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November 7, 2006
KYEA is gearing up to host the 7th Annual Youth Leadership Forum for Students with Disabilities (YLF). We are currently searching for motivated young leaders to attend the 2007 forum to be held June 12 – 16, 2007 at Washburn University in Topeka. The YLF is motivational five day forum in which a group of about 35 - 40 high school juniors and seniors, with various disabilities, come together to learn about leadership, advocacy, goal setting, and much more! Throughout the week, delegates are able to hear from community advocates and leaders on a variety of topics related to leadership, empowerment, and the disability community. They also participate in small group sessions, where students share life experiences, goals, and ideas with their peers. The week is filled with fun too as delegates participate in activities such as a Day at the Capital, Mentor Luncheon, Barbecue, Talent Show, and a Dance! All students who are interested in attending the YLF must meet the following criteria: (1) reside in Kansas, (2) have a disability as defined with the Americans With Disabilities Act, (3) be in the 11th or 12th grade as of December 31st of the current year, and (4) have demonstrated leadership potential in school and the community. Students must fill out an application that will be reviewed through a competitive selection process. About 35 – 40 delegates will be selected to attend. The application deadline for the 2007 forum is December 15, 2006. See attached press release, fact sheet, and application. More information and a printable application are available at our website at http://www.ksylf.org/.
For those who have seen the cover of the latest issue of the NCIL Newsletter, you probably recognized the faces on the front page. Those faces were none other than our KYEA staff, volunteers, and alumni. KYEA was recently featured in the fall issue of the National Council on Independent Living newsletter. NCIL recognized YEA as a new organization that is working hard for youth with disabilities. They told of our mission, as well as our various programs, with an emphasis on the Disability Heritage Project. A big thanks to NCIL for featuring our new organization and helping us to spread the word about youth empowerment! Another big thanks to the Statewide Independent Living Council of Kansas (SILCK) for awarding KYEA a grant to conduct the Disability Heritage Project! We have been awarded this grant for another year and look forward to making an impact on the schools in this coming year.
In future issues of our e-newsletter, we will post any upcoming KYEA board meeting dates. These meetings are open to the public, but attendees will not have voting rights during the meeting.
The Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities presents its first employment summit-Creativity at Work: Small Business and Employment Innovations. This summit is designed to bring together people with disabilities, family members, employers, employment providers, VR counselors, Special Education/Transition personnel, service coordinators, funding agencies and others committed to increasing community employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The summit features national and local speakers who will share cutting edge best practice information and strategies designed to support career development for people with disabilities. The Summit will take place on November 16-17, 2006 at the Hyatt Regency in Wichita. For information, or for a registration form, please call Charlene at 785-296-2608. A registration form can also be found on the KCDD website at www.kcdd.org.
Ms. Wheelchair Kansas and the Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns are excited to offer Kansans an opportunity to learn more about advocacy in the workplace. These organizations will be hosting a Workforce Disability Advocacy Conference this month. The conference will take place on November 16 from 8:00 – 11:30 am at the Hyatt Regency in Downtown Wichita. The conference is targeted toward employees and job seekers with disabilities, family and friends, businesses, and social service organizations. The registration fee is $30 to each participant. A limited amount of scholarships are available for those who are interested in attending. The registration deadline is November 13. For more information, please contact Kerrie Bacon at 800-295-5232 toll free, 877-340-5874 TTY, or
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Interested participants need to submit a completed application with a $150 entry fee, which can be obtained through sponsors, as well as a portrait to be included in the program. Applications must be postmarked by January 7, 2007. For a printable application, or more information, please visit the MWKS website at www.mswheelchairkansas.org.
Seeking students interested in math, science, and engineering
Raytheon Missile Systems is currently seeking graduating college students with disabilities who are majoring in math, science, and engineering. EARN is assisting Raytheon Missile Systems in a nationwide effort to attract jobseekers for three hiring events in Tucson, Arizona. Raytheon will provide travel and accommodations for individuals who meet the required criteria and are selected for these events. Events will take place during the following time periods: November 9th - 10th & November 30th - December 1st. Interested graduating college students and recent graduates should possess:
CEC award for outstanding students with disabilities The Foundation for Exceptional Children is currently accepting nominations for the “Yes I Can!” Awards. Do you know a child or youth with a disability who has made outstanding achievements? Then nominate them for this award! The Foundation established the Yes I Can! International Awards Program in 1981 to acknowledge the achievements of children and youth with disabilities; overcome barriers caused by public misconceptions; encourage children and youth with disabilities to seek their highest potential; and increase public awareness of the abilities, aspirations, and personal qualities of people with disabilities. Each year children and youth with disabilities are recognized for their accomplishments through the Yes I Can! International Awards Program. Yes I Can! International Awards Nominees will be recognized in each of the following nine categories:
o Academics Nominees for the Yes I Can! International Awards Program must be between 2-21 years old. Each nominee is eligible in only ONE category. Twenty-seven award winners will receive a bronze statue and other recognition at the CEC Annual Convention in April 2007 in Louisville, Kentucky. To nominate someone, please visit the CEC website and print a nomination form. All forms must be postmarked no later than November 20, 2006. If you have any questions, please email This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .
