Harkin Aide to Visit Mahaska County as Part of ‘In the Footsteps of History’ Tour
Senator Tom Harkin
Will see firsthand impact of federal support for the South Central Iowa Center for Independent Living
DES MOINES – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) announced today that his aide, Jule Reynolds, will visit Mahaska County on Monday, June 2, as part of a summer tour highlighting Harkin’s partnership with Iowa communities through the years. The “In the Footsteps of History” tour will include all Iowa counties and feature local projects aimed at keeping Iowa communities healthy and safe, keeping communities thriving through targeted education, research, and economic development projects and promoting local agriculture and conservation, while mitigating disasters. The media is invited to attend.
Reynolds will meet with administrators at the South Central Iowa Independent Living Center to discuss the Center’s programs and resources for people with disabilities. The Center provides advocacy, peer support, independent living skills training, and other essential services to individuals with disabilities in the Oskaloosa area. Centers for Independent Living are instrumental in helping individuals with significant disabilities access home and community-based services which allow them to return to or remain in their communities, rather than in a more restrictive setting. Harkin, as the Senate author of the Americans with Disabilities Act, has been a leading champion for Americans with disabilities throughout his career and has a long history of supporting independent living centers. As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, Harkin has worked to secure continued funding for vocational rehab centers across the country and in Iowa.
“Since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, we have made tremendous progress toward the goals of equality of opportunity, full participation in American society, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency,” said Harkin. “I look forward to learning about the progress the South Central Iowa Center for Independent Living has made to promote independence for people with disabilities.”
Monday, June 2, 2014
10:00 AM South Central Iowa Center for Independent Living
117 1st Avenue West
Oskaloosa, IA 52577
