Research and Training Center on Independent Living

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Our other Research and Training Center:

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Seen at the RTC

Two men in wheelchairs and two women sitting on desk smile at camera



White Trains Peruvians

Glen White, Sam Ho and Peruvian medical professionals

Our center director and a KU student trained medical professionals in Perú on caring for people with spinal cord injuries. Read more.

Hodgesmith Honored

Martha Hodgesmith

Women attorneys recognized our associate director's service and influence. Read more.


Welcome to our site about independent living
for people with disabilities!

Quick links to RTC/IL projects:

Emergency Preparedness Page of the Week; Logo for the Research & Training Center on Independent Living shows silhouettes of a car, tree, office building and two houses on a hill

Center Highlights

Disability and Air Travel


In our newest video, David Martin of Delta Air Lines discusses a collaboration with RTC Director Glen White to improve the air travel experience for people with disabilities.

Watch the video on YouTube.

Read more about the collaboration.




New Course Focuses on "The Prepared Lifestyle"

This free online course covers public health threats, the characteristics of pandemics and the risk factors of people with disabilities during public health threats. Read more.

People with Physical Disabilities Learn to Lose Weight


This video explains how people with physical disabilities in Wichita are losing weight and improving their health by taking part in a research project.

Muriel Saunders and Amanda Reichard are leading the project. Read more.





Are you ready?

Storm season is upon us again, with tornadoes already causing loss of life and property. Such disasters remind us how essential it is to be prepared - especially for people with disabilities.

A good place to start: create an Emergency Preparedness Kit. You can also find best practices on our interactive website, disabilityprepared.ku.edu, and publications, classes and webcasts on our Emergency Preparedness training page.

Preventive Care Can Shrink Medicaid Price Tag

Amanda Reichard is leading research about Medicaid and health outcomes for people with disabilities.

Listen to the story, watch our video, and see our fact sheets to learn more.



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