News

What’s New in IRIS?

 Earlier this year, changes in the IRIS program for 2026-2030 were approved by the federal government. Unfortunately, the final document which includes these changes is 300 pages. So, In Control Wisconsin has created a short paper which highlights the key changes that participants need to know about. The paper starts with a list of positive changes in IRIS which create new opportunities for IRIS participants to make improvements in their IRIS Plans. The paper also lists recommendations which were made to Department of Health Services which were not implemented. There will be a session at the Self-Determination Conference to walk through all these changes and answer questions about them. You can read the paper here.

Survival Coalition: Special Education Survey

Help shape the future of special education in Wisconsin! The Survival Coalition is helping to gather input from parents of students with disabilities to show lawmakers, school leaders, and the press how current funding, staffing, and service quality affect local families.

We are aiming for 500+ responses from across the state. The survey is anonymous, takes less than 10 minutes, and makes a direct impact—add your voice today!

Take survey

Anchors and Sails Program 

Have you Registered Yet?

Have you registered for the Self-Determination Conference yet? It will be held October 19th-21st at the Kalahari Resort in the Wisconsin Dells. This year's theme is: The Power of Self-Determination; Technology, Community and YOU! Registration closes September 30th.

Find out more and register today!

Here are the recording and slides from the latest webinar that the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities puts on regarding the federal fallout.  Here are the topics discussed last week's webinar (we encourage you to tune into the next webinar on Friday August 28th to get the latest):

• Wisconsin
  
  • Primary election results are in, how do different elected positions impact disability policy, strategies to find out how candidates feel about policies important to people with disabilities. 

  • Look up who won Wisconsin’s partisan primary races here

• Policy changes the administration is making:
  

  • R word,

  • Arkansas asks for more time after CMS rejection of Medicaid expansion waiver;

  • Indiana asks CMS for a waiver to make people on Medicaid pay cost sharing;

  • White House issues executive order on vaccines, repeats false claims linking autism to vaccination;

  • Education department consolidates funding for different programs to states; concerns about moving civil rights enforcement of IDEA.

• Continued coverage of impacts of HR 1.

  • 8 states will not let residents self attest they are two sick to work next year;
  • health providers worry how patients will get what they need to prove illness or stay on Medicaid; 
  • California, Medicaid cuts will impact everyone who needs health care; Indiana children with disabilities lose coverage because of administrative errors

We encourage you to continue to contact your legislators and let them know how these things will impact you and your family.

Take five minutes to check out what's happening on the Self-Determination Network:

