Independence, Inc.

10/21/2026

People with disabilities have the right to choose the services and supports they need to live, work, and participate fully in community life.

UCP supports H.R. 1586, a bipartisan House resolution reaffirming Congress’s intent that people with disabilities have the right to live and receive services in their communities. This right is rooted in the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Olmstead v. L.C. Supreme Court decision, which affirmed that the unjustified segregation of people with disabilities is discrimination more than 27 years ago.

Community integration must be protected in law and supported through policy.

UCP urges every member of the U.S. House of Representatives to cosponsor H.R. 1586 and calls on the Senate to introduce a similar bipartisan resolution. We also urge federal and state leaders to invest in home- and community-based services and the direct support workforce essential to ensuring people with disabilities can live in their communities.

Read the full text of H.R. 1586: bit.ly/4z9WM16

10/21/2026

Employers must do more to remove the barriers preventing women with disability from progressing into leadership, according to a new report from People with Disability Australia (PWDA), the national disability rights and advocacy organization. Researchers identify six lessons to help drive change.

10/21/2026

Having "access to" and having "true functional accessibility" can often be two different things.

10/21/2026

Lots of familiar faces and collaborators in this photo! Thank you all for your hard work!

This month is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). In recognition of the positive impact people with disabilities bring to the American workforce, we are especially proud of the contribution Kansans with disabilities bring to our workforce.

10/21/2026

Welcome back Great Plains ADA Center!

Guess what? The Great Plains ADA Center is back on social media and we've missed you!

On September 30, we received notification that we've been funded for three more years to serve as the regional information center on the Americans with Disabilities Act. Thank you to our funder, the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) and the Administration for Community Living for letting us continue our work in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska!

Stay tuned as we bring you the latest ADA- and disability-related news that you can use!

10/21/2026

For our Wyandotte County friends!

About Us: The Youth Transition Alliance of Wyandotte County is our local transition council – comprised of service providers, educators, parents and youth with disabilities – all collectively working towards creating systems and communities that are accessible, supporting youth and young adults ...

10/09/2026

We will be CLOSED Monday, October 12 in recognition and honor of Indigenous Peoples' Day.

10/08/2026

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is a time to recognize the skills, talents, and contributions of people with disabilities in the workforce.

But preparing for employment doesn’t start with the first job application. It starts in school.

Early conversations about a student’s strengths, interests, goals, education, employment, and independent living can help build a path toward the future they want.

PEAL’s PA Planning for the Future Checklist helps youth, families, and IEP teams think ahead, ask important questions, and identify next steps for life after high school.

Start planning for the future today! Explore the PA Planning for the Future Checklist: pealcenter.org/pa-planning-for-the-future-transition-checklist