Are you a woman with a spinal cord injury who wants to share her opinion? Then you can share your thoughts in a nationwide survey posted by the United Spinal Association. United Spinal’s Women Without Limits Advisory Committee developed a questionnaire on the specific needs, concerns, and interests of women with spinal cord injuries as they relate to health care and health information, community resources, civil rights, and overall quality of life. This survey is available online at the following website: www.unitedspinal.org/womensurvey.
Apply now for “the Oscars of youth service awards.” Do Something is currently accepting applications for the 2007 BRICK Awards. The BRICK Awards recognize and support social change-makers age 25 and under. Since 1996, the BRICK Awards have honored young people making our world a better place. If you see yourself as a community leader or a social entrepreneur, then this is just the award for you! Past BRICK Award winners have had some of the following characteristics:
Twelve BRICK Award winners will receive $10,000. For winners age 18 and under, $5,000 will be awarded in scholarships and $5,000 will be awarded as a grant to support the winner's project or organization. For winners age 19-25 years old, the entire sum will be given as a grant towards the winner's project or organization. Additionally, all winners receive a custom-made BRICK Award and an invitation to the BRICK Awards Ceremony in Times Square (NYC), plus two complimentary tickets. To nominate yourself for a Do Something BRICK Award, please visit the Do Something website at www.dosomething.org/brick. All applications are due by December 1, 2006.
A large group of students stood up for their rights recently at Gallaudet University. Most of last month, student leaders were protesting for the removal of their current university President. Students took over an academic building for several days. Then members of the football team joined the protests, and all entrances to the campus were blocked. The campus was shut down until more than 130 protesters were arrested. Faculty voted to ask the current President to resign or be removed, and alumni joined the tents dotting the lawn. Last month, an estimated 2,000 people marched to the U.S. Capitol. This protest came to an end last week when the governing board of Gallaudet University revoked the appointment of the school's incoming president, giving in to the demands of students, faculty and others whose protests have kept the nation's premier school for the deaf in turmoil for the past month. The news set off a wild celebration at Gallaudet's Northeast Washington campus last Monday afternoon, with protest leaders cheering and embracing one another. For more information on this recent event, visit the Gallaudet University website at http://www.gallaudet.edu/.
Welcome to a new feature of our e-newsletter—News From the Youth! This is your opportunity to let your voice be heard and share your resources with your fellow young adults. Do you have a piece of news that you would like to share? Maybe you know of an upcoming opportunity or event… or maybe you have some good news to share. Send us your news and we will post it in this section of our e-newsletter. Please send all news to Carrie at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it . For this issue, we have one piece of news from an alumna of YLF 2002.
“In Topeka, there is a fishing and camping club that meets every month. Contact Steve at Topeka Independent Living Resource Center (785-233-4572) or me (Kelly at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it ) for more information.”
Adaptive Adventures is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization working to advance the quality of life of people with disabilities through year-round outdoor sports and recreation. Headquartered in Evergreen, Colorado, Adaptive Adventures identifies, promotes, and provides progressive sports and recreation opportunities for children and adults of all ages, with physical disabilities. This organization is a mobile, non resort-based organization, working hard to "bring programs to people" as opposed to "people to programs." To learn more about Adaptive Adventures, please visit their website at http://www.adaptiveadventures.org/.
WhenWeTravel is a travel web site that gives you the power to search for specific vacation and travel destinations, attractions, activities, restaurants, hotel accommodations, and airfare based on your unique requirements. This site currently has a list of over 37,000 wheelchair accessible hotels from around the world. Visitors to the website can browse through locations or use the hotel search which enables visitors to find hotels based on location, price range, ratings, and amenities, including accessibility. Check out this website today at http://www.whenwetravel.com/!
Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept sets them up for failure in the real world. Below is a list of Bill Gates Rules, followed by a positive twist written by the YEA staff.
YEA Slant: True, life is not fair. That’s why the disability community passed the Americans With Disabilities Act- to level the playing field!
YEA Slant: WE care about your self-esteem because we know that understanding our rich history of the accomplishments of the disability community increases our pride and self-identity.
YEA Slant: Probably not… but with the right attitude and training, the sky is the limit!
YEA Slant: OUR boss is great, but then, she has high expectations that we live up to!
YEA Slant: Flipping burgers is a job. The choice is yours whether you stay or move on.
YEA Slant: But one of the worst things that your parents CAN do is shelter you from making mistakes. If we don’t make mistakes, how can we learn from them?
YEA Slant: Do you want to be a youth with a disability who is independent? Part of independence is being responsible. Being responsible to clean your room and being responsible to advocate for your needs.
YEA Slant: Society has a label for everything. What label do you want? Winners work hard and never give up. Is this your label?
YEA Slant: And KYEA helps you find yourself on YOUR TIME!
YEA Slant: We don’t have to leave the coffee shop of we own it!
YEA Slant: Replace the word “nerd” above with “person with a disability.” Now how does it sound? “Same struggle, different difference…” * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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