News
What's your story? Tell us a little bit about yourself.
An account executive at a major public relations firm and publicist for two Wisconsin rehabilitation centers, Jean was recruited in 1969 as a volunteer by the National Spinal Cord Injury Assn/Milwaukee; an event that changed her life. She has lengthy experience in addressing the rights of people with disabilities to live successful lives in the community. As a volunteer with the Milwaukee Chapter of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association, she led Wisconsin efforts to incorporate accessibility into the statewide building code in 1973-76 and served as chair of the DIHLR building code committee when it completed a complete revision of the statewide code. She was also involved in the landmark court decision Barthel vs. Biernat in 1976 that was the first in the nation to prohibit a public transit system from purchasing new inaccessible buses until they had adopted a plan for serving the transportation disadvantaged. She was appointed by County Executive Bill O’Donnell to the board of directors of the Milwaukee County Transit System after that litigation was settled to provide oversight as the transportation services were developed and funded. During the late 1970s, she represented NSCIA on the state-level planning committees for the development of the Community Options Program (COP). In 1981, she joined the management team of former state representative James Wahner at the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services. In that capacity, she was the team leader for Milwaukee’s implementation of COP for all populations. In addition, she co-chaired a Wisconsin statewide task force in 1987-88 that planned for the evolution of county nursing homes for people with serious mental illnesses following a US Supreme Court decision disallowing federal Medicaid funding for such facilities. She was the CEO/founder of Strategic Partners from 1991- 2019, a public services redesign firm. In that role, she has participated in projects relating to disability in Florida and Georgia.
As a retiree, Jean has seized/assigned/been recruited for the opportunity to write the story of the great Wisconsin revolution in disability access, rights, and choices that she, Dan Johnson, Ellen Daly, Mike Falconer and many others witnessed and fostered between 1965 and 1990. She explains that their thesis is simple and clear: Pre-ADA, Wisconsin led the way. Their website is www.Wisdisabilityrights.com. The Facebook page is Physical Disability Community-Wisconsin. “Both still need ongoing work,” she admits.
How are you involved with self-determination? Why did you join the SD Network?
Jean joined the Network in 2015 when she was working with ERI and Dan Johnson to organize the logistics and content for a memoir. They were also pulling together Wisconsin's response to ADA's 25 anniversary. She was involved in self-determination before there was a name for it. When they implemented COP in Milwaukee in 1984, consumer-directed care was the goal from the beginning. She explains that now, Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) is a major challenge, but Wisconsin has been given an extension. “Hopefully, they will get it right,” she says.
Tell us some good news - what's the most exciting thing happening for you (or in Wisconsin) in terms of self-determination?
Jean states that Wisconsin has much better resources to support self-determination that most states. “IRIS is a national leader, and the work that Lynn Breedlove is doing internationally to spread the word and share information with countries in Europe is amazing,” she says. She also comments that consumers are now very sophisticated advocates. She believes that the efforts in 2018 when Congress was considering repealing the ADA were first class and very successful. She says, “it was the disability lobby that won that fight.”
What tip or resource would you like to share with people who want to be more self-determined?
Jean is a firm believer in networking. “It takes a village, so it is critical to network and spend time with other people who are in charge of their own care. Today, there are online forums and internet resources that didn't exist in the 1980s and early 1990s,” she explains.
What are some of your hobbies?
Jean is a big ice hockey fan. She loves to travel (she went to Scotland for three weeks this summer after working to improve her physical condition for a year) and loves spending time with her grandkids (both in high school). She’s a member of the board for her condo community and she has learned a whole lot about land use and overdevelopment as a result.
***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.
DISABILITY SCOOP: Apartments Pair People With Developmental Disabilities, Older Adults
By SD Network, 2019-10-02
A new housing development in Minnesota is intended to help people with disabilities mingle with others outside of their own group. Bethesda, a Watertown, Wis.,-based nonprofit, is building the $18 million, 52-unit complex of apartments and townhouses for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and people 55 and older. People will live independently in their own apartments, but mingle in common areas to socialize, take classes, exercise and practice yoga.
Thanks to a new rule, all 50 states and Washington, D.C. have mandates that require some level of insurance coverage for the treatment of autism. Insurance companies are now required to cover treatment for autism that is “medically necessary and appropriate and is not experimental,”
WHITEHOUSE.GOV: Presidential Proclamation on National Disability Employment Awareness Month, 2019
By SD Network, 2019-10-02
President Trump proclaimed October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month.. In the proclamation, it talks about how we need to reaffirm a commitment to fostering opportunity for people with all abilities to use their skills and talents in the workplace.
CHANNEL 3000: Disability Rights Commission votes not to support Madison plastic straw restriction proposal
By SD Network, 2019-10-01
The city of Madison is considering fining restaurants that give out plastic straws unless a customer asks for one first. This proposed ordinance's whole purpose is to cut down on the amount of waste, particularly of single-use plastics, in the city, but the proposal is drawing criticism from a number of groups. The Disability Rights Commission doesn't support it claiming many people with disabilities rely on straws.
MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL: These motorized outdoor wheelchairs can handle any terrain, are free to borrow and come with a trailer to haul them
By SD Network, 2019-10-01
Hiking is a common outdoor in Wisconsin. Now people who have mobility issues can experience the beauty of the outdoors like never before. Thanks to an organization called Access Ability Wisconsin, there are now 15 all-terrain outdoor wheelchairs and 12 trailers that people can borrow for free (with a $50 deposit) at eight locations around the state. These wheelchairs can go almost anywhere — up hills, over mud, through forests, even on 12 inches of fresh Wisconsin snow.
- Adults, 18 and over, with any type of disability, mental or physical health condition are encouraged to participate
- The survey should take about 20 minutes to complete
- Responses are anonymous
C NET: Comcast's Internet Essentials delivers low-cost broadband to people with disabilities
By SD Network, 2019-10-01
According to a recent study, people with disabilities are less likely to use the Internet than any other group. Of the more than 56 million people in the US who have a disability, many haven't been able to afford service or have lacked the digital training to access the internet. What this means for people with disabilities is that they often miss out on the benefits and opportunities that high-speed internet connectivity affords the rest of the population. That's where Comcast's expansion of its Internet Essentials program comes in. The program has been modified several times over the years to include low-income veterans and people receiving public housing benefits.