KCDC Disability News Message

Here is today's KCDC Disability News message. I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend.

Martha K. Gabehart | Executive Director
Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns (KCDC)
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly
900 SW Jackson, Suite 100 | Topeka, Kansas 66612
(785) 296-6525 (direct) | (785) 260-4027 (cell)

The National Council on Disability (NCD) is the organization that makes recommendations to Congress and the President about issues of importance to people with disabilities. They made the recommendations for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Fair Housing Amendments Act (FHAA) as well as other things. Their latest initiatives are around barriers to health care for people with disabilities. They posted in the Federal Register today (attached below) the following public meeting announcement with a public comment period on Experiences with Healthcare Barriers and Bias. This is your opportunity to provide comments about your health care experiences.

The two-day council meeting is on July 13 from 9:00 am - 5:15 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and Thursday, July 13 from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm EDT. They will have a presentation on Addressing Health Disparities through Disability Clinical Care Competency Training with a question and answer period from council members. There will be another presentation and then they will take public comments on Experiences with Healthcare Barriers and Bias.

To register to provide public comments during the meeting, please email [email protected]

with Public Comment on the subject line and your name, organization, state and topic of comment included in the body of your email. Deadline for registration is July 11 8:00 pm EDT. Please say if you will be there in person or attending by Zoom. Please read the NCD's guidelines for public comment in advance of the meeting at: https://ncd.gov/public-comment.

While public comment can be submitted on any topic over email, comments during the meeting should be specific to experiences with healthcare barriers and bias for people with disabilities.

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that Kansas will receive $451.7 million in funding to support broadband infrastructure construction to connect all Kansans, ensuring access to high-speed internet across the state.

“My administration is committed to ensuring every Kansan, regardless of their zip code, has access to fast and reliable internet connectivity, bringing additional economic growth, educational opportunities, and telehealth services,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “This funding advances our progress toward being a top 10 state for broadband access by 2030.”

This investment is made possible through the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program as part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The BEAD Program, which is led by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) office at the U.S. Department of Commerce, will provide a total of $42.45 billion to State Broadband Offices to expand broadband to unserved areas across the country.

“Kansas’ current broadband system does not operate at the needed level for folks across our state to efficiently access crucial resources such as employment opportunities, virtual learning, and health care,” Representative Sharice Davids (KS-03) said. “This new federal investment is a huge step forward in closing the digital gap and keeping our communities connected. I am proud to have voted for the bipartisan infrastructure law that continues to make a positive impact on the lives of Kansas families.”

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that the National Telecommunications Information and Administration (NTIA) has awarded the Kansas Office of Broadband Development (KOBD) nearly $43 million to develop infrastructure key to expanding affordable high-speed internet to remote and underserved communities. The open-access “middle mile” infrastructure will connect local Internet networks, primarily in rural areas, to major, high-capacity national and regional networks.

The grant application was submitted in collaboration with the Kansas Department of Commerce, Kansas Department of Transportation, Kansas Research and Education Network (KanREN), and private providers. Governor Kelly sent a letter in support of the application (attached below).

“Every day, my administration works to deliver high-speed internet to more Kansas families and businesses,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “That’s why I supported our application for this grant that will set up the infrastructure needed to reach 27,000 more homes and provide opportunities for economic success across the state.”

Earlier this week, I was honored to be at the White House when the historic funding for broadband expansion was announced. Kansas has been awarded $451 million from the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD), part of the Infrastructure Act (IIJA), to allocate toward Governor Kelly's goal of #connectingallkansans. This allocation will allow us to create programs to support the strategies and goals of our 5 -Year Action Plan. Learn more about BEAD/DE planning process here.

Above and beyond, Kansas received notification from the National Information and Administration that we received our Middle Mile Award. This is $43 million from the Federal Government and about $30 million in private investment to create 682 miles of open-access fiber. HUGE win for our state. Learn more about the project and process here. #connectingallKansans

This month, we are excited to welcome new staff members. Shelley Paasch our Partnership Coordinator and most recently a Business Specialist with MainStreet. Her hashtags are #WeAreMainStreet #Entrepreneurship #Ecosystembuilders. Jessica Henry joins us as our Operations Manager, formerly the Regulatory Compliance Monitor and her hashtags are #LifelongLearner #MomLife #TypeAPersonality. They are both coming from other roles in Commerce and bringing with them their valuable knowledge and expertise.

Our big ask for this month is that you help us create a Kansas map to understand what locations that are served or unserved. To do that, we invite you to participate in the speed test and share it with your friends and neighbors. This map will help identify and understand gaps in coverage based on first-person testing by Kansans. To participate, visit www.broadbandks.com and follow the steps to test the site.

The collected data will inform KOBD's actions and strategies for the 5-Year Action Plan to #connectallKansans. I’m linking a folder with images in English and Spanish (for nonprofit, local government, and engaged citizens) here for you to share either from your organizational pages and/or your personal social page (hopefully both) to encourage people to take the test and help create a better understanding of where Kansas has coverage and where it does not. See the dashboard below.

KOBD is excited to establish an industry roundtable that will take place every two weeks for the next couple of months on the 2nd and 4th Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

You can register for the individual event days via the following links: July 13, July 27, Aug 10, Aug 24, Sept 14, Sept 28, Oct 12, Oct 26, and Nov 9 .

