Restore Kansas rally shows impacts of budget cuts

The Wichita Eagle reported on and posted video from the Restore Kansas rally last week.

According to the article, Restore Kansas wants lawmakers to stop budget cuts and then restore funding to areas cut in recent years. The group formed in December when some guardians of Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities decided the state needed a group to pull together individuals and organizations that are negatively affected by budget cuts.

The group specifically wants funding restored for what it calls vulnerable Kansans: school-age children, people without access to health care, underemployed and working families, people with disabilities, seniors and people who need mental health services. One theme at the event was to urge Kansans to elect new lawmakers in November.

Watch Video. 

Thespians with Down syndrome challenge expectations

A theatre company involving adults with a range of learning disabilities have been performing Shakespeare at the Globe theatre. Channel 4 News posted the video below showing how the theatre company is challenging stereotypes of people with disabilities.

"I think people out there in the world should see that people are capable of doing Shakespeare even with a learning disability...because we both have Down syndrome," Lawrie Morris told Channel 4 News.

Although this theatre company is located in Winchester, England, the concept has a global significance. Actors with disabilities are the largest minority in the world, but are the most underrepresented in the entertainment industry. A fact this theatre company, and many other actors, actresses, models, comedians, and other entertainers hope to change.

Hundreds to Rally at State Capitol to Support Kansans with Disabilities

Hundreds of Kansans with disabilities, along with their families, their support staff and advocates, will rally at the Statehouse on March 23, to call for legislative priorities such as protecting funding for Medicaid and early childhood services, closer monitoring of KanCare, and requesting a freeze on plans to overhaul programs they rely on to continue living independently.

This year more than 600 people are expected to join InterHab, the state’s largest and oldest association of developmental disability service providers, at their annual Push Day event. The event will focus on empowering Kansans with disabilities to make their voices heard and remind legislators of the power of this large and active community of voters. The group will rally around the movement #myvotecounts to spread their message through the Statehouse and social media.

Although many have pre-registered for the event, all are welcome to come and show their support for Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities. InterHab encourages all those who attend to wear green to send a strong and unified message to state government.

Rally participants will start gathering at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday with the program of events starting off at 10:30. The event will conclude in the early afternoon with visits with legislators, and observing the proceedings in both legislative chambers.

Photos from previous InterHab Push Day events. 

Olivia WIlde stars in PSA for World Down Syndrome Day

Today, March 21st, is World Down Syndrome Day. Today is a day the whole world should be recognizing and celebrating people with Down Syndrome. A PSA staring actress Olivia Wilde released from CoorDown, an Italy's organization for people with Down syndrome, aims to change the way we look at people with Down syndrome.

The short video shows us how we should be seeing people for who they are, not for their disabilities.

“How Do You See Me,” features Olivia Wilde living her life, with narration by 19-year-old AnnaRose Rubright, a college student who has Down syndrome.

“This is how I see myself. I see myself as a daughter, a sister, and a best friend,” AnnaRose says. “As a person you can rely on. I see myself singing, dancing, and laughing until I cannot breathe. And also crying, sometimes. I see myself following my dreams, even if they are impossible. Especially because they’re impossible. I see myself as an ordinary person, with an important, meaningful, beautiful life.”

The last shot moves from a reflection of Olivia Wilde  to AnnaRose, who says, “This is how I see myself. How do you see me?”

According to CoorDown, AnnaRose is a nineteen year old from NJ. She's a full time college student who works part-time at a physical therapy center and enjoys basketball and swimming through the Special Olympics NJ. AnnaRose, as many people with Down syndrome, only wants to realize her potential and live a meaningful, beautiful life.

Watch the video below.

InterHab launches new training website

This week InterHab launched a new website dedicated to showing their library of employee training courses. The new on-demand training site is called InterAct E-Learning Hub and features a variety of courses, which can be accessed anywhere and at anytime.

Video content, games, quizzes, and discussion make InterAct truly an interactive choice for your organization's training needs. By using InterAct, you know your employees aren't just listening, they're learning. When students complete courses they are awarded a certificate of completion.

Check out some of the courses available at launch by visiting www.interactlearninghub.org

Courses will go LIVE next month!

InterHab welcomes new director in reception

After this week's Issues Forum and Board meeting, InterHab hosted a reception for the newest addition to their staff, Executive Director Tim Wood.

InterHab members, friends, and important members of the community gathered on the roof level of the Jayhawk tower to welcome Tim and his wife Janene to InterHab. Current Executive Director Tom Laing, along with members of the Executive Committee, spoke to the crowd about Tim's accomplishments and eagerness to rise to the challenge of leading InterHab starting later this year.

Many thanks to all who attended!

