By Kody Kiser and Hayden Gooding
UK Now

The Kentucky Appalachian Rural Rehabilitation Network (KARRN) is a collaborative team that advocates to empower communities impacted by disability. Their focus is improving the quality of life for all. The organization is directed under the University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences and led by Professor Patrick Kitzman, Ph.D.

Each year Kitzman and his team take on multiple projects to help those who need it most. Projects include refurbishing equipment such as wheelchairs and walkers, providing adapted toys to children and fundraising for the Grace Jones Fund.

KARRN also has an undergraduate student club on UK's campus led by Clara Bond, a junior in the College of Health Sciences. Their purpose is to assess campus for accessibility and suggest changes where needed. They have also provided education to children in various schools across the Fayette County school district.

This year during One Day for UK, the university's annual giving day (which this year is Thursday, April 18), all donations to the College of Health Sciences will go directly toward the Grace Jones Fund. 

This fund is used to help people with physical disabilities, caused by conditions such as strokes, as well as their families. Funds can be used to pay for adult day care, medical equipment, therapy services (such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy), transportation costs related to attending disability support services, short-term respite care, program development, education, assistive technology and marketing.

On this episode of "Behind the Blue," Kitzman and Bond talk about the important work of KARRN, the collaboration the network has helped inspire, the culture shift they see happening both on and off campus, and more.

"Behind the Blue" is available on iTunes, Google Play and Spotify. Become a subscriber to receive new episodes of “Behind the Blue” each week. UK’s latest medical breakthroughs, research, artists and writers will be featured, along with the most important news impacting the university.

Transcripts for this or other episodes of Behind the Blue can be downloaded from the show’s blog page.

To discover what’s wildly possible at the University of Kentucky, click here.

Give to One Day for UK and the Grace Jones Fund here.