Survival has prepared these issue papers to provide background and a disability perspective for elected officials, candidates for office, and other policymakers and advocates. Many people with disabilities access programs and services funded by federal, state, or local governments to support them in maintaining their health, accessing education and employment, and participating in their communities. Policymakers make decisions on programs and services that are critical to the independence and the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, mental health conditions, sensory disabilities, and aging adults. Select issue to view each paper: Workforce, Long-term Care, Employment, Education, Medicaid, Mental Health, Transportation, Voting, and Children’s Long-term Supports.
Survival Coalition Wisconsin
The Survival Coalition of Wisconsin Disability Organizations is a cross-disability coalition of more than 20 state and local organizations and groups. For more than 20 years, Survival has been focused on changing and improving policies and practices that support people with disabilities of all ages to be full participants in community life.
Updates
Press Release: Frazzled and Fried, WI family caregivers living in crisis (10/4/2022)
The relentless shortage of paid caregivers is negatively impacting family caregivers, Wisconsin’s workforce, and the larger economy.
A statewide survey of almost five hundred family caregivers reveals family caregivers are providing 80% of the care for children and adults with disabilities and older adults, often caring for multiple people simultaneously.
The volume of care provided across the lifespan is incredible and unsustainable. More than 80% have already been caregiving almost ten years, another 30% for twenty years. 1 out of 10 report caregiving for more than thirty years. Read full press release here. Read survey summary here.
Survival Coalition Supports New Report Findings that WI Underfunds Special Education (Press release)
The Survival Coalition of more than 20 statewide disability organizations agrees with a new report from the Education Law Center concluding that “Wisconsin’s low reimbursement rate for special education will leave school districts on the hook for $1.25 billion, forcing them to divert funds intended for general education for all students.”
Findings from the report showed that in the 2019-2020 school year:
· Wisconsin schools reported their special education costs were $1.82 billion to support the state’s 120,000 students with disabilities.
· After factoring in the state special education reimbursement and funds available through the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), schools were facing a $1.25 billion shortfall from unfunded special education costs.
· Wisconsin special education programs are underfunded, with the impact being greatest on districts with high-poverty rates and often concurrent higher enrollments in special education.
Survival Coalition supports additional special education investment in the 2023-2025 biennial budget, specifically to increase state support to 90% to provide relief to local districts and ensure that they can invest adequate local resources for all students.
Don’t make it harder for our vote to count
For Immediate Release
Today the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules (JCRAR) rejected the Wisconsin Election Commission’s emergency rule 2209 to clarify the kinds of minor clerical errors election clerks can correct on absentee ballots and should be adopted. This rule would have formalized existing election practices.
“Errors are not voter fraud; they are common mistakes,” said Kit Kerschensteiner, Survival Coalition Co-Chair. “Minor technicalities, like a missing city or zip code on a witness address, are easily corrected, and should not result in an absentee voter’s ballot being discounted.”
Wisconsin’s professional nonpartisan election clerks have local knowledge and common sense, and they currently monitor and correct these mistakes. This practice has been accepted for years and has worked for countless past elections. Read full press release
Survival Coalition 2023-2025 Budget Priorities
Survival Coalition has developed a set of budget priorities for the 2023-2025 State budget. You can read the full document here. We have also provided an individual paper for priorities in each issue area.
Read Long-Term Care
Read Children’s Long-Term Supports
Read Education
Read Employment
Read Mental Health
Read Workforce
Read Transportation
Press Release: More Than 200 Members of Disability Community Plan to Participate in Virtual Annual Disability Advocacy Day
Direct Care Workforce, Family Caregiving, Voting Access All on Priority List
(MADISON) – More than 200 members of the disability community from all parts of Wisconsin plan to rally virtually on March 16 for the Survival Coalition’s annual Disability Advocacy Day. Grassroots advocates will participate in issue discussions and planning sessions before making targeted calls to their state legislators to tell their story and discuss the issues that impact people with disabilities in their everyday lives. Read full press release
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