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
Disability Advocacy Day March 20, 2024
Save the Date!
New fact sheet available for November’s National Family Caregivers Month.
A new fact sheet with status and policy asks for November’s National Family Caregivers Month. See attachment.
Survival sends testimony to Senate Health Committee
The Survival Coalition thanks the committee for the opportunity to provide comment on SB 155. Survival Coalition recognizes the significant burden many long-term care residents face finding a place to live, a challenge that is compounded when they must move within a specific period of time.
We support improving notification requirements and allowing more time for residents to locate another placement. However, disability and aging advocates caution the proposed changes in this bill will not be applicable to many residential settings in which older adults and people with disabilities live, and as such residents in these settings will receive no additional notice. See full letter here
Survival’s Budget Analysis
Survival Coalition’s analysis document, compares Survival’s original asks, the governor’s budget and the Joint Finance Committee budget, signed into Law by Governor. Link to budget analysis
Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services rule public comments
The cross-disability Wisconsin Survival Coalition is comprised of more than 20 statewide disability organizations in Wisconsin with a mission of improving services and supports so people with disabilities can fully participate in their communities. We appreciate the opportunity to provide public comment on the Ensuring Access to Medicaid Services rule (file code CMS-2442-P) and the interest CMS has in ensuring state Medicaid LTSS programs are maximizing the use of home and community-based services so people with disabilities can live healthy, safe, community-connected lives. Our experience in Wisconsin demonstrates that to ensure access to appropriate home and community-based long-term care services and supports (LTSS) we need federal regulations and more federal guidance to:
- ensure rates reflect the actual cost of care,
- address the care worker shortage with multiple strategies,
- ensure the provider network can provide the level of authorized services,
- drive states to evolve service systems, lower cost, less staff intensive, more inclusive, and best practice approaches, including community supported living and integrated employment as the first and preferred option,
Read complete list of comments.
Survival Coalition Disappointed in Expanded Private School Funding, Proposed Modest Investment in Public Special Education
June 20, 2023
The Survival Coalition of more than 20 statewide disability organizations is deeply disappointed with the Governor’s decision today to sign into law Senate Bill 330 increasing the amount of public funding for private schools, while the Legislature’s current state budget proposal for a modest special education increase would keep Wisconsin near the very bottom of all states in covering public school special education costs.
“Continuing to expand private schools that are allowed to selectively admit students and are not accountable for outcomes, while failing to adequately cover the costs of public schools which are required to educate all students is not the right direction for Wisconsin,” said Beth Swedeen, Survival Coalition Co-Chair.
“Wisconsin is now funding two separate and unequal education systems,” said Kit Kerschensteiner, Survival Coalition Co-Chair. “Wisconsin is choosing to increase funding for private schools that do not have to educate students with disabilities and where families have no recourse if their student is not receiving the specialized support they need.”
Survival Coalition supports increasing the state’s share of special education funding from the current 31.5% to 60% and eliminating public funding for private schools. As part of the ongoing state budget process, the Joint Finance Committee increased special education reimbursement to only 33.3%, dependent on funds being available. Read full Press Release
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