National Hispanic Heritage Month

"Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval of Public Law 100-402.

The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30 day period."

- Hispanic Heritage Month [hispanicheritagemonth.gov]

Pictured Above: artwork created using stylized letters on a stone-colored and textured background, that reads: "Mi Parque, Mi Historia" (My Park, My History)

Sigue leyendo en espanol... (continue reading in Spanish...)

We love Fall! Not only do we love the changing of the leaves, the dropping of the temperature and all of the festivities and activities that Fall can bring, but we love another kind of change that's happening this Fall - Expansion and Capacity Building!

Here's the scoop:

• This fall, we are expanding our Core Services into Wyandotte and Johnson Counties. Yes, that's a hop, skip and a jump from our current tri-county area of Douglas, Jefferson and Franklin Counties, but were on the hunt for office space in our new territories and before long, we will be fully-staffed and up and running in these new counties!
• We applied for, and received, a Federal Department of Education Grant called Pathways to Partnership. This grant is designed to support CILs (that's us!) with resources needed to create innovative ways to serve youth with disabilities with bolstered Youth Transition Services. Under this grant, we will collaborate with school districts, community service providers and existing programs in Wyandotte County to create a network of resources that will help guide youth with disabilities through their elementary and secondary education years and on into post-secondary education, training or meaningful employment.
• We're expanding right here at home too! We're in a season of growth in our tri-county area, and to keep up with demand, we've hired several new positions in our Lawrence office, shifted positions of several more staff, constructed new offices in our building to house the increase in staff and will be hiring for our two new counties as well!

Meet our new staff (and existing staff who have changed positions!)

Your Vote Matters! How to Register, Mail-in Ballots, Polling Locations, Candidate Information and More!

Whether it’s time for presidential, state, regional or local elections, or you just want to know about the voting and election processes, we have the resources you need! Know your voting rights and responsibilities, ways you can advocate for advances in voting accessibility and the importance of the disability vote!

Your vote is your voice and your voice is power! Get all the information you need to stay educated, informed and up-to-date on the latest elections, including how to register to vote, important dates and deadlines, how and where you cast your ballot, voting rights for people with disabilities and more.

Visit our Voters Resources Page

In the words of the late, great, Judy Heumann, “Change never happens at the pace we think it should. It happens over years of people joining together, strategizing, sharing, and pulling all the levers they possibly can. Gradually, excruciatingly slowly, things start to happen, and then suddenly, seemingly out of the blue, something will tip.”― Judith Heumann, Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist

We truly can't understand and interpret the present without understanding and interpreting the past. Understanding the history of disability - from discrimination, abuse and intolerance to the Independent Living Movement, rights and protections - is an essential piece of the puzzle as we continue to talk about and celebrate the normalization and true integration of people with disabilities into communities, the workforce, higher education and every other aspect of life.

While great strides have been made in disability rights over the decades, much work is still needed to remove barriers to independent living including: architectural/physical, technological, systemic, policy and even attitudinal barriers. Knowledge is power and the more we can spread information on disability history, rights, movements, inclusion, employment and more, the better off we, our communities, our workforce and our systems will be.

Check out this fabulous resource below from the National Park Service:

Disability History Series from the National Parks Service

Disability history and disability employment go hand-in-hand as equality in the workplace is still a battle. Knowing and understanding disability history can help inform and provide framework for the necessary steps ahead to create a system of workplace accessibility and pay equality for people with disabilities.

Check out the video above by the US Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment and find more information on their website.

American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month is celebrated every November to honor the history, culture, and traditions of Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and affiliated Island communities. It also recognizes veterans who have served in the nation's defense.

• Celebrate American Indian And Alaska Native Heritage Month by watching or listening to some programming through the PBS website: https://www.pbs.org/articles/celebrate-native-american-and-alaska-native-heritage-month
• Resources for teachers to use in the classroom during American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month for students at all grade levels: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/sis/resources/fun-facts/aian-month.html
• Google Arts and Culture: Ways to Celebrate Native American Heritage Month: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/10-ways-to-celebrate-native-american-heritage-month/GAUhe-CUlT6IPQ

Image Description: A bright yellow-orange background with fall leaves and text that reads: Fall Giving, We need you! We love our donors and appreciate the ways in which we are supported by our communities! Whether you're a long-time giver or have never donated to our work before, would you consider a gift to help our programs and services reach all people with disabilities in our areas?

Explore all ways you can give to our organization by visiting our giving page:

https://independenceinc.org/donate/

The Community Support Waiver (CSW) is a proposed addition to the current Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) waiver offered by KanCare - the Kansas Medicaid program. The CSW waiver is meant to provide supports and services to those on the I/DD waiver wait list (and anyone else who qualifies) who don't need the full extent and complexity of current I/DD waiver services. This will allow many on the waiting list to transfer to the new, limited services CSW waiver, leaving slots open for others to move up on the current I/DD waiver waiting list.

This could be an important first step in reducing wait times on the I/DD waiver!

The addition of the Community Support Waiver (CSW) to Medicaid Home and Community Based Services, was recently approved and stakeholders are encouraged to get involved in its development by providing input on what supports and services should be included, what the participant budget should be and what else needs to be considered while forming the first draft of this waiver.

For more information on the Community Support Waiver, visit the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) website.

And if you are a stakeholder who would like to get involved in the shaping and moving forward of this waiver, join the stakeholder engagement list HERE.

Independence, Inc. Equipment Loan Bank

Image descriptions above: top, left to right - black knee scooter sitting beside a commode and shower seats; bariatric wheelchair with seat folded up; bariatric commodes stacked on top of each other. Bottom row, left to right - a large number of transfer chairs and wheel chairs with seats folded; black wire shopping cart with wheels; blue and black bariatric walker.