, 7:30 pm at Public Library

Monday           1/10

• Consumer Group "Dinner and Planning Meeting", 4:00 - 6:00 pm at King Buffet,1601 W. 23rd. (bring $5.00)

Tuesday          1/11

• Self Defense Group, 4:30 pm at Center

Wednesday    1/12

• DAV Meeting, 7 pm, United Way Building

Thursday         1/13

• Cancer Support Group, 7 pm at LMH 

Friday             1/14

• Coping with Stress, 12:30 pm at Center 
• Access Task Force, 1:00 pm at Center 
• Recovery Support Group, 7:30 pm at Public Library

Saturday        1/15

• Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, 8:45 am at Holcom Rec Center, 2700 W. 27 th

Monday          1/17

• SHHH, 1 pm at 1700 Mass  

Tuesday         1/18

• Self Defense Group, 4:30 pm at Center
• Dg Co Head Injury Support Group, 7 pm at LMH  

Wednesday   1/19

• Board Meeting, 5:15 pm at Center

Friday             1/21

• Coping with Stress, 12:30 pm at Center 
• Recovery Support Group, 7:30 pm at Public Library  

Monday          1/24

• Self Defense Group, 4:30 pm at Center

Wednesday    1/26

Thursday         1/27

• Cancer Support Group, 7 pm at LMH 

Friday              1/28

• Coping with Stress, 12:30 pm at Center 
• Recovery Support Group, 7:30 pm at Public Library  

Monday           1/31