WISCONSIN
DRW is pleased to annouce that Sen. Luther Olsen has agreed to sponsor a bill to limit the inappropriate use of seclusion and restraint on children in schools. He will circulate it for bi-partisan co-sponsors soon. This bill is a product of collaborative negotiations with DPI and the School Administrators Alliance. Click here to read the bill.
The Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction (DPI) has issued a formal response to the U.S. Dept. of Justice, which is investigating the disability discrimination complaint which DRW brought with the ACLU against the Milwaukee Parental Choice (voucher) Program. You can read national converage of this story in this Huffington Post article: Wisconsin Dept. of Public Instruction responds to voucher discrimination complaint.
Click the following link for a post from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: State, civil rights group disagree about how voucher schools should adhere to disability rights laws.
Barbara Beckert, DRW’s Milwaukee Office Director, wrote a compelling piece for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Click this link to read it: Disability and employment.
DRW attorney Jodi Hanna is quoted in this front-page article from the August 14 Green Bay Press Gazette on sub-minimum wage employment of people with disabilities. The article is generating significant discussion and controversy. DRW believes that increasing individualized employment at real wages in integrated, community settings should be a priority for our state.
Here are some success stories from individuals with disabilities employed in our communities!
http://www.waisman.wisc.edu/naturalsupports/pdfs/YS.pdf
Read the Green Bay story here:
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20110814/GPG0101/108140589/-1/7daysarchives/Pay-rate-disabled-Wisconsin-workers-stirs-debate
This front page story in the Appleton Post Crescent describes the demand letter which DRW Attorney Jeff Spitzer-Resnick sent to the Appleton Area School District’s attorney regarding a horrific case of teacher abuse of 6 non-verbal children, 5 of whom are represented by DRW.
Click here to read the story on the Post Crescent website.
You can read a redacted version of the full demand letter here: demand letter.
Click here to read and view further coverage of the story on the WBAY website.
Click here to read and view further coverage of the story on the WFRV-TY website.
DRW filed an appeal of an virtual school open enrollment denial of a boy with a disability in Walworth County earlier this week.
Click here to read coverage of the case in the Janesville Gazette.
Click here to read coverage of the case Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
DRW Attorney Jeff Spitzer-Resnick explains how Milwaukee’s Parental Choice Program fails to serve children with disabilities in this Milwaukee Public Radio interview. He also explains that creating a special needs voucher program is not the answer to this problem.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel published an Op-Ed in its May 24th edition in which DRW is joined by the Board on People with Developmental Disabilities and Wisconsin FACETS explaining why all three disability organizations oppose Special Education vouchers.
Click here to view the Op-Ed on the Journal Sentinel website.
DRW submitted an Amicus brief in the Appellate Court in Helen E.F. v. Fond du Lac County, advocating against the inclusion of individuals with only a diagnosis Alzheimer’s disease or other types of dementia “with behaviors” as subject to commitment under the state law goverening involuntary mental health commitments (Chapter 51). The court agreed with this position, holding that Alzheimer’s disease is not a qualifying mental illness for the purposes of comminment standards and people with only a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or similar types of dementia are not the proper subjects for treatment under Chapter 51. This case could have far reaching implications for nursing homes and other residential placements which account for the majority of emergency detentions initiated against Alzheimer’s patients. Additionally, this ruling requires changes in emergency detention procedures for both law enforcement and inpatient psychiatric facilities. Fond du Lac County has 30 days to decide whether to ask the Wisconsin Supreme Court to review this decision, if it does, DRW will ask the Court to participate at that level as well. Click here to view the article: www.jsonline.com/features/health/120901259.html
Barbara Beckert is the director of our Milwaukee Office. She recently spoke with Mitch Teich on UWM’s Lake Effect about the impact she believes the proposed biennial budget would have on Wisconsin’s citizens with disabilities.
