Learn About Bluegrass Sports Programs for Special Needs Children & Adults!

Please join The ARC of Central Kentucky (TACK) to learn about area sports programs for special needs children & adults!  We will have speakers from:

- Parks and Rec Therapeutic Recreation
- LYSA TOPSoccer
- Special Olympics
- YMCA Miracle League
- Easter Seals Cardinal Hill Adaptive Recreation
- Health and Wellness Programs through UK Human Development Institute (HDI)
  and more!

Snacks will be provided!

When:  Thursday, March 10, 2016

Time:    6:00pm - 9:00pm

Where:  Employment Solutions

              1165 Centre Parkway #120, Lexington, KY 40517

         

Please feel free to invite anyone you think could benefit from this information - special needs athletes, parents, guardians, medical providers, case managers, educators, therapists, service providers, etc.

Please call Marie Allison at 859-351-0728 or email mallison@twc.com to RSVP or for more information (and so we have enough food!)

Call for Support - House Bill 329 - Licensure for Recreation Therapy

If you have been touched by the field of Recreation Therapy or know how important recreation is with your children/loved ones and the benefits of it and how Recreation Therapists use recreation to improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities or disabling conditions, please support our efforts. Call Frankfort and tell them you support HB329 (Licensure for Recreation Therapy). Thanks so much. Each call is another vote for support!

1-800-372-7181

SUPPORT HOUSE BILL 329!

Kentucky ABLE Act Passes House of Representatives - Now goes to the State Senate

House Bill (HB) 74 (KY ABLE ACT) just passed the House of Representatives. It will now go to the State Senate. You can call and leave a message for your Senators at 1-800-372-7181 and educate them on how the Able Act can assist you in your future. If you have questions about the ABLE Act, you can call Protection & Advocacy at 1-800-372-2988.

Announcement for HCBS Final Rule – Stakeholder Engagement Meeting

Announcement for HCBS Final Rule – Stakeholder Engagement Meeting

The Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) is hosting a meeting for providers to provide input on the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Final Rules implementation. CHFS encourages participation from stakeholders as it continues to develop the processes for ongoing compliance with the HCBS Final Rules. The meeting will focus on key indicators of provider compliance with the HCBS Final Rules and how information to document compliance can best be collected. 

There will be two dates for the meeting to best accommodate stakeholders’ schedules, and stakeholders have the option to attend in-person or electronically via the webinar. The meeting content will be the same on both dates. The meeting dates, times, and locations are listed below. Please note, the seating in the conference room is limited to 75 people, so seats will be first come, first served. We hope you will be able to attend!

 Date/Time:

Wednesday, February 10, 1:30 – 3:30 PM

OR

Thursday, February 11, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

 Location:

Cabinet for Health and Family Services

Department for Public Health (DPH) Conference Suites A, B, and C

275 E Main Street

Frankfort, KY 40621

- OR –

Webinar URL and Instructions:

Please select which webinar you will attend. There is a 300 participant limit per webinar. The same information is being discussed at both webinars. Please attend one webinar only. Press Ctrl + Click on the webinar URL. Type your first name and last name in the guest box. Press Enter. The webinar lobby will come up.

Webinar 1 (February 10, 1:30-3:30 p.m.) URL: http://chfs.adobeconnect.com/dms-webinars/

Webinar 2 (Feb. 11, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.)URL: http://chfs.adobeconnect.com/dms-webinars/

Please dial-in to avoid audio sound issues.

Dial-in Number: 866.754.7476 Conference Code: 6194180103

Handouts (s) are available 30 minutes prior to each webinar. Please download the handout (s) in the webinar lobby.

Connection test to ensure your computer is ready for the webinar (Press Ctrl + Click):

http://admin.adobeconnect.com/…/help/en/su…/meeting_test.htm

Webinar Technical Assistance: Alex.Head@ky.gov  (February 10 and February 11 only)

UK Biomedical Engineering Study - Volunteers needed

Volunteers Needed

Brain-Machine Interface to Assist in Motor Recovery from Spinal Cord Injury

If you had an incomplete SCI over a year ago that has affected your ability to use your arm and/or hand, and you are 18 years of age or older, you are invited to participate in the following research study.

The study is noninvasive and painless, and will involve:

1. Recording of brain signals from electrodes on your scalp while you

perform a repetitive hand grip task.

2. Brief peripheral nerve stimulation (PNS) in response to changes

detected in your brain signals by a brain-machine interface.

Each visit will take about 2 hours. You may be requested to come in for multiple sessions on different days. You will be compensated for your time.

If you are interested, please call Dr. Lumy Sawaki (859-323-6226) or Sridhar Sunderam (859-257-5796) and ask about the BMI study.

PI: Sridhar Sunderam
Dept. of Biomedical Engineering
University of Kentucky
E-mail: ssu223@uky.edu

Disability Community Resource Fair - Julius Marks Elementary - October 22, 2015

Disability Community Resource Fair

When:  Thursday, October 22, 2015
Time:   5:30pm to 7:30pm
Where:  Julius Marks Elementary School
              3277 Pepperhill Road
              Lexington, KY  40502

Agency representatives from Healthcare Waivers, Therapies, Recreation, Advocacy, Education, Parent Support Groups, Public Safety and more!

