[Home-on-the-range] Fwd: FW: SRS expands access to services for Kansans who are blind or visually impaired

Tue Nov 2 05:44:44 UTC 2010

Osage shows up under the Envision and the PILRC 
lists, are they dividing up poor lil osage county?

jc

At 12:55 PM 11/1/2010, you wrote:
>Received this email thhis Am and i am passing it 
>on.  How do you all feel about this?  Is it more 
>of the same, only expanded?  Any thoughts, comments,insights?
>Thank you
>Maryse
>Home-On-The-Range lisy monitor
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>From: Veronica A. Triana 
><<mailto:vtriana at kansascommerce.com>vtriana at kansascommerce.com>
>Date: Mon, Nov 1, 2010 at 11:52 AM
>Subject: FW: SRS expands access to services for 
>Kansans who are blind or visually impaired
>To: 
>"<mailto:marysefigueroa at gmail.com>marysefigueroa at gmail.com" 
><<mailto:marysefigueroa at gmail.com>marysefigueroa at gmail.com>
>
>
>FYI
>
>Veronica
>
>
>
>From: Kerrie Bacon [mailto:donotreply at kcdcinfo.com]
>Sent: Monday, November 01, 2010 11:51 AM
>To: Veronica A. Triana
>Subject: SRS expands access to services for 
>Kansans who are blind or visually impaired
>
>
>
>This message is forwarded by the Community Based 
>Organizations listserve of the Kansas Commission 
>on Disability Concerns for informational purposes.
>
>
>
>SRS expands access to services for Kansans who are blind or visually impaired
>
>
>
>Topeka – Kansans who are blind or visually 
>impaired will have greater access to services to 
>support independent living and employment as a 
>result of three major contracts recently awarded 
>by the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS).
>
>Contracts totaling $1.3 million over two years 
>have been awarded for the provision of 
>independent living services for persons who are 
>age 55 and older who experience blindness or 
>visual impairments.  The contracts also provide 
>for development of increased capacity in 
>specialized areas such as orientation and 
>mobility, rehabilitation teaching (independent 
>living skills training), Braille instruction, and assistive technology.
>
>Contracts were awarded to a consortium of 
>independent living centers headed by Prairie 
>Independent Resource Center (PILR), Hutchinson; 
>the Envision Vision Rehabilitation Center, 
>Wichita; and Alphapointe Association for the Blind, Kansas City.
>
>“We’re very pleased with the level of experience 
>and expertise of these contractors,” Michael 
>Donnelly, Director of Kansas Rehabilitation 
>Services (KRS), said.  “Kansans who are blind or 
>visually impaired statewide will have access to 
>high quality, individualized services to help 
>them meet their independent living and employment goals.”
>
>The PILR consortium includes several 
>subcontractors:  the Southeast Kansas 
>Independent Living Center, Parsons; the Resource 
>Center for Independent Living, Osage City; and 
>the Independent Living Center of Southwest 
>Kansas, Garden City.  This consortium will serve 
>76 counties, covering the West, Southcentral and 
>Southeast SRS Regions, along with Shawnee and Osage counties.
>
>The counties served by the PILR consortium 
>are:  Barber, Barton, Cheyenne, Clark, Comanche, 
>Decatur, Edwards, Ellis, Finney, Ford, Gove, 
>Graham, Grant, Gray, Greeley, Hamilton, Haskell, 
>Hodgeman, Kearny, Kiowa, Lane, Logan, Meade, 
>Morton, Ness, Norton, Osborne, Pawnee, Phillips, 
>Pratt, Rawlins, Rooks, Rush, Russell, Scott, 
>Seward, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Stafford, 
>Stanton, Stevens, Thomas, Trego, Wallace, 
>Wichita, Butler, Chase, Chautauqua, Coffey, 
>Cowley, Elk, Greenwood, Harper, Harvey, Kingman, 
>Lyon, Marion, McPherson, Morris, Reno, Rice, 
>Sumner, Allen, Anderson, Bourbon, Cherokee, 
>Crawford, Labette, Linn, Montgomery, Neosho, 
>Wilson, Woodson, Shawnee and Osage.
>
>Envision will serve 25 counties, covering the 
>Wichita and Northeast SRS Regions.
>
>The counties served by Envision area:  Sedgwick, 
>Atchison, Brown, Clay, Cloud, Dickinson, 
>Doniphan, Jackson, Jefferson, Ellsworth, Geary, 
>Jewell, Lincoln, Marshall, Mitchell, Nemaha, 
>Osage, Ottawa, Pottawatomie, Republic, Riley, 
>Saline, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, and Washington.
>
>Alphapointe will provide services in the six 
>counties comprising the Kansas City Metro SRS Region.
>
>The counties served by Alphapointe 
>are:  Douglas, Franklin, Johnson, Leavenworth, Miami, and Wyandotte.
>
>“Each and every county of the State will be 
>covered by a qualified service provider,” 
>Donnelly said.  “As a result, persons needing 
>services will be able to access them in the same 
>communities and regions where they choose to 
>live, work and raise their families.”
>
>This initiative addresses two important issues – 
>immediate access to services coupled with 
>significant plans to expand and improve expertise statewide.
>
>“These organizations are ready to begin 
>providing services immediately, and we encourage 
>referrals and applications,” he said.  “At the 
>same time, significant capacity-building will 
>occur through training of additional staff in 
>the specialized skills needed to serve this 
>population.  This dual approach addresses 
>current needs and builds a strong statewide service network for the future.”
>
>For example, Donnelly said the State would 
>realize a substantial gain in the number of 
>Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists 
>(COMS).  Orientation and mobility training 
>empowers an individual who is blind or visually 
>impaired to travel independently and safely 
>within a variety of environments, including at 
>home, in the work place or throughout the 
>community.  The contracts will also result in an 
>increase in the number of qualified 
>Braille/communications instructors, and 
>independent living specialists with the 
>knowledge and skills related to serving persons 
>who are blind or visually impaired.
>
>Each contractor will immediately begin outreach 
>activities to inform individuals, communities, 
>advocacy groups, and other interested entities 
>about the availability of services.  Individuals 
>who are age 55 or older who experience blindness 
>or visual impairment may also contact the 
>contractors directly to learn more about how to access customized services.
>
>(Editor’s note:  For media interested in 
>including contact information for the 
>contractors in their communities, a list and map are attached for reference.)
>
>Interested individuals may also contact KRS at 
>785-368-7471 or toll-free 1-866-213-9079 for referral.
>
>In addition to the services available through 
>these contracts, people who are blind or 
>visually impaired and interested in employment 
>may receive services through the state’s 
>vocational rehabilitation (VR) program.  To 
>learn more about VR services or to apply, 
>interested persons should contact their local 
>SRS Service Center.  A county-by-county listing 
>of VR contact persons may also be found at the 
>following SRS 
>website: 
><http://www.srs.ks.gov/services/Pages/MapVR.aspx>http://www.srs.ks.gov/services/Pages/MapVR.aspx 
>
>
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