• Store Offers Quiet Hours: Sephora is launching global "quiet hours" with dimmed screens and lower music to create a calmer shopping experience for neurodivergent and sensory-sensitive customers. Find out more about these hours .
• Inclusion is an Essential Quality: Inclusive leadership requires proactively removing workplace barriers and creating a safe environment where disabled employees feel valued, respected, and supported from day one. Learn why it's an essential in workplaces.
• Options for Universal Recreation: To celebrate Disability Pride Month and the Americans with Disabilities Act anniversary, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is promoting accessible state park features—such as adaptive kayaks, all-terrain wheelchairs, and barrier-free cabins—along with inclusive events and an updated online calendar filter to help visitors find accessible activities year-round. Check it out.
• Necessity of Immigrant Workers: A June 2026 report highlights that immigrant workers make up nearly a third of the U.S. long-term care workforce, leading industry advocates to warn that changes in federal immigration policies could quickly trigger severe staffing shortages. Read more about what the report reveals.
• Applications Open for the Next Partners Class: Applications are now open for Wisconsin Partners in Policymaking, a free six-session training program funded by the Board for People with Developmental Disabilities that equips future leaders to advocate alongside lawmakers and communities for the full inclusion of people with developmental disabilities. Applications due October 23rd.
• The Power of the Disability Consumer Market: Working-age adults with disabilities hold $675 billion in disposable income—representing a large, growing consumer market fueled by remote work and technology—though significant income and wealth gaps still remain. Find out more about how the disability consumer market adds to the economy.
• Success Story: With financial support, transportation aid, and guidance from a state vocational rehabilitation agency, a student with a disability became a registered nurse working in a hospital and plans to eventually become a nurse practitioner. Read this success story.
• Lawsuit against Medicaid Rule: A total of 25 states and Washington, D.C., are suing the federal government to block a rule that requires Medicaid recipients to complete 80 hours of work, school, or community service each month to keep their health insurance. Learn more about the lawsuit.
• Cost of Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles: To make wheelchair-accessible vehicles more affordable for low-income families and caregivers restricted by savings limits, the author of this blog  proposes a five-year pilot program offering a $7,500 federal tax credit that can be applied directly as a discount at the dealership. Do you agree?
• Disability Belongs in the Community:  Advocates warn that weaker federal enforcement of disability integration rules could make it harder for people with disabilities to get the support they need to live independently in their own communities rather than in institutions. Find out why disability advocates are so concerned.
• Foot-Flying Pilot: Dozens of families gathered at an EAA event to hear an inspiring message from the world's first foot-flying pilot and celebrate a local proclamation supporting disability inclusion and accessibility. Read about the pilot.
• 35 Years Later: Despite recent gains in employment for people with disabilities, a large job gap persists, leading the author to urge leaders to take concrete action toward accessibility, universal design, and equal career opportunities. Learn about how 35 years after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed, people are still fighting for access and inclusion.
• Program Helps Farmers with Disabilities: AgrAbility provides customized guidance, financial advice, and modified farm equipment to help agricultural workers with disabilities or injuries safely continue farming and maintain their independence. Find out more about this program.
• Demanding Overturn: Over 100 lawmakers are demanding that the Department of Justice overturn a recent legal opinion that allows states to place people with mental illnesses in institutions instead of providing community-based care. Read about why they're doing this.
• Caregiver Crisis: Low pay, limited government funding, and stricter immigration policies are causing a critical shortage of care workers, leaving facilities understaffed and making it harder for elderly and disabled individuals to receive proper support. Learn more about why it's getting harder to find caregivers.
• Advocates are Worried: Advocates from the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities warn that recent federal actions and Medicaid cuts threaten disability rights, which could force people into institutions and place financial and caregiving burdens on families and home care providers. Learn more about why advocates are concerned.
• The Future of Home Care:  Self-directed home care offers an affordable, flexible alternative to institutional care by allowing individuals to hire family or friends, but its long-term success requires strong oversight and technology to prevent fraud and ensure accountability. Find out why oversight and technology are so important.
• Advocates Fear Impacts of Legal Opinion: Advocates and families fear that a new federal legal opinion allowing states to limit funding for home-based care in favor of institutions could roll back disability rights and force individuals out of their communities. Read about what this opinion could mean.
• Judge Ruling Favors Disability Advocates: A Wisconsin judge ruled that paper-only absentee voting discriminates against voters with disabilities, but he declined to order an immediate switch to electronic voting due to security and logistical concerns, making an electronic option unlikely for the upcoming November election. Find out why still consider this significant progress.
• National Leader Award: Applications for the 2027 AAPD Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Award are open until September 23, 2026, at 5 PM ET. Two selected individuals or pairs with disabilities will each receive $25,000 to recognize their advocacy work and fund a project that expands opportunities for the disability community.
• Crunch Time for Work Requirements: States are starting to enforce new Medicaid rules requiring enrollees to log at least 80 hours per month of work, school, or community service to keep their health coverage, raising concerns that millions could lose benefits due to strict rules and administrative burdens. Find out which states are doing it first.
• Drive for Change: A resident from the Fox Valley completed an 11-day wheelchair journey across the state to the Capitol to advocate for disability rights and highlight key legislative challenges facing individuals with disabilities. Learn more about why he did this for the second time.

The Self-Determination Network includes some very talented members and we want to help you to get to know each other a little better. Member Spotlight is a great way for us to get to know each other better.
In August, we're shining the Spotlight on Nekita. Through youth empowerment and accessible Pride events, they delivers joyful, high-energy advocacy rooted in intersectionality. Stop by this month's Member Spotlight to get to know Nekita.
Who should we shine the spotlight on next?

Stacy’s Journal