Disabilities

Cosmo Evans is a disabled veteran who’s nonbinary and intersex. They spoke about their access to medical care that both affirms their gender and benefits their physical health.

Boone County Family Resources and the Columbia Disability Issues Coalition held a candidate forum last night. Candidates for local Missouri House and Senate seats answered questions about their own platforms, as well as on state disability services.

Grey Riley was diagnosed with ADHD and autism in their youth and with multiple chronic conditions as an adult. They spoke about how being at the intersection of disability and queerness has impacted their life.

For many people, some of the enjoyment of going to the Missouri State Fair is the spectacle – the sights, sounds and smells. But that can be overwhelming for some. KBIA's Rebecca Smith reports from Sedalia on one effort to make the fair more accessible – and enjoyable – for all.

Programs are in high demand at the disability-led nonprofit institute, which plans to use the donation to expand.

Columbia-based organization DeafLEAD was chosen as one of two national partners that will provide ASL crisis services through the 988 Lifeline.

As natural disasters become increasingly more common, some people see harsher impacts. People with disabilities face more challenges, but they are taking back control of their emergency preparedness.

Missouri Developmental Disability Councils is partnering with Niagara University to hold free trainings on disability awareness and emergency preparedness.

Cameron Reitan, a second year Master’s of Public Health student at the University of Missouri, who’s also employed as a personal care attendant – essentially, she’s hired by people with disabilities to help them with whatever tasks they need.She spoke about why she does this work and a little about what people misunderstand about caregiving.

The MDDOC will prioritize topics of guardianship, segregation, abuse and neglect in the 2023 session.