The two lift the caps bills have now been formally introduced. We expect a hearing date to be announced soon and will need people who use IRIS/Family Care and want it to be available to others to come to Madison and testify. We'll send out that date as soon as we know what it is.

The biggest thing you can do now is document your stories so that legislators can hear from you.Please complete this survey to share your story:http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SurveytoendtheRwordandliftthecaps

Here is the bill information:

http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2011/proposals/SB380" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SB-380.Family Care(Moulton) Removes the cap on enrollment of Family Care and other long-term care programs.To Public Health, Human Services, and Revenue.

http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2011/proposals/AB477" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AB-477.Family Care(Kaufert) Removes the cap on enrollment of Family Care and other long-term care programs.To Aging and Long-Term Care.

The Call to Action is:Call your legislator today!Tell them please Vote for Senate Bill 380 and Assembly Bill 477 which will lift the caps on long-term care programs like Family Care and IRIS in Wisconsin. People with disabilities require these supports to have good lives!

Find your legislator here:http://legis.wisconsin.gov/w3asp/waml/waml.aspx

Thanks to Lisa Pugh, Public Policy Coordinator for Disability Rights Wisconsin, for sharing this information with us.

Once more we say good-bye to an amazing advocate, parent and friend. On Jan. 22, the disability community in Wisconsin lost Lisa Young, following her long battle with cancer. Although she fought this battle longer than most people can imagine, Lisa never let it define her life or the lives of her children. Together with her husband, Brian, they provided a loving home for three wonderful children even while she struggled.

Lisa never sought the spotlight. Rather she led quietly, encouraging and supporting people with disabilities and other parents to be become leaders - through her work with Parents in Partnership, with WSPEI, with her everyday work. With her support, her son Patrick has also become a leader in the disability community, serving on the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities.

We will miss Lisa... Her grace, her laugh, her willingness to be there for others. May she rest in peace. We send our love and support to Brian, Patrick, Stephen,andRachel at this sad time.

In Memory of Lisa Young

On Monday, December 19, 2011, Wisconsin's disability community lost one of our dearest friends. Jayn Wittemyer, of Mt. Horeb, passed away at the age of 74. We are all saddened by this great loss.

Everyone who met Jayn soon knew what a dynamo she was - a straight-talking, energetic advocate for people with disabilities. Her belief in every human being was unshakeable and her passion for the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities was boundless.

Jayn worked as the executive director of the Wisconsin Council on Developmental Disabilities (now the Board for People with Developmental Disabilities) for 21 years. She could (and would!) talk with anyone in her efforts to promote her message - state and federal legislators of both parties, heads of state agencies, families, university students - while still making time for her family, including her beloved Amy.

We are a better state because of Jayn Wittenmyer. And I am a better person for having known her.

To find out more about Jayn, go toKnow Your MadisonianorJayn Wittenmyer. Feel free to share your thoughts about Jayn below.

Elven Sted: Affordable Workforce and Family Housing

Have you ever heard of the organization Movin' Out? You should check them out if you're interested in finding a home of your own in your community. This is an example of one of their latest projects in Stoughton...

Elven Sted offers the opportunity to live in new housing built with quality and care. Affordable rents, multiple amenities, and a perfect riverside location distinguish these new homes and attract tenants who want to settle into a friendly, inclusive, stable community of neighbors. Elven Sted, reflecting the areas history and culture, means River Home Place in Norwegian.

• Thirty-three units of new multi-family housing are situated on a 2.5-acre site in Stoughton, bordering the Yahara River at the corner of 8th and Dunkirk. Movin' Out, Inc. is the developer and owner. General Capital Group is co-developer. The project is financed with WHEDA low-income housing tax credits syndicated by National Equity Fund. Additional financing is provided by Dane County HOME funds and BMO Harris Bank.

• Elven Sted is an affirmatively inclusive community: the units are attractive examples of the best in workforce and family rental housing. A few units are adapted to meet accessibility needs of family members with disabilities.

• All units are affordable to low to moderate-income households.

• Energy conservation measures qualify the project for energy certifications.

• The landscape design includes a rain garden with plant species and soil components that will mitigate storm water runoff into river and add beauty to the landscape.

• The grounds include raised beds for gardening. A playground onsite allows for safely monitored play. Outdoor paths are graded to optimize stroller, walker and wheelchair use.

• Tenants have parking options in garages and reserved surface spaces.

• Storage for kayaks and canoes is available on site. Boaters launch at the Yahara River terminus of Eighth Street, adjacent to Elven Sted.

• Elven Sted is located in central Stoughton and is in convenient proximity to Stoughtons business center and major employers. The affordable one, two, and three bedroom homes are attractive to Stoughton workers and are also seen as a valuable addition to the community by employers who recognize the benefits of having their employees live in the same community where they work.

Elven Sted adds value by promoting affordable, good quality housing that welcomes a range of households that include families who live, work and play in Stoughton.

Elven Sted is owned by Movin' Out, Inc., a non-profit organization whose mission is affordable housing solutions for people with disabilities. www.movin-out.org -- info@movin-out.org

The WI Board for People with Developmental Disabilities is offering grants (from $500-$3,000) for projects that "SPARK"innovative methods of building community capacity in the areas of grassroots community organizing, Integrated Employment, and self-directed supports. The innovative methods SPARKS Grants ignite are intended to lead to systems change that improves the lives of people with disabilities.

Go to the link below to get more information about this great opportunity to do something in your community to improve the lives of people with disabilities. Grant application, requirements and contact information can be found on the link. Proposals are due by September 16th.

Get more information about SPARKS grants.

The DHS/DLTC, Bureau of Long Term Support, has updated the Guardianship Book with the excellent assistance of Roy Froemming, one of the original authors. This handbook provides an overview of guardianship of adults in Wisconsin who meet the standards for a finding of incompetence, alternative ways of providing decision-making support, and ways to tailor guardianships to individual needs. It is aimed primarily at people involved in trying to assist adults who need support in decision-making due to impairments in their ability to receive and process information, including family members, advocates, support service providers, and educators.

The handbook is now posted at a new link:
http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/publications/P2/p20460.pdf

Feel free to download this and use it in your daily work. If you have difficulty with the link please contact Lois Mulder atLois.Mulder@wisconsin.gov

Thanks to Marcie Brost for sharing this information.