Kids Together

KIDS TOGETHER ®
Information and Resources
For Inclusion of Children and Adults With Disabilities
In Classrooms and Communities

Our Mission: “To promote inclusive communities where all people belong”

People with disabilities constitute the largest minority group in the United States, making up an estimated
20 percent of the total population and spanning all races and ethnicities, socioeconomic groups, and genders. Kids Together®  promotes accessibility, opportunities, and inclusion for all ages, abilities, and environments.

No Cuts to Medicaid!

(Click image to enlarge and read outline with details and links)

A colorful cartoon graphic with a header in bold letters reading Medicaid already under funded! Below are four panels the first panel says now. It has a bold word "now" and the number 710,000 on waitlist circled. There’s a long weaving line of people coming up to a sign that says stop no services wait years. And a path to hooray, with a person in a wheelchair, it says finally eligible and then an arrow with a sad face saying sorry you can’t get staff with the rate Medicaid pays . Some doodles of money and thumbs down. The second panel says fraud and has colorful text saying detected by, below that is says each state and fed and arrows drawn to different agencies Medicaid fraud units, program, error, rate, monitoring, healthcare, fraud, and abuse, MCO‘s, managed care, organizations, DOJ, Attorney General and a little clip art of a detective . Then there is the word improper payments below. It says make up 5.1% of all payments and $31 billion then under that it says 79% are errors and missing documentation. There’s an arrow that points to a pie chart. It says 5.1% and the pie chart shows small slice of improper payments and the larger dark blue area says 94.9% are proper payments. The third panel has a small graphic of the dome of the capital over bold letters of word Congress and annually 88 billion cut. There’s a pair of scissors. There’s arrows pointing from cuts up to the frame that says fraud. Under that it says minimum reduction to energy and commerce committee budget and below that is a pie chart showing 38% Medicaid $618 billion and it says the year 2024 and the other part of the pie chart shows 60% Medicare $838 billion and the year 2024. There’s also some highlighted text with a little warning symbol that says if Medicare isn’t touched, the math doesn’t work without deep cuts to medicaid. Below that is a Post-it note on it the words "cuts are almost 3 times greater than government data on improper payments" a yellow arrow ppoint back up to improper payments in panel 2. The fourth panel is the word outcomes bold, and a blue, sad, crying, smiley face. Below that is a clipboard with a image of the Grim Reaper, and a list titled increased, and then checkmarks next to waitlist, abuse, neglect, seclusion, poor health, institutionalize millions of people, death. To the right of that, it says home and community based services HCBS provides waivers as alternatives to more costly pay or funded institutions! Under that says first to be cut with a red line ubder it. Below that is a little protest sign that says disability rights are civil rights. At the bottom there’s a stamped "bad news" in red. Next to that it reads federal cuts of $880 billion over 10 years ($88 billion a year) would represent 29% of state finance Medicaid spending per resident.
Medicaid is already underfunded!


Welcome to our award-winning website!

Designed for YOU! Parents, self-advocates,  professionals, and advocates.  Your suggestions, comments, corrections, and feedback are needed to make this all-volunteer website a more valuable resource for everyone! Instead of individuals trying to recreate the wheel, we can help each other build inclusive environments by sharing experiences, strategies, resources, and problem-solving.  We can work together to change policies and increase awareness. Let’s join together to make a difference!

Inclusion Flow Chart

Inclusion is a term commonly used in education discussions regarding placements for students with disabilities, but it has no legal definition. In fact, it connotes a much larger global meaning of having an active social membership and a sense of belonging across all environments.

Don't Get IEP'd On, inclusive IEPS What Rights Do Kids Have, inclusion general education

Segregated environments are statistically less safe. Closed environments have higher rates of abuse and neglect because relationships and connections are what keep people safe.

Let's Be Heard! Text and image of megaphone

Any resemblance to real life is purely intentional!
Cartoons and many more designs available for purchase on a variety of products at http://www.theparentside.com  
Cartoons may be reproduced in entirety for non-profit educational use ONLY!
May NOT be used on other websites, but can be linked. Contact staff@kidstogether for other uses and fees.

Watch some of our favorite videos!

A Credo for Support

I’m Tyler

Every Child Has The Right To THIS Kind Of Education
Jonathan Mooney

We Recommend Partners in Policymaking for Individuals and Family Members

It is a free program designed to teach people with disabilities and family members the power of advocacy to positively change the way people with disabilities are supported, viewed, taught, live, and work. Since its inception, Partners have worked to expand community opportunities and to hasten many fundamental changes in the nature of supports and services for people with disabilities in areas such as education, employment, civil rights, and community living. Please check with your state’s Protection and Advocacy Organization or other disability rights agencies to locate this great training in your state, or take the free online course from the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities

Partners in Policymaking Online

Free Online Trainings- 5 online courses: self-determination, family support, community living, assistive technology; history of the treatment of people with disabilities; right to a free appropriate public education; legislative process; supporting meaningful jobs and planning careers.

Information & Resources for People with Disabilities