News

Action is needed now for Social Security Beneficiaries with dependents who do not file tax returns in order to receive $500 per eligible child payment with their Economic Impact Payments through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Title II and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients will start receiving economic impact payments soon. Individuals with eligible dependents can receive an additional $500 per eligible child. Title II and SSI beneficiaries who did…

Have questions about Medicare Part D and the coverage of your drugs? DRW’s Disability Drug Benefit Helpline is open and ready to help you. Call us at 1-800-926-4862 Monday – Friday.

Mechanisms are available to Wisconsin that would allow state officials to take action to help people with disabilities.  These are called “waivers”; with them, Wisconsin would have the ability to modify rules in our Medicaid programs to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.  To be able to use flexibility in Wisconsin’s Medicaid programs, special requests must be made to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).  So far 41 states have had these waivers approved…

Voting Rights Groups Urge Wisconsin Officials to Preserve In-Person Voting, Develop Emergency Plan to Protect Voting Rights if Outbreak Continues In friend-of-the-court brief, advocates assert that preserving in-person voting as an option is vital to avoid widespread disenfranchisement FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 31, 2020 Contact: Channing Grate MILWAUKEE – Wisconsin voting rights groups today said in-person voting must remain an option in the upcoming elections and called on state and local elections officials to develop…

As hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities develop policies that dictate allocation of scarce medical resources during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that great care be taken to prevent those policies from adversely affecting people with disabilities.  While we recognize the need to plan and be prepared for healthcare resource shortages during these extraordinary times, the guiding principles that are adopted must be consistent with federal civil rights law and must not discriminate against…

Governor Evers issued an order on March 24th in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency requiring all people to stay at home except for: essential activities, to carry out essential government functions, to operate essential business and operations, and for essential travel. This order goes into effect on March 25th at 8:00 am. What does this order mean for people with disabilities? You can read the full order here.

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.