News
Meet Tanya. This music-loving auntie is just starting to get involved in disability advocacy. She’s looking forward to moving out and becoming more independent. She loves to find resources for people to solve problems. We’re so fortunate to have her as a member of the Network!
What's your story? Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Tanya is a 38-year-old woman who works at Bath and Body Works. She has seven nephews who she adores. “I’m also considered everyone’s auntie,” she tells us.
Tanya shares that hydrocephalus (water on the brain) is her main disability. She also has mild cerebral palsy and spina bifida.
How are you involved with self-determination? Why did you join the SD Network?
Tanya shares that she is just beginning to get involved in disability advocacy. She serves on two committees and is currently taking the Partners in Policymaking course.
Tell us some good news - what's the most exciting thing happening for you (or in Wisconsin) in terms of self-determination?
Tanya is excited that she’s looking for a place to live. She’s looking forward to becoming more independent.
What tip or resource would you like to share with people who want to be more self-determined?
Tanya shares that she loves to help people find answers to questions they have. She is good at finding a variety of different resources for people.
What are some of your hobbies?
Tanya doesn’t just have one hobby. She is very open to trying almost anything. One of her favorite things to do it listen to music. “It helps get creative juices flowing,” she says.
***We love hearing the views and opinions of Network members. We need to mention that the views and opinions expressed on this site are those of the person who is sharing them. They do not necessarily reflect InControl Wisconsin or any of our supporters and funders.
AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving report that one in four American adults are caregivers. Katie Moureau, in Cottage Grove, is a mother to five boys and the caregiver to those who require additional care. Between administering medications, special diets, and several appointments throughout the week, Moureau said she can’t work because her boys need around-the-clock care. The Survival Coalition of Wisconsin Disability Organizations surveyed 525 caregivers. It found that 60% of unpaid caregivers provide care equal to or exceeding a part-time job.
The Bipartisan Policy Center interviewed older adults through The People Say initiative to identify health care challenges. Key recommendations include: establishing Medicare respite benefits and caregiver tax credits to support family caregivers; addressing direct care workforce shortages through apprenticeships and adequate Medicaid payment rates; expanding telehealth and behavioral health access; streamlining Medicare Savings Program enrollment; and reducing system complexity through State Health Insurance Assistance Programs and integrated care models like PACE.
POWER STATION: They want to round up people with disabilities and put them in institutions
By SD Network, 2026-01-24
Theo Braddy, executive director of the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL), discusses threats to disability rights. NCIL is the longest-running disability-led association in the nation with 660 centers across the country that empower people with disabilities to thrive in their communities. Braddy: "Discrimination against and the oppression of people with disabilities is largely invisible in our society until it happens to us."
AAPD BLOG: Recent Changes to Immigration Policies Have Disastrous Impacts on Disabled People and Long-Term Care
By SD Network, 2026-01-24
Litchman received approval for IRIS, Wisconsin's self-direction program, but struggled to find personal care attendants at $17/hour maximum wages. With immigrants comprising 32% of home care workers, Trump's immigration raids and deportations worsen existing workforce shortages (75% turnover, 1-in-4 vacancies). Combined with Medicaid cuts threatening optional HCBS programs, these policies push disabled people toward institutionalization.
AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION: Martin Luther King, Jr’s Legacy: How the Civil Rights Movement Paved the Way for Disability Rights and Disability Justice
By SD Network, 2026-01-19
The civil rights movement led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from 1955 to 1968 reshaped the nation's understanding of discrimination and equality, making it possible to reconceptualize disability as a civil rights issue and paving the way for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Section 504 adopted the same nondiscrimination language as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, extending protections to disabled people, while the ADA used the same structure to prohibit discrimination in employment, public accommodations, transportation, education, and government services. The disability justice movement builds on King's insight that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," recognizing that ableism is interconnected with racism, sexism, classism, and other systems of oppression, requiring collective action to dismantle all barriers to achieve full equity and liberation.
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HEALTH AFFAIRS: Implementing Medicaid Work Reporting Requirements: Defining A ‘Serious Or Complex Medical Condition’
By SD Network, 2026-01-19
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act requires Medicaid expansion states to implement work reporting requirements starting January 2027, with the The Congressional Budget Office estimates over five million people will lose coverage by 2034. The law includes a "medically frail" exemption for those with "serious or complex medical conditions"—broadening previous "serious and complex" language to give states more flexibility.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES: You’re invited to participate in an ableism research study
By SD Network, 2026-01-15
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From Algoma to Durand, these spots prioritize wellness, transportation, and social engagement. These nine towns make comfort practical: reasonable home prices, quick trips for essentials, easy trails, friendly gathering spots, and nearby healthcare.
KFF surveyed Medicaid officials in all 50 states and D.C. between April-July 2025. Nearly all states (49 out of 50) allow Medicaid enrollees to self-direct their home care in some circumstances. Self-direction emerged from the "consumer-directed" movement, which began with demonstration programs in 19 states. All states with self-directed programs allow enrollees to select, train, and dismiss workers; 41 states allow enrollees to set worker pay; 39 allow them to allocate service budgets. All responding states pay family caregivers through one or more Medicaid home care programs. Self-direction is most common in waivers for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (41 states) and older adults/physical disabilities (39 states).