Kansas Talking Books Week highlights Braille, Specialized Library Services

TOPEKA – Each spring, the Kansas Talking Books Service dedicates a week to highlighting the program’s progress and innovation in its mission of ensuring that all may read. The service, a division of the State Library of Kansas, operates with the support of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, providing services and support to qualified Kansans with a print disability.

For 2023, Kansas Talking Books Week will be held March 6th through 10th. Activities for the week include a webinar, highlighting the many Braille resources and services offered to eligible patrons including downloadable books, book clubs, reading challenges, and more.

“Our readers’ advisors assist patrons in personalizing their library services by maintaining and adjusting their author, series, and subject reading preferences and exclusions so patrons get the books and magazines they want or need,” said Maggie Witte, Outreach Librarian and Lead Reader’s Advisor said. “Patrons can request the reading materials they want and make the decisions on what and how they receive them so that it is a custom, personalized experience in library services.”

Far more than a repository for accessible materials, the Talking Books program is housed on the campus of Emporia State University. Kansas Talking Books has an on-site recording studio that allows volunteers and staff to record books and magazines of local interest and make them available in accessible formats for our readers.

More than 1,000 books, many about Kansas and by Kansas authors, have been produced by Kansas Talking Books and more than 500 are available for talking book patrons across the country via the BARD download service.

“Since 2005, through the support of an anonymous donor, we have been able to make the stories of Kansans available and accessible to print-disabled Kansas residents in the Gerald Kopp Studio. Many of these books aren’t considered for production on the national level, so it’s really important that we record as many as possible for our readers,” Director Michael Lang said.

Kansas Talking Books free library services are available to all Kansas residents with a qualifying print disability: blindness, low vision, physical impairment, or reading disability. Patrons can access over 120,000 books and subscribe to over 80 magazines.
Patrons, caregivers, and community members can find more information and the application for services online at kslib.info/talking. Those in the Emporia area can call 620-341-6280. Other regions in Kansas can call toll-free at 800-362-0699.

Talking Book Week programming and events, including registration, will be posted online at kslib.info/talking and on Facebook. 

This announcement is from the US Access Board

HUD's Office of Fair Housing/Equal Opportunity to Provide Training on Fair Housing Act’s Accessibility Requirements for Kitchens

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Fair Housing/Equal Opportunity will provide a virtual training on the Fair Housing Act’s Accessibility Requirements for Kitchens on February 28, 2023 from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. (ET). This session will address the dimensional specifications and clearances required by Fair Housing Act (FHA) Requirement 7 for kitchens, elements of kitchen design and construction that are subject to FHA specifications and requirements, and other FHA requirements that apply to kitchens. Presenters will also review strategies and tips for creating attractive compliant kitchens. Architects, designers, civil engineers, builders and developers, housing program specialists, property managers and owners, and disability advocates are encouraged to attend.

The training session is free, but registration is required on HUD’s Accessibility First Training Registration webpage. Questions and comments may be submitted on the session’s registration page. For more information, contact [email protected].

Learn More/Register

If this issue is important to you, the information below tells you how to reach out to your legislators. 

A SPECIAL NEWSLETTER AIMED TOWARD "AXING YOUR TAXES" IN KANSAS

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT. TAKE ACTION.

Call your legislator today and urge them to pass Governor Kelly's "Axing Your Taxes" three-part plan (House Bill 2111). Passing this legislation would save Kansans more than $500 million over the next three years. Let them know how this would impact you and your family directly. It's time to push this bill over the finish line once and for all.

Find your legislator here

To address hunger in SW Kansas, we must pass Gov. Kelly’s “Axing Your Taxes” Plan
Martha Terhaar, Special to the Dodge City Globe
February 21, 2023

KEY QUOTE: "Governor Kelly’s “Axing Your Taxes” plan is estimated to save our state over $500 million in the next three years. This plan will put money back in our families’ pockets and help reduce the financial burden too many of our families across the state face."

