DRW is currently seeking input on our proposed Statement of Goals and Priorities to protect and advocate on behalf of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in 2023. The goals and priorities, contained within our plan for federal funding that we receive for protection and advocacy for people with developmental disabilities, identify areas where we expect to devote the funding. View the proposed Statement of Goals and Priorities for 2023 here (accessible PDF). Submitting Comments…
News
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 Guardianship and Voting Resources
In Wisconsin, people under guardianship retain the right to vote unless the court expressly removes that right. Wisconsin residents who have lost the right to vote due to guardianship may petition the court to restore their right to vote. Disability Rights Wisconsin is pleased to introduce new resources on the topic of Guardianship and Voting: Preserving and Restoring the Right to Vote. These resources explain how people under guardianship can determine if they have retained…
How I Got My Right to Vote Back: A Message from Jennifer Kratsch
In this video, self-advocate Jennifer Kratsch shares how she got her right to vote back. In Wisconsin, people under guardianship retain the right to vote unless the court removes the right. If you have lost the right to vote, you can petition the court to restore your voting rights, as Jen did. Watch the video on Youtube here.
Statement on US Department of Justice Joining in Voting Lawsuit
Disability Rights Wisconsin welcomes the August 18th Statement of Interest from the U.S. Department of Justice, joining a lawsuit filed by four Wisconsin residents with disabilities asking the federal court to ensure their rights to assistance turning in their ballots. The lawsuit is needed to assert federal protections because of a recent state Supreme Court ruling that left Wisconsin absentee voting procedures in question. Read our full statement here (accessible PDF).
Guardianship and Voting: Preserving and Restoring the Right to Vote
Join us on Zoom to learn about voting rights for people under guardianship. We will discuss how voting rights are addressed in the guardianship process, and the process for restoring the right to vote. This training will provide information to support people with disabilities and older adults to retain or restore their voting rights. Registration is required for this Zoom event. Register here. ASL Interpreters and captioning will be provided. Other accommodations may be requested…
Process for Requesting an Accommodation for Ballot Return Assistance
Disability Rights Wisconsin is receiving questions from voters with disabilities about their rights to have assistance with mailing or delivery of their absentee ballot. Federal law protects the right of people with disabilities to have assistance mailing their ballot, and also to have a person of their choice deliver their ballot to their clerk or polling place. If it is too close to the election to mail your completed ballot, and you are not able…
Victim Advocacy Program Fellowship
Introduction Are you a 3L, recent law graduate, or judicial clerk in the fall of 2022? Are you interested in the Skadden or Equal Justice Works (EJW) Fellowship? The Victim Advocacy Program at Disability Rights Wisconsin is now seeking candidates interested in pursuing these fellowships for the Class Year of 2023! The ideal fellowship candidate will have a public interest background, experience in the anti-violence movement, a strong interest in victim’s rights, and a demonstrated…
A Celebration of the ADA’s 32nd Anniversary and Its Impact on Voting Rights
Join the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition on Zoom as we celebrate the 32nd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and discuss its impact on voting rights! We will hear from our keynote speaker, Charlotte Lanvers, a Trial Attorney from the Disability Rights Section of the Civil Rights Division within the US Department of Justice, as well as Kit Kerschensteiner, the Directory of Legal and Advocacy Services of Disability Rights Wisconsin, and a panel of…
Disability Pride Month 2022
In the month of July, we celebrate the diversity and history of the disability community in the United States for Disability Pride Month. On July 26th, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law, prohibiting discrimination on basis of disabilities. We recognize that disability is a natural part of life that intersects with so many aspects of identity, from race to gender to socioeconomic class and that today, disability advocates and activists are…
Other Views to Consider as the 988 Hotline Rolls Out
988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline has officially launched nationwide, as announced by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. DRW applauds the effort to increase access to mental health services. We appreciate 988 as part of a more effective response to people experiencing mental health crises. But 988 alone is not enough. Some people with lived experience and others have raised questions about how the new system will work, including concerns about forced treatment and police involvement…