Contact: Barbara Beckert, barbara.beckert@drwi.org, 414-292-2724 Voters with disabilities are historically underrepresented at the polls, and COVID-19 has created additional barriers. The Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition is working to advance full participation of voters with disabilities and provide guidance on how to safely vote during the pandemic. Approximately 23% of the electorate will be people with disabilities, according to the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). Early voting begins in many communities today, October 20….
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.
Press Release: DRW Congratulates DHS on it’s New “Suspend Don’t Terminate” Medicaid Policy
Disability Rights Wisconsin is extremely pleased with the Department of Health Services’ announcement that it will no longer terminate Medicaid eligibility for individuals for entering Wisconsin jails and prisons and will suspend their coverage instead. Read the full press release about this new policy.
DRW Attorney co-authors article on working with survivors of violence
Nadya Rosen, Managing Attorney of the Victim Advocacy Program co-authored an article in the latest edition of Wisconsin Lawyer entitled, “Remote Hearings: How to Prepare Survivors of Violence.” As the COVID-19 pandemic has moved most courtrooms on-line, the authors provide tips and suggestions for how to effectively tell a client’s story and insure their safety. DRW’s Victim Advocacy Program works with survivors of crime with disabilities around the state of Wisconsin providing advice and advocacy…
Seeking Comments on 2021 Proposed PADD Plan
DRW invites you to comment on our plan to use the Federal funding we receive for our “Protection and Advocacy for people with Developmental Disabilities” (PADD) grant. The Goals and Priorities contained in this plan identify areas upon which we expect to devote our Federal PADD funding in 2021. To ensure consideration, comments should be received by November 30, 2020. Read our 2021 Proposed PADD plan.
School Resource Officers Do Not Belong in Wisconsin’s Schools
Disability Rights Wisconsin has issued a statement recommending that Wisconsin schools stop relying on school resource officers (SROs) as a response to school violence and invest instead in appropriate school personnel and programs to address the needs and safety of students with disabilities. DRW Press Release: SROs Do Not Belong in Wisconsin Schools Full Statement: School Resource Officers Do Not Belong in Wisconsin Schools
DRAFT Ethical Framework for COVID-19 Treatment/Vaccines out for Public Comment
Earlier this summer, the State Disaster Medical Advisory Committee (SDMAC) created an Ethics Subcommittee to develop and propose a statement of ethical principles for the distribution of scarce resources. Their charge included reviewing relevant resources including national and other state guidelines in order to identify and define generally agreed-upon principles to guide ethical decision making about allocating resources such as vaccines and therapeutics. Yesterday, the SDMAC Ethics Subcommittee posted a DRAFT Ethical Framework to Guide…
DRW Happy to See Recommendations from Governor’s Task Force on Caregiving
DRW is pleased with the recommendations put forth by the Governor’s Task Force on Caregiving. The recommendations cover a wide range of issues that affect the availability of caregivers in Wisconsin. Read our press release here.
DRW Statement on Treatment of Jacob Blake
Disability Rights Wisconsin condemns the law enforcement treatment of Jacob Blake. After a racially charged incident in which Mr. Blake was shot in the back by police, he was shackled to his hospital bed. Though the shackles have now been removed, his treatment after being rendered paralyzed from the waist down put his health at further risk and violated his right to a disability accommodation. Read the statement here.
A sad passing of Deidre Davis Butler
A sad passing of Deidre Davis Butler: an amazing advocate for disability rights and racial equity After a lifetime of advocacy, Deidre Davis Butler died last week at the age of 64. Nothing slowed her down, especially being told she couldn’t do something. She earned a law degree and fought hard for people with disabilities, especially people of color. She helped draft the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which just marked its 30th anniversary in…
Press Release: PUA Benefit Now Available to SSDI Recipients
Disability Rights Wisconsin applauds DWD Secretary Frostman, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and Representatives Ron Kind, Mark Pocan, and Gwen Moore, for their work to secure Pandemic Emergency Unemployment relief (PUA) for Wisconsin SSDI recipients out of work due to COVID-19. Read the full press release about the PUA benefit that is now available to SSDI recipients in Wisconsin.
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