Roundtables to provide a space to discuss and share updates from the Office of Broadband. Additionally, NTIA Federal Program Officer Melinda Stanley will be on to clarify program questions.

Federal and State agencies invite you to the Rural Health and Prosperity Grants 101 Workshop. Join us to hear from the participating agency’s program specialists as they discuss grant opportunities to support your community or organization, as well as discussions on application tips.

The KOBD is initiating the Broadband Acceleration Grant, Year 3 (BAG 3.0) Program which is a focused effort to improve last mile broadband infrastructure and associated middle mile capabilities as applicable within the State of Kansas.

Morgan Barnes joined the Office of Broadband Development in October of 2022. Her background includes graduating from Wichita State University with a degree in Integrated Marketing Communications.

Before joining the Office of Broadband Development, she spent time in the private and higher education spaces before moving to the public service. Most recently at the Public Policy and Management Center at Wichita State University, delivering professional training/management and conference events. Her strength has always been relationships and connecting with people. When asked about the Office she shared, “My core goal is to help people change their story and make a difference.” In this role, she is able to do that with opportunities through connections.

A rural-at-heart Kansas native, Morgan and her family have a small cow/calf operation in Cowley County. Along with the cows, her family recently added a couple of very carrot-hungry guard donkeys to the mix. Living in both rural and urban spaces, Morgan recognizes the importance of access, affordability, and reliability for our neighbors across the state.

Morgan volunteers in her church is a board member with Friends of the Great Plains Nature Center, and is an active member of Women in Public Service and the Kansas Museum Association.

• KOBD Director Jade Piros de Carvaho and Deputy Directory Joseph Le attended the United Telephone Association, Inc.’s FiberFest in Hanston. It was nice to connect with CEO Todd Houseman and his staff, board, elected officials, and the greater community to help celebrate the extraordinary completion of nearly 1,400 miles of fiber. This seven-year, $35M investment brings fiber #broadband to every member of their cooperative. It also earns United a coveted NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association designation as a Smart Rural Community℠ (SRC) provider and a Certified Gig-Capable Provider. Congratulations on this accomplishment, for your efforts to bridge the #digitaldivide in Kansas, and for allowing KOBD to support your event.

• KOBD's Digital Equity Program Manager, Kimberlyn Jones was inducted into the Links, Incorporated is an international, not-for-profit corporation, established in 1946. This organization is celebrating more than 70 years as a women’s volunteer service organization committed to enriching, sustaining, and ensuring the cultural and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry. A premier international service organization with more than 15,000 members in 288 chapters located in 41 states, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.

The Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), provides $42.45 billion of funding to states, territories and the District of Columbia (“Eligible Entities”) for broadband planning, deployment, mapping, equity, and adoption activities.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), as the agency responsible for administering the BEAD program, issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity describing the program’s requirements, including the requirement that each Eligible Entity submit an Initial Proposal describing, among other things, a BEAD “challenge process” under which a unit of local government, nonprofit organization, or broadband service provider may challenge a determination made by the Eligible Entity in the Initial Proposal as to whether a particular location or community anchor institution is eligible for BEAD funds, including whether a particular location is unserved or underserved.

• A BEAD Challenge Process Policy Notice to provide Eligible Entities with additional guidance on how to design and conduct their BEAD challenge process; and

In a new post for the U.S. Department of Labor blog, ODEP Chief of Staff Anupa Iyer Geevarghese interviews Associate Director of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Office of Federal Operations Dexter Brooks and former EEOC Commissioner Chai Feldblum about Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act and its important role in increasing access and equity for people with disabilities. The post is one in a series exploring different sections of the Rehabilitation Act in honor of its 50th anniversary this year.

A new brief published by ODEP-funded Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth (CAPE-Youth) outlines policy considerations for engaging employers in efforts to advance successful transitions for youth and young adults with disabilities. Recommendations in the brief point to the Guideposts for Success youth policy framework and outline concrete ideas for action by entities such as employer organizations, state and regional business councils, and state and local government agencies. (Guideposts for Success attached below.)

Join the Employment First Community of Practice on July 12 from 3:00 – 4:30 PM ET for the webinar “State Efforts to Phase Out Subminimum Wages: Lessons Learned from Three States.” The webinar plans to highlight the efforts in the states of Tennessee, Virginia and Washington to phase out subminimum wage practices both before and after the passing of legislation to end 14(c) in each state. Representatives from each state including policy leaders, advocates, state agencies and providers will discuss their process for both passing legislation as well as the subsequent efforts taken. Additionally, state representatives will discuss the challenges faced and the progress made in maximizing the impact of the legislation for the disabled community.

To celebrate the anniversaries of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Rehab Act) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, the Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion and the Job Accommodation Network are hosting a discussion on the significance of accommodations in achieving the goals of the Rehab Act and the ADA and how they contribute to creating inclusive workplaces. The webinar takes place Wednesday, July 19 from 2:00 – 3:00 PM ET.

The Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) connects federal and select private-sector employers nationwide with college students and recent graduates with disabilities who are eager to demonstrate their abilities in the workplace through internships and permanent jobs. Volunteer recruiters are needed for the upcoming recruitment season (October 23 – November 16, 2023). Recruiters must be Federal Government employees who commit to conducting up to 12 virtual informational interviews with students and recent graduates. In addition, recruiters must complete an online training this summer via the WRP website. Recruiters play a vital role in the program, and all federal employees are encouraged to volunteer!


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