As federal officials consider ending a program that allows employers to pay people with disabilities less than minimum wage, a new study suggests that doing so has little downside. A new study published in the journal JAMA Health Forum, researchers looked at what happened in New Hampshire, which passed legislation in 2015 to do away with subminimum wage employment, and Maryland, which approved a phaseout of the program in 2016.

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Disability service providers across the country are struggling to maintain their services, with many reporting that they are turning away new referrals and discontinuing programs and they’re concerned that it could get worse. A recent survey finds that 90% of providers serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have faced moderate or severe staffing shortages in the last year. 

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Meet Rose. This photography loving self-advocate is taking the Partners in Policymaking class right now and is eager to advocate for Medicaid expansion. She’s hoping to connect with others through the Network. We’re so fortunate to have her on the Self-Determination Network!

What's your story?  Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Rose shares that she wouldn’t be surprised if she was misdiagnosed with having an intellectual disability at a younger age, but she was diagnosed with ADHD when she was 13 and Asperger’s when she was almost 15. She works at Water Performance Products in Mukwonago, but what keeps her busy is going to the gym, taking care of her pets, streaming movies and TV on Chromecast, playing computer games, and running and biking outside when it’s warmer.

How are you involved with self-determination? Why did you join the SD Network? .

Rose is currently taking the Partners in Policymaking class. She is advocating for Medicaid expansion, but knows that it’s going to be a really hard battle due to the incoming administration.

Tell us some good news - what's the most exciting thing happening for you (or in Wisconsin) in terms of self-determination?

Rose was really excited to join the Network because it’s a way for her to connect with others in the disability community virtually. She tells us that sometimes interacting with people with disabilities scares her, so the network gives her the opportunity to connect virtually.

What tip or resource would you like to share with people who want to be more self-determined?

Rose encourages self-advocates to take the Partners in Policymaking class. “If people with disabilities want to make a difference for the better of all types of disabilities, then, yes, absolutely take this course,” she says.

What are some of your hobbies?

In her spare time, Rose enjoys doing photography, playing computer games, and scrapbooking.

***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.

Going to the grocery store is not a big ordeal for most people, but for adults with disabilities and their caregivers, it can be challenging. One Wisconsin mom is on a mission to get adult changing stations in more common places. The stations can be used by a person by any age and makes it easier for caregivers to change people. The Changing Spaces Campaign aims to get these stations in more public places.

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New rules aimed to ease air travel for people with disabilities will go into effect on January 18th. The rules make it clear that all wheelchairs and mobility devices must be returned to passengers in the same condition received, and that any damage to the equipment or delay in returning it will be considered a violation of the Air Carrier Access Access. This will make it easier for the Department of Transportation to track and hold airlines responsible.

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A new survey highlighted the challenges facing America’s direct support workforce, revealing a care system in crisis due to ongoing recruitment and retention issues. The State of America’s Direct Workforce Crisis 2024 survey found that 90% of providers faced moderate to severe staffing issues in the past year, leading to 69% turning away new referrals. These challenges have negatively impacted the access to services for individuals needing care. 

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This study’s aim was to examine how states across the United States implemented self-direction in their Medicaid home and community‐based services (HCBS) 1915(c) waiver programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in fiscal year (FY) 2021. Eighty percent of states offered self-direction in their HCBS programs. Across the United States, the goal was to have 13 percent of people with IDD receiving HCBS self-direct. In FY2021, 29 percent of services could be self-directed and 36 percent of funding was projected for services eligible for self-direction. There were vast differences in how self-direction was implemented across states. For example, among the states that allowed self-direction, goals for self-direction by state ranged from 0.9 percent to 47.5 percent of people with IDD receiving HCBS. Projected spending for services eligible for self-direction varied by state from 0.1 percent to 100 percent. 

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