News

Disability Rights Wisconsin continues to offer services during the COVID 19 pandemic. Until at least April 1, 2020, or longer if needed, all DRW’s offices will be closed. DRW attorneys and advocates are using phone and video conferencing to continue providing advocacy and public policy services. Participation in gatherings has been cancelled. All staff in those offices are working from home and have the equipment and technology needed to do so. People can contact DRW…

Absentee Voting Because of concerns about COVID-19, the Wisconsin Election Commission is encouraging Wisconsin voters to vote early.  Any Wisconsin voter who is registered to vote, can request an absentee ballot. The Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition website has great information about voting absentee in the upcoming election. Voter Accessibility Survey If you vote in person in the April election (either early or on April 7th), the Disability Vote Coalition wants to hear about your experience! …

It can sometimes be difficult to take in and understand all of the changing and sometimes confusing information about COVID 19.  A plain language explanation of COVID 19 has been developed by and for people with disabilities by selfadvocacyinfo.org.

On March 2, 2020, Governor Evers signed into law Act 118 which makes improvements to Wisconsin law regulating the use of restraint and seclusion in Wisconsin schools. This has been a top priority for Disability Rights Wisconsin and it’s very gratifying to see it become law. On behalf of the students, parents and staff this law will help — thank you to everyone who worked so hard to advance this much needed change. Act 118…

DRW was disappointed to learn Thursday that the Wisconsin Supreme Court had dismissed Waukesha County v. J.J.H., an important case regarding a deaf individual’s right to effective communication during a mental health probable cause hearing. DRW first become involved with this case months ago when we filed a brief with the Supreme Court in collaboration with several other advocacy organizations supporting J.J.H’s petition asking the Supreme Court to hear her case because of the important…

People with disabilities are historically under counted in the census.  It is vital that people with disabilities participate in the census because results are used by federal, state, and local government to make funding decisions about education, housing, health care, transportation, mental health other services. In FY2016, Wisconsin received $12,608,476,954 through 55 federal spending programs guided by data derived from the 2010 Census.  Census results are also used to determine representation in Congress. DRW is…

DRW provided testimony regarding AB 898 at the February 13th Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections hearing. DRW’s testimony shared our concern about the provision in AB 898 which would require voters who register to vote electronically or by mail, to vote for the first time after such registration, in person at the polling place or by in-person absentee ballot. Lack of access to transportation, accessibility issues at Wisconsin polling places, and fluctuating symptoms or…

Every 10 years, the US government counts everyone in the country.  We will have a census in 2020.  The census asks one person in every household to answer a few questions.  You can answer the questions online, by phone, or by mail.  The census is very important for you to complete.  Census results are used by federal, state and local government to make funding decisions for services and programs important to people with disabilities.  In…

On February 5th, Governor Evers signed into law 2019 Wisconsin Act 88, which ensures reimbursement for clinical consultations with a parent on behalf of a student under the age of 21 in the Medicaid program. DRW’s Phyllis Greenberger has been a part of efforts to add consultation as a Medicaid benefit for children, and attended the bill signing today. These consultation services help to increase access to mental health services for Wisconsin children.