Rubin announces resignation

Rep. John Rubin announced his
resignation from the House today

State Representative John Rubin today announced his resignation from the House. Rubin was and remains a staunch conservative and a reasonable man who was a pleasure to work with for many of us disability advocates. Both those attributes are important in our world. Our support has come, historically, from both parties and from all various philosophical camps. In recent years the partisanship has made our non-partisan support more difficult to organize, and it has hurt.

Having one less friend in the House will hurt us as well.

John Rubin is one of those elected officials who moved easily from partisanship to principle, when it came to disability issues.

He raised his voice in support of our efforts to carve-out IDD from KanCare, and more recently to speak out against inappropriate seclusions and restraints used in the classroomn, often against kids with disabilities .. John Rubin worked with us, on behalf of Kansans with disabilities.

It is a sad day that he has announced his resignation from the House, and sadder still that he felt driven to do so, after having been punished by House leaders for speaking out on a bill he felt was important.

We will miss John Rubin in the House. I hope he changes his mind.

Legislators want to postpone waiver integration

KHI News Service reported last week that a subcommittee recommends putting off their plans to combine Medicaid waiver services until January 2018.

Tom Laing, InterHab Executive Director, was quoted in the story. Read the full article below: 

Legislative support is growing for a further delay of a plan to combine Medicaid waiver services — part of a recent pattern of the Republican lawmakers pushing back against Republican Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration.

A subcommittee of four members of the House Health and Human Services Committee recommended last week that the administration postpone the waiver integration one year to Jan. 1, 2018.

“When the administration brought this to us, we did not see enough data that it was going to be done in a way that would meet the needs of our most vulnerable citizens,” said the subcommittee chairman, Rep. Willie Dove, a Republican from Bonner Springs.

The subcommittee's recommendation is available for the full House health committee to act on. The committee also may consider House Bill 2682, which would require legislative approval before the administration combines the waivers. The committee had scheduled debate and a possible vote on that bill Monday, but it was pulled from the calendar.

Dove's subcommittee held two hearings on the integration plan. First the panel heard from a dozen disability advocates who said the state was moving too fast on the high-stakes plan.

At the second hearing state officials from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment made their case for the Jan. 1, 2017 implementation date, which had already been pushed back from July 1, 2016.

Rep. Les Osterman, a Republican from Wichita on the subcommittee, said the state didn’t provide enough details about how the waiver integration plan would actually work.

“We didn’t get the answers we wanted,” Osterman said. “They didn’t show us any procedure manuals. They showed us no plan. We asked the question of KDHE and they didn’t give us any plans whatsoever.”

The subcommittee also wants to see what Dove called “doorstop” points along the way, where state officials could stop and assess the transition and make adjustments if necessary.

Photo by KHI News Service
Tom Laing, executive director of InterHab, said legislators
deserve credit for taking a hard look at the integration timeline

Disability rights advocates said they were impressed with the subcommittee’s work.

Tom Laing, executive director of Interhab, a non-profit that serves Kansans with developmental disabilities, said the group commissioned by House Health and Human Services Committee chairman Rep. Dan Hawkins was thorough.

“Hawkins deserves credit for naming the subcommittee and the subcommittee deserves credit for the work they’ve done,” Laing said.

Mike Oxford, executive director of the Topeka Independent Living Center, which serves Kansans with physical disabilities, said he initially thought the subcommittee hearings would just be a formality for a Legislature that has generally been receptive to Brownback administration proposals.

But Oxford said Dove, Osterman and the other two members — Rep. Jim Kelly, a Republican from Independence, and Rep. Jim Ward, a Democrat from Wichita — asked the right questions.

The subcommittee's skepticism of the administration’s assurances fit a larger pattern of Republican House and Senate members, who are all up for reelection in November, increasingly resisting the governor’s office.

They’ve pushed back on Brownback’s plan to use special tax incentives to lure the American Royal across the Missouri border, ripped an administration deal to finance a new power plant, sought to pre-empt any administration attempts to unilaterally privatize state hospitals and even introduced bills to roll back Brownback’s signature income tax exemption for businesses.

Osterman said he believes the administration has enacted too many big changes without sufficient vetting — including the move to privatized, managed care Medicaid under KanCare.

“I saw what happened with KanCare,” Osterman said. “It wasn’t going to happen again. Not on my watch.”

KHI reporter Megan Hart contributed to this story

- See more at: http://www.khi.org/news/article/legislative-support-growing-to-delay-waiver-integration#sthash.e2xAuDu9.dpuf

Announcing PUSH DAY 2016

Hundreds of Kansans with disabilities, along with their families and their advocates, rally at the Statehouse with InterHab each year to call for legislative priorities such as full funding of social services that they rely on to continue living independently.

