Last week, in partnership with Law Forward, Disability Rights Wisconsin filed a complaint against the Town of Thornapple’s decision with the Wisconsin Elections Commission. The complaint is about their decision to remove electronic voting equipment from their polling place without making sure that an alternate accessible voting system was available for voters with disabilities. Disability Rights Wisconsin has requested expedited consideration of the complaint due to the upcoming November 5 general election. The Help America…
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For information on DRW news, events, or press releases, please contact:
email media@drwi.org.
For information on DRW action alerts, public policy, or voting efforts, please contact:
Lisa Hassenstab at 608-308-2639 or lisah@drwi.org.
New Office Hours
Disability Rights Wisconsin will have new office hours, starting September 6, 2024. New Office Hours Our new office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Thursday, at our physical offices. Our offices will be closed on Fridays. Business Hours Our business hours continue to be 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday. Contacting Us You can contact us via phone, email, fax, or mail. For more information on reaching us, visit…
Now Hiring: Intake Specialist, Family Care and IRIS Ombudsman Program
Disability Rights Wisconsin is now hiring for an Intake Specialist within our Family Care and IRIS Ombudsman Program! Job Summary The Intake Specialist is responsible for the initial contact with clients looking for information and referral or advocacy services from Disability Rights Wisconsin’s Family Care and IRIS Ombudsman Program. Responsibilities of the position include: doing intakes over the phone or in-person for clients who are requesting information and referral or advocacy services from Disability Rights Wisconsin….
Activating Change: Personal Care Attendant Abuse Survey
Are you a provider? Share your perspectives about: abuse of people with disabilities by personal care attendants the support survivors need for healing and justice. Please take Activating Change’s short five-minute survey by August 2, 2024. Activating Change will use your answers to create resources for professionals and people with disabilities who use personal care attendants and direct service providers. All answers will be anonymized. Image Description: Invitation to take Activating Change’s Personal Care Attendant…
Share Your Experiences with Include, Respect, I Self-Direct (IRIS)
Public Comment Period The Wisconsin Department of Health Services wants you to share your experiences with Include, Respect, I Self-Direct (IRIS). This is part of the renewal process the department started for the program waiver. Learn about the waiver renewal process here. Please share your experiences if you are: a person using the program. a family member of someone using the program. a caregiver of someone using the program. You can share your experiences by:…
Disability Rights Wisconsin faces cuts to victim rights advocacy grants
Disability Rights Wisconsin’s Victim Advocacy Program faces a huge gap in victim rights advocacy funding. Federal funding for these grants went from $44.5 million per year to only $13 million. Wisconsin’s government passed bills to fill these funding gaps. However, we do not qualify for some of these funds. Our program serves people with disabilities who are victims of crimes beyond what the funds can cover. In the meantime, Disability Rights Wisconsin has applied for…
Update on Disability Rights Wisconsin’s Ballot Access Lawsuit
Last week, Disability Rights Wisconsin, through their attorneys, Stafford Rosenbaum and WilmerHale, filed a motion for a temporary injunction in our recently filed case seeking to ensure that Wisconsin voters with disabilities are able to cast their votes by absentee ballot. In this lawsuit, we have argued that Wisconsin’s election procedures currently prevent some voters with disabilities from voting absentee on the same terms as other Wisconsin voters. Disability Rights Wisconsin, along with the other…
Senate Bill 668 is Signed into Law, Implementing ABLE Saving Accounts
On April 4, 2024, Governor Evers signed Senate Bill 668 into law, which directs the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions to create an ABLE (Achieving a Better Life Experience) savings account program for people with disabilities. ABLE accounts are saving accounts for people with disabilities. They can be used to pay for expenses that happens when living with a disability. Some of these expenses can be rent for accessible housing, buying needed assistive technology, or…
DRW’s Victim Advocacy Program Faces VOCA Funding Cuts in Upcoming Year
Did you know that Disability Rights Wisconsin and dozens of organizations across Wisconsin are facing Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding cuts in the coming year? Today, we are celebrating the passage of Wisconsin Act 241. Thanks to this action by the legislature and Governor Evers, domestic violence and sexual assault programs across the state will have access to $10 million in funding to support critical services for survivors. Unfortunately, this funding will not cover…
This is Your Last Chance to Support DRW via The Big Share!
The Big Share officially closes on Monday, March 11, so take a moment to show your support for Disability Rights Wisconsin and the impactful work we do with and on behalf of the disability community of Wisconsin. We’d like to highlight how important DRW’s advocacy work is for Wisconsinites with disabilities with our Lead Advocacy Specialist, Ellie, and our Administrative Assistant, Lourdes. Watch Ellie’s video on Youtube here. Watch Lourdes’ video on Youtube here. Your…
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