Wisconsin has lost one of our true heroes - Al Buss. The following was shared with me by his good friend, Dan Johnson.

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

On Sunday, March 17, 2013 surrounded by his family Al Buss passed away.

Al worked for the Department's Bureau of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse until retiring in 1999 on disability. He brought statewide awareness to the need for alcohol and drug programs and services to be fully accessible to people with coexisting physical, sensory or intellectual disabilities and alcohol and drug abuse. He understood firsthand as an individual with a spinal cord injury and recovering alcoholic how important it was to have inpatient treatment and ongoing AODA support programs in the community accessible to someone in a wheelchair and how important it was to have printed materials available in alternative format for people who were blind or for meetings to be interpreted for individuals who are deaf. He worked hard to incorporate into state contract language requirements and program guidance requirements for compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and later the Americans with Disabilities Act. He provided statewide training and technical systems.

When he retired he continued his advocacy work co-founding with Dennis Moore, Bob Olsen and others the National Association of Alcohol, Drugs and Disability and heading up the Wisconsin Association of Alcohol, Drugs and Disability. Al was serving as a Chairperson of the Board of Directors for Access to Independence, one of eight independent living centers in Wisconsin. His second stint on a Board of Directors for independent living center. His first was back in 1984 when he served on the Board of Directors of Society's Assets, Incorporated in Racine. A position he left to come to work in Madison as an LTE in the Bureau of Long-Term Support working with me on improving programs and services for people with physical disabilities.

We were friends for more than 35 years, Over the years we have taught and learned, cried and celebrated, failed and achieved. All of which has made our life's richer and more successful. Al's life will be celebrated on Thursday afternoon at 5 PM after visitation from 3 PM to 5 PM at the Gunderson Fitchburg Funeral and Cremation, 2950 Chapel Valley Rd.

Here is Al's obituary for further information:

http://host.madison.com/news/local/obituaries/buss-elmer-al-adolf/article_5484d0d0-9002-11e2-a1b8-001a4bcf887a.html