This year Push Day will focus on empowering Kansans with disabilities to make their voices heard and remind legislators of the power of this large and active community of voters.

We will rally around the movement #myvotecounts to spread our message through the Statehouse and social media. 

Schedule of Events
9:30 a.m.  Participants arrive and gather on the lawn on the South apron of the Capitol building
10:30 a.m. Welcome address and speakers
12:00 p.m. Lunch (participants may order lunches through InterHab or bring their own)
1:00 p.m.  Visit legislators, deliver advocacy materials and fill the galleries.

REGISTER TODAY!

Integrated Waiver Update

Rep. Jim Kelly's motion
received unanimous support

The House Health and Human Services subcommittee today concluded their discussions on HB 2682 (which would bar the State from amending the waiver programs without legislative consent).

In a unanimous vote, on a motion from Rep. Jim Kelly, the subcommittee recommended to the full committee that the integrated waiver NOT go forward before January 1, 2018, and that KDHE should report next January 2017 on the numerous concerns cited in the committee hearings.

Representative Jim Ward was a strong catalyst throughout the hearing for the proposed delay, and Representatives Osterman, Kelly and Dove all spoke in support of the rights of persons served, and the legislative obligation to speak out for those persons.

Every member of the subcommittee spoke firmly in favor of the delay, and they were not subtle in the degree of dissatisfaction they expressed regarding the lack of detail presented by the State. All were instead focused on the details presented from a wide variety of  stakeholder groups --  including I/DD, PD, DRC, KACIL, Senior advocates, Head injury professionals and the AAA network.

Rep. Jim Ward was a strong
catalyst throughout the
hearing for the proposed delay

Here are the next steps:

1. The subcommittee will make their recommendation to the full committee. We are reasonably certain believe the chair will support the subcommittee work.

2. We hope at this point and will advocate that the full committee will ask the Appropriations Committee to add a proviso to the next available appropriations legislation, which will essentially (if signed into law) block the State from using HCBS/Medicaid funds in an integrated waiver model.

3. We are currently reaching out to selected Senators to determine their interest in the matter, but for now, our stage is set in the house.

All legislators should be contacted.

All legislators should be informed that the integrated waiver should be delayed, and that the work of the Health and Human Services Subcommittee (Dove, Kelly, Osterman and Ward) should be supported.

All feedback that you receive back from your legislators should be shared with InterHab. More to come as we learn more about the coming steps legislators will take.

Kansas advocacy organization appoints new Executive Director

Tim Wood joins InterHab as
Executive Director

InterHab, the oldest and largest statewide association of developmental disability service providers, announced today that Tim Wood will be joining the organization as Executive Director.

Wood joins InterHab from Johnson County Developmental Supports where he worked as the CDDO Director. Wood has a breadth of experience supporting and advocating for persons with disabilities including Disability Rights Tennessee and Disability Rights Center of Kansas. In total, Wood has more than 18 years of experience working in government relations and disability policy.

At InterHab, Wood will lead members in strategic advocacy efforts with Kansas legislators and stakeholders to improve the lives of Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Wood will be filling the role that becomes vacant upon the retirement of Tom Laing, InterHab Executive Director since 1993, who will remain with InterHab in a transitionary role through September. Wood will serve as the point-person at both the state and federal level on a variety of disability issues.

Wood is a Nashville native and graduate of Wichita State University with a degree in Health Services Organization and Policy. He is married to Janene, and together they raise three daughters in Lawrence, Kansas.

Report: Integrated Waiver HB 2682

Rep. Dove, House Health and
Human Services subcommittee chair,
made no comments about next steps
 for integrated waiver HB 2682

Testimony today was strongly presented to urge a House Health and Human Service subcommittee to slow down the State's rush to replace all seven 1915c waivers with a single 1115 waiver.

The 2 hour hearing could not have presented a more strong and solid front of opposition. Not a single conferee spoke in support of the state plans. Both KHI and the Topeka Capital-Journal covered the hearing.

At the committee's conclusion the subcommittee chair, Rep. Dove made no comments about potential next steps.

Make your voice heard

This Saturday, March 5, is both the Republican and Democratic caucus in Kansas. Kansas has semi-closed caucuses — Kansans must be affiliated with a party to vote for their respective candidate. Kansas has Same-Day Registration which allows you to register to vote or update your affiliation to Democrat at the caucuses on Sat, March 5.

Doors open at 1 p.m. and voters must be in line by 3 p.m. The video below helps to show the importance that all people vote. Make your voice heard! Click here to check to see if you're registered to vote. 




Follow this link to find the Republican caucus in your area
Follow this link to find the Democratic caucus in your area

Note: InterHab does not support a specific political party or candidate.