Kansas Disability Mentoring Day Coordinators Plan Fall Events, Address Program Challenges
KANSAS — Local coordinators for Kansas Disability Mentoring Day programs met Tuesday to plan upcoming events and address operational challenges affecting youth employment initiatives across the state.
The virtual meeting, attended by 14 coordinators from various Kansas communities, focused on coordinating fall events designed to connect young people with disabilities to employment opportunities through job shadowing and career exploration.
Phil Handsaker reported that Dodge City secured a $500 donation and potential contributions of hamburger and T-shirts for their Oct. 14 job shadow event, which will feature four local venues. The program aims to demonstrate that people with disabilities can work effectively while providing community interaction opportunities.
Several regions announced scheduled events. Kansas State University will host its Disability Mentoring Day on Oct. 15, while Atchison and Leavenworth counties have events planned for Oct. 29. Genea Kelley said Atchison organizers have confirmed speakers and are working with Department of Motor Vehicles personnel and local high school JAG program staff.
However, some coordinators face staffing challenges. Macy Gaines reported losing her school liaison and the director of her Community Developmental Disabilities Organization, creating uncertainty about scheduling future events. She hopes to organize another event by spring after allowing schools to settle into the new semester.
"The most powerful speaker is a youth employment panel," Gaines suggested during discussions about event programming.
Craig Knutson, who appears to coordinate the statewide effort, announced that legacy files and new brochures have been uploaded to a Microsoft Teams collaboration space. Physical brochures will be distributed to requesting locations, with packages containing 30-40 brochures each.
Coordinators discussed funding opportunities, including outreach to United Healthcare and Healthy Blue representatives in their areas. They also identified the Sunflower MCO, local United Way offices and the Sunflower Foundation as potential grant sources.
The meeting addressed accessibility concerns when Colette Barnes-Maelzer noted the absence of live closed captioning. Knutson said the technical issue would be resolved for future meetings.
Prophet Anyawu requested assistance finding services for her 38-year-old son with disabilities. Coordinators recommended Centers for Independent Living and vocational rehabilitation services as resources.
Knutson emphasized the importance of photographing events to raise awareness and grow the program statewide. He noted that Topeka's program will be on hiatus this year while Emporia is developing its initiative. The status of Wichita's program remains uncertain following recent workforce area consolidations.
The group scheduled its next meeting for Sept. 10.
Disability Mentoring Day events connect youth with disabilities to potential employers through hands-on career experiences and job shadowing opportunities. The program aims to increase employment rates among people with disabilities while educating employers about their capabilities.