Community Engagement Evaluation Project for Health Care Access

Using the Community Engagement Process to  Benefit Kansans with IDD

In 2011, the Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities (KCDD) issued a request for proposals. This advocacy group wanted to gather information about the health care experiences of Kansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in order to identify ways to improve their health outcomes.

The Community Engagement Initiative offered an ideal process for gathering this information. The RTC/IL thus collaborated with the Disability Rights Center of Kansas (DRC) to fulfill this project for KCDD.

During 2012, we held seven health care town hall meetings for Kansans with IDD in six regions of Kansas. We also conducted an online survey to gather information about health care experiences.

The White Paper, Improving Access to Health Care for Kansans with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities summarizes the results of those meetings and the survey, then makes recommendations to improve health care based on the feedback received.

Martha Hodgesmith presented the findings of this study at the National Home & Community-Based Services Conference in early Sept., 2013.