Beset by a nerve disorder brought on by diabetes, Michael Lentz can't drive, work or walk more than a few steps. But with some assistance from the state, he is able to home-school his 9-year-old daughter, Mariah.
"My daughter needs a little extra help sometimes," he said. "We set up a little classroom for her here. She's doing better now than she did in school last year."
But hundreds of other Kansans with disabilities aren't as fortunate as Lentz.
With the state facing ongoing budget problems, the waiting list for services for people with physical disabilities has grown from zero to 1,382 in the last 10 months.
Lentz receives assistance to pay for what the state calls "home- and community-based services."
It allowed him to hire an aide to help him with meals, laundry and light cleaning so he can live at home. It also allows him to pay his mother for providing him with transportation.
It's the dream of just about all people with disabilities — to be able to live in their own home and be as productive as their condition allows.
"It's been a blessing," Lentz said. "It makes it possible to get what I need."
Read the complete story at kansas.com
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