On April 18, 2023, President Biden signed the Executive Order on Increasing Access to High-Quality Care and Supporting Caregivers, which included more than 50 executive directives aimed at almost every cabinet-level agency. In response, PHI has produced a five-part fact sheet series examining the executive order relevant to the direct care workforce. Specifically, this fourth fact sheet offers ideas for federal regulatory policies and inter-agency collaboration that would enhance equity for direct care workers.

View fact sheet

The Department of Transportation is in the process of finalizing regulations to require many new commercial airplanes to more accessible for people with disabilities. The regulations would require new single aisle aircrafts that seat 125 passengers or more to have a large enough restroom for a person with a disability and an attendant.

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Meet Richard. When he’s not working at the Department of Revenue, he’s either advocating on the Arc board or participating in one of his many hobbies. He loves going to the Self-determination Conference each year where he meets new friends. He encourages people with disabilities to advocate for what they need to live a prosperous life in the community. We’re so fortunate to have him as member of the Network!    

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

Richard was born and raised in Connecticut, but now he currently lives in Madison, Wisconsin. He shares that he has mild autism and has done numerous amazing things independently. He has worked for the Wisconsin Department of Revenue for almost 32 years.

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

Richard explains that he first got involved with Self-Determination when a friend, Nancy Alar, talked to him about what Self-Determination is. He has attended the annual Self-Determination Conference at Kalahari Resort for many years.

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

An exciting thing for Richard is that he is a board member and self-advocate for the Arc-Dane County in Madison.  He shares that he has excellent math and cooking skills, and he’s very outgoing and friendly. He is very committed to his job at the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.

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

Richard encourages people who have disabilities to advocate for the accommodations they need to be able to live and work in the community. " Also, I would treat every single person with disabilities with respect, inclusion, acceptance, and love,” he says.

What are some of your hobbies?

Richard has a variety of hobbies which include: cooking, traveling, riding his bicycle, bowling, mini golf, going to high school football games, and making new friends.

***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.

Are you a person self-directing your services, a family member or friend assisting someone to self-direct, or a direct care worker in a self-direction program?

If so, we want to hear from you! Please complete our survey by Friday, August 11th. This survey will take you about 10 minutes to complete. 

We are leading a new project sponsored by Elevance Health to improve worker recruitment and retention in self-direction programs.  The survey responses will inform a white paper on the impact of the workforce crisis on self-direction featuring practical insights and advice from those with lived experience.

We are hoping our survey will reach a wide audience. Please share this survey with others who self-direct, family members, and direct care workers in your network.

Thank you for your help!

As the national caregiver crisis continues, people who it affects the most weigh in on what they're facing, why caregivers are quitting, and what could be done to help solve the problem. This article in the Madison Magazine explains the brutal reality for so many families in Wisconsin.

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Need someone to talk to? Call UpliftWI

 New phone service offers peer support statewide

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) announces a new phone line is now available allowing all Wisconsinites to share their successes and challenges with a peer who will listen and offer support. Built by Mental Health America of Wisconsin under a grant from DHS for people experiencing mental health and substance use concerns, UpliftWI can be reached at 534-202-5438 daily from noon to midnight, with 24/7 operation expected by the end of the year. This non-emergency service is free and confidential.

“We’re pleased to partner with Mental Health America of Wisconsin on this expansion of peer services in Wisconsin,” said DHS Deputy Secretary Deb Standridge. “The peer-to-peer support offered by UpliftWI is a proven way to help people get the help they need and stay healthy. This service is going to improve lives by providing preventive care for people experiencing stress or other challenges in their lives.” 

View the entire news release.

Finding your seat on airplane is challenging for anyone, but for people who have visual impairments, it's usually impossible to find their seat independently. United Airlines is working to change that by installing Braille signage to the interior of their planes.

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For many families in Wisconsin, it's nearly impossible to leave the house for an extended length of time because of the lack of accessible adult changing stations in public places. A new program would change that. The plan would install adult changing stations in all public buildings and offer a tax credit to businesses that do the same.

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