• Last year, Governor Kelly signed bipartisan legislation that cut the food sales tax from 6.5 percent to 4.5 percent starting this year. Decreasing grocery bills in any way is a step in the right direction, but we must do more to address hunger across our state.
• According to Feeding America, “food insecurity rates are higher in rural areas than in urban areas,” a sad irony considering many in our rural communities are part of our agricultural sector, providing food to millions of Americans without having a way to put food on their own table.
• It doesn’t have to be this way. Eliminating the sales tax on food – as well as on diapers and feminine hygiene products, other proposals in Governor Kelly’s “Axing Your Taxes” plan – would benefit every Kansan, but would have a particularly positive impact on our rural residents.
• When over 280,000 Kansans are facing hunger on a daily basis, including over 102,000 children, we cannot let politics continue to allow the food sales tax to burden our families. We urge the legislature to pass Governor Kelly’s “Axing Your Taxes” plan to cut costs for our families right away.

Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) - Employment is Possible for Young Adults with Disabilities

A free-two-day training for families, youth and young adults who have significant support needs, and professional who support them.

Part 1: Building the Dream of Employment
• Outside the box job possibilities
• Transition services in the Individual Education Plan (IEP)
• Meet individuals who have disabilities that are employed

Part 2: Identifying and Accessing Employment Resources
• Services and programs to support gaining and maintaining employment
• Visit with agencies who support employment

Lawrence February 25th and March 3rd, 2023
9:00 am -3:30 pm

Wichita April 29th and May 5th, 2023
9:00 am – 3:30 pm

For more information call (785) 233-4777 or email [email protected]

This training is put on by Families Together, Inc.

 SHIFT TRANSITION TO ADULTHOOD

Learn:
• Transition Services in the Individual Education Plan (IEP)
• Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VR)
• Pre-employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS)
• Center for Independent Living (CIL)
• Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Medicaid Waivers

Hear stories of people with disabilities living their good lives

Leave with a plan for next steps.

Wichita – February 11, 2023

Topeka – April 1, 2023

For more information call (3116) 945-7747 or email [email protected]

 This training is put on by Families Together, Inc.        

Vocational Rehabilitation is seeking individuals
to serve on their State Rehabilitation Council (SRC)

Vocational Rehabilitation’s mission is to help Kansans with disability to achieve their goals for employment, independent, and self-sufficient.

The commitment, vision, skills, and abilities of our council members are the basis of success for the Kansas State Rehabilitation Council. If you are interested in becoming a member we look forward to hearing from you. We encourage you to attend a quarterly meeting, contact our staff, or arrange a meeting with a council member for additional information. We are looking for someone who can carry out the kind of analytical and leadership roles necessary to serve on the SRC. A majority of the members of the Council must be persons with disabilities and not employed by Rehabilitation Services.

State Rehabilitations Council’s Roles and Responsibilities

The SRC plays a significant role in several critical areas impacting KRS operations. In accordance with the Rehabilitation Act and regulations, the SRC:

• Advises KRS on the scope and effectiveness of our services. For example, the SRC policy committee addresses this scope of services issue by reviewing specific policies and making recommendations. Recently this committee has been involved in making specific recommendations about economic need, maintenance services, and a number of fees and rates.

• Works in partnership with KRS to “develop, agree to, review and revise” our State Plan goals and priorities. As you know, these goals and priorities set the strategic direction for KRS and form the basis for your regional action plans.

• Assist in preparation of the State Plan, which outlines how the agency will implement a variety of Rehabilitation Act requirements, such as counselor qualifications for CSPD requirements; coordination with community rehabilitation agencies; and scope of supported employment services and outcomes.

• Submits a State Rehabilitation Council report annually
The importance of making your voice heard cannot be emphasized enough. SRC plays an important role in providing input on VR services and represents key constituents. Our goal is to have an engaged council that provides substantive input. The council needs to ask the hard questions, request the data needed, and to hold the designated state unit (DSU) accountable.

How to get Involved

More information about the SRC is available on our website You can access this information for yourself, or you can refer potential nominees to this site if they would like to learn more. You may also refer individuals to Dennis Ford for additional information at [email protected]. If you are interested in this opportunity, please complete the SRC membership application which is on the web site mentioned above. Nominees will then be reviewed with the SRC membership committee, and then referred to the Governor’s Office for review and appointments.

Thank you for considering serving Kansans with disabilities.