As of February 1, 2010, 1,796 individuals needing services statewide are on the waiting list which began in December of 2008 when a freeze was placed on the Physical Disabilities Waiver by SRS.

Admission to nursing facilities in January 2010 was 314, where costs to the State are twice that of Home and Community Based Disability Waiver services (HCBS). 59 individuals on the waiting list have died.

To represent people who have died, 60 crosses were set up outside PILR bearing titles such as Brother, Gramps, Companion, Coworker, Girlfriend, Veteran, Taxpayer, Employee and Nana. PILR darkened its street side windows with black paper with chalk print detailing data regarding the services they are unable to provide to those in need due to lack of financial resources.

Dawn Allenbach, a graduate of Buhler High School, Hutchinson Community College and Wichita State University, who has been since 2004 working to become a Doctor of Philosophy in conservation biology at the University of New Orleans, is one of the Kansas citizens on the waiting list for services. She addressed the conference.

"There is a sentence that has bearing here. It is probably one of the most famous sentences in the United States. Unfortunately, because of this sentence's notoriety, I think the words are taken for granted, 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.' When the State forces us by severe budget cuts into nursing homes or group homes, it takes away our unalienable rights. Certainly our right to liberty, our right to come and go as we please at any time of the day or night, is revoked. Our lives and our happiness are clearly not held in the same regard as people without disabilities. Kansas, do the right thing, both in an economic sense and in a good citizen sense. Do not cut money further. Make better use of your money by allowing us to receive personal attendant care in our homes. Don't marginalize us. Liberate us."

According to Nanette Unruh, PILR Targeted Case Manager, HCBS can allow people with disabilities to remain "healthy and safe with dignity" in their own homes while enabling them to continue to "consume products, pay taxes and provide jobs for personal care attendants."

Prior to December of 2008, PILR had 361 personal care attendants (PCA) on payroll. Currently, PILR payroll covers only 184 PCAs and cannot afford to give an annual anniversary raise.

Centers for Independent Living (CIL) like PILR are non-residential consumer controlled organizations that work for the full inclusion of people with disabilities into their communities of choice.

Roger Frishenmeyer, PILR Independent Living Specialist, explained, "To accomplish this mission, Kansas CILs provide at no cost five core services to individuals with disabilities and the communities in which they live. These core services are self and systems change advocacy, independent living skills training, information and referral, deinstitutionalization, and peer support."

Since December of 2008, PILR has had to place 107 people on the Physical Disabilities Waiver waiting list. Only 25 have received services, five have died while awaiting services and 73 consumers still await services.

The Governor's Fiscal Year 2011 budget recommends reducing CIL budgets by an additional $1M. Many CILs will try to absorb these cuts to put off reducing the wages of PCAs, on whom many people with disabilities rely. They will seek to make cuts internally, rather than put their consumer's health and safety at risk.

People with disabilities and advocates are testifying to encourage full funding for CILs and for the elimination of waiting lists for services.