We are happy to announce that we are having our annual ADA Celebration on July 24th. Having an opportunity to celebrate with you is exciting, to say the least. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the ADA, so we could not let the Coronavirus pandemic keep us from celebrating!

This year we are doing things differently because we love each of you and want to keep you safe while commemorating this great milestone. We will be hosting a drive-through ADA public party behind the Parsons SKIL office. There will be free food, music, vendors, giveaways, a slide show and helpful information. If you don’t have a car, we will have a walking/rolling lane so that everyone can join in this big annual event.

We will also be doing an equipment drive July 24th. If you have any assistive technology equipment that you are not using anymore, please bring it and donate it. We will get it to those who need it. If you can’t bring it, please call 620-421-6551 or 1-800-526-3648, our Parsons Assistive Technology office, and we will schedule a date to pick it up.

COVID-19 has taken a toll on us all. We remain fiercely determined that this virus will not beat us. We will continue to focus on creative solutions to serve you. You are the reason we come to work each day. We miss you all and hope to see you July 24th to celebrate the ADA, 30 years strong!

All my love, Shari

What can you do #ThanksToTheADA?

This month, we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This landmark legislation protects the rights of people with disabilities of all ages and has helped reshape our nation in ways that benefit all Americans.

Join the ADA National Network - funded by ACL’s National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) - in celebrating this historic milestone by participating in the #ThanksToTheADA social media campaign.

On your favorite social media platform, use text, photos, and/or video to share how the ADA affects your day-to-day life - and don't forget to include #ThanksToTheADA. 

Watch this video for some ideas (video transcript available here) and follow @ADANational on Twitter for #ThanksToTheADA highlights and more ADA resources.

Each year SKIL holds an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) celebration in Parsons. Normally the celebration consists of a block party to celebrate the act, which was signed into law in 1990 to prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities. This year, however, the celebration will be different.

“This year will be special because it will be the 30th anniversary of the signing of the ADA,” explains SKIL CEO/President Shari Coatney. “We couldn't allow the pandemic to keep us from holding the celebration, so we had to reach into our creative zone and try to come up with some new and fresh ideas in order to keep everyone safe.”

According to Coatney, this year's ADA bash will be a “drive-through celebration.” It will be held in the parking lot behind the Parsons SKIL building, located at 1801 Main. The event is, as always, open to the public and will be held on Friday, July 24th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Community participants will drive into the lot, where they will be met with a number of things, including a variety of vendors.

There will also be an assistive technology donation drive. “That will be one of the first vendors they encounter,” Coatney says. “Then if people have assistive technology they want to donate, we will pull them aside and allow them to do so.”

Coatney says other vendors will be passing out information and swag pertaining to different types of programs. There will also be a slide show depicting some of the “fights for rights” the disability community has faced over the years.

As usual, there will be free food. This year participants will receive a box lunch, consisting of hot dogs, chips, and cookies (subject to change). There will also be popcorn and snow cones available.

There will be a walk-in lane for participants who do not have cars. The event will also be shared live via streaming (for those who cannot attend) on the SKIL Facebook page.

Please complete this survey by August 31, 2020.

The Disability Rights Center (DRC) of Kansas is our State's Protection and Advocacy system for people with disabilities. DRC Kansas provides advocacy services and legal representation at no charge in certain disability cases where the civil or legal rights of people with disabilities are violated. We help people with disabilities enforce the provisions of many federal and state disability rights laws.

People with disabilities in Kansas face many barriers to full equality and justice. However, DRC Kansas does not have the resources necessary to tackle all of the issues facing people with disabilities at one time. That is why we create Priorities and Objectives, which provides the structure for how we spend our limited resources.

DRC Kansas must ensure we focus our limited resources on the issues that members of the disability community believe are important. We are asking you to complete this survey because your input will help us make better decisions about our work in the coming fiscal year.

Please complete this survey by August 31, 2020. Also, please share the link to this survey with your friends, family, and anyone who cares about people with disabilities: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/drcsurvey2021

If you need a disability accommodation to complete this survey, call 877-776-1541 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If you would rather complete the survey in written form, call 877-776-1541 to request a printed version in the mail or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your name, mailing address, and how many copies of the survey you would like to request.