Fun for the whole family!

Disability Community Resource Vendors

Pizza, Snacks & Beverages

Face Painting, Balloon Animals

Activities and Sensory Room for the Kids

There is NO CHARGE for this event

Click here for more information

Oct 8, 2015 - HDI Seminar - The Right to Make Choices: An Introduction to Supported Decision-Making

HDI Seminar Series Event

The Right to Make Choices: An Introduction to Supported Decision-Making

Date: October 8, 2015

Time: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Presenters: Jonathan Martinis, Legal Director, Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities and Project Director, National Resource Center for Supported Decision-Making. Jonathan Martinis has over 20 years’ experience representing people with disabilities in cases under the Americans with Disabilities Act, The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, The Social Security Act and other civil rights laws. In 2013, he represented Margaret "Jenny" Hatch in the "Justice for Jenny" case, which held that Ms. Hatch has a right to use Supported Decision-Making instead of being subjected to a permanent, plenary guardianship.

Continuing Education Units: CEU’s pending in Rehabilitation Counseling, Effective Instructional Leadership, and Social Work

Registration Link: https://univkentucky-web.ungerboeck.com/reg/reg_p1_form.aspx?oc=10&ct=IHDITRAIN&eventid=5780

Location: UK Coldstream Research Campus Human Development Training Room 1525 Bull Lea Road, Lexington KY 40511 with live videoconferencing to sites around the state

This seminar will provide an introduction to Supported Decision-Making (SDM) and an overview of the seminally important Jenny Hatch case. The presentation will include the theory and methodology behind SDM as well as its benefits and uses. Practical implications of SDM in employment, health care, education, and community integration will be emphasized. Discussion will include how SDM can fit into the CMS Final Rule and national SDM initiatives.

Learning Objectives:

1. Be able to define Supported Decision-Making, as an alternative to guardianship and a means of increasing
   self-determination of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities;
2. Understand the clinical support for and research-documented benefits of Supported Decision-Making and
   self-determination including improved life outcomes such as increased independence, employment, and
   community-integration;
3. Identify practical uses for Supported Decision-Making across the life course, including in education, vocational
   rehabilitation, medical care and planning, and end-of-life planning;
4. Understand efforts to access and implement Supported Decision-Making across the United States and
   internationally.

September 17 - Mayor’s Commission for Citizen’s with Disabilities - Town Hall Meeting

The Mayor’s Commission for Citizen’s with Disabilities is hosting a Town Hall Meeting this Thursday evening. Experts on various topics concerning individuals with disabilities will be present to address related issues including:

* Accessibility & Transportation
* Housing
* Healthcare
* Social Security & Employment
* Community Safety

When:  Thursday, September 17, 2015

Time:    6:30pm – 8:00pm

Where:  Police Academy Training Center at BCTC Campus

              Megowan Building

              500 Newtown Pike, Lexington, KY

Clickhere to see the flyer (with map)

Star Angels Network Dare to Be Different Pageant

     At Star Angels Network, we host an annual fundraiser for the Special Persons Advocacy Network (SPAN).  SPAN provides education and support services for developmentally disabled citizens and their families. They offer recreational and social opportunities and provide funds for respite services. Long term goals for SPAN include assisting with housing for these individuals living in Boyle, Garrard, Lincoln, and Mercer Counties. SPAN meets monthly and now depends on us as one of their top yearly fundraisers!

      To show support for them, The Star Angels Network has initiated an annual pageant and talent showcase for exceptional children and adults.  This pageant provides a fun filled opportunity for each of these Exceptional Star Angels to shine and show off their talents at no cost to the contestants while they help raise money for a local agency which caters to their specific needs.  They feel valued, admired and have the enjoyment of performing for an audience who support and encourage them to excel despite their disabilities.

            Children and adults of all ages who live with a cognitive or developmental disability are welcome to apply. We provide everything free of charge excluding only shoes and transportation to tux and dress fittings, rehearsals, and other pageant related events.  All contestants receive an award which they earn through their individual talent and positive attributes.  Any and all profits made before the event go toward pageant cost with all proceeds the day of the event going straight to SPAN. All of the wonderful people who help make this happen work on a volunteer only basis. Volunteers can help by signing up in multiple ways including; donating services such as hair, gowns, photography, silent auction items, ect., recruiting sponsors, assisting in fundraising events, assisting with contestants during rehearsal times and pageant day, set-up and clean-up the day of the event, and so many other ways. Bring your heart and individual talent to this event and help us in our path to great positive change!

For more information about how you can join this group contact:

starangelsnetwork@gmail.com

Click here for the 2015 Exceptional Star Angels Contestant Application

APPLICATION DEADLINE IS Friday September 18th, 2015