Two moms put a human face on the caregiver crisis, sharing its devastating impact on their families and loved ones with disabilities. Their stories are like many across the state. Is a legislative solution in sight? What happens if nothing happens?

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Two empowered moms behind the groundbreaking multifamily housing development Prairie Haus for people with and without disabilities did not have long to celebrate their accomplishment before they were forced to tackle new challenges. How do you open housing during COVID? How do you find new purpose in your life when your adult children with disabilities are living independently? What happens when that independence is threatened when caregivers are no longer available? In this case, our moms' journey comes full circle.

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When they could not find housing options for their adult children with disabilities in rural Wisconsin, two moms made it happen. Their story of resiliency and determination show us all what is possible.

Thank you CUNA Mutual Group Foundation
The CUNA Mutual Group Foundation: Supporting the sustainable development of our communities.

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How can people with disabilities have access to affordable and safe housing where they can live independently with supports to meet their needs? Increasing the supply of such housing is one side of the equation and that is what WHEDA's Supportive Housing Institute (SHI) aims to do. In this episode we will hear directly from WHEDA and partner CSH about this initiative along with SHI participant Catapult Wellness and find out what's next.

Thank you CUNA Mutual Group Foundation
The CUNA Mutual Group Foundation: Supporting the sustainable development of our communities.

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There is perhaps no issue that people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) struggle with more than dental care. 

·        State data indicates that 29% of adults with disabilities reported having at least one permanent tooth removed over the past year, and 26% said they had not visited a dentist within the past year.

·        Adults with a disability are less likely to visit the dentist for a cleaning, check-up, or exam than people without disabilities (47% and 76%, respectively).

 Most people with I/DD rely upon Medicaid for their dental care. Yet only 37% of licensed dentists  in WI are available to serve the Medicaid population and 53% of these dentists are listed as either inactive or are not accepting new patients. 

Today we talk to a dentist who is trying to make things better.   Lakisha Arif-Holmes DDS owns  Mayfair Family Dentistry in Wauwatosa. and she takes pride in specializing in  treatment to patients of all ages with special healthcare needs, including Autism and people with IDD.

Mayfair Family Dentistry: https://www.mayfairfamdentistry.com/
414-259-0665
Specialty Care Dentistry Association: https://scda.site-ym.com/

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Today we are talking about something that’s hard for a lot of people: Thinking about the future. We don’t know what to expect – and frankly, the unknown can be a little scary – especially if you are a person with a disability or a family member who relies on supports to build and live a good life.  

In this episode we meet Liz Mahar who is sharing a wake up call across the country about future planning. She says it's not only possible but – it is necessary. 

Liz is the Director of Family and Sibling Initiatives at The Arc of the United States and she is a leader within the Center for Future Planning. However, her greatest experience might come as sister to Crystal, who has Down syndrome. 

Learn more about future planning: 
https://arcwi.org/2017/10/05/part-wisconsin-future-planning-network/

The Center for Future Planning: https://futureplanning.thearc.org/?_ga=2.182646630.1397700017.1636577291-193680245.1590781332

Letter of Intent: https://arcwi.org/content/uploads/sites/17/2017/12/FINAL-CFP-LOI-on-cfp-website.pdf

Wisconsin Professionals to Help: https://futureplanning.thearc.org/professionals?utf8=%E2%9C%93&profession=&state=Wisconsin

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November is National Family Caregiver month. Did you know that One in five Wisconsinites (or 1.18M people) is estimated to be an unpaid caregiver?  Wisconsin family caregivers provide more than 490 million unpaid hours of care annually to individuals with disabilities and older adults. 

80 percent of all care is provided by families who help loved ones daily with meals, bathing and dressing, medications, doctor appointments and more. 

Today’s guest is first and foremost Mom to Kelsey, who has Angelman Syndrome. Lisa has over 30 years’ experience advocating for persons with disabilities and navigating the complicated support system, including for her own daughter.  She is also Executive Director of the Respite Care Association of Wisconsin.

Respite Care Association of Wisconsin: https://respitecarewi.org/

RCAW respite care provider registry: https://respitecarewi.org/registry/ 

Family Caregiver Month activities and resources: https://www.caregiver.org/news/celebrating-our-communities-caregivers/

Wisconsin Family and Caregiver Support Alliance (WFACSA): https://wisconsincaregiver.org/alliance

2021 Wisconsin Family Caregiver Month proclamation: https://arcwi.org/content/uploads/sites/17/2021/09/110121_Proclamation_Family-Caregiver-Month.pdf

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If you haven't heard of the Britney Spears conservatorship case we'd be pretty surprised! It seems everyone is talking about conservatorship or guardianship these days as the case of the pop star's life hits the headlines. But while you may now know that Britney had very limited control over any decisions in her life, what may be new news is that tens of thousands of people in Wisconsin live with the same restrictions. Many people think guardianship is an over-used tool in Wisconsin and people with disabilities should have more choice and control in their lives. Listen to this podcast to hear from an attorney who is in the trenches helping Wisconsin people with disabilities have their guardianships reviewed and get their rights back. 

Resources on Guardianship in Wisconsin: 
https://wi-bpdd.org/index.php/supporteddecision-making/
https://arcwi.org/2018/04/13/supported-decision-making/

Guardianship Support Center: https://gwaar.org/guardianship-resources

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October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month and this episode celebrates the journey of one man from a life-changing event to his position today as a leading disability and inclusion professional in a national company. 

While employers struggle to find talent, Ben Trockman has found the solution in the significant population of talented, problem-solving people with disabilities sitting on the on the sidelines. People with disabilities make up  the world’s largest minority but simply aren't being tapped. Ben Trockman's personal and professional goal is to build awareness, tackle assumptions and rethink the way we work to build more inclusion.

Ben is the Diversity and Inclusion Outreach Specialist with Old National Bank, based in Indiana and with offices throughout the Midwest. He is focused on helping  Old National to become a leader in disability employment in part by enhancing recruiting efforts and restructuring  hiring processes. Ben also manages the Achieve Ability professional mentoring program at Old National Bank.

On a personal level, Ben  is active within the disability advocacy community, working with legislators in Washington DC and Indianapolis  to improve employment opportunities, airline accessibility and healthcare options for people with disabilities. 

Old National Mentorship program: 

https://www.oldnational.com/ONB/insights-detail/insights/2021/03/17/achieve-ability

To contact Ben:  [email protected] 

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Are you IN? Disability:IN Wisconsin is empowering  leading companies statewide  to achieve disability inclusion and equality. As the state's largest employers are looking for new talent, they are also learning how to foster a culture that welcomes workers with disabilities.

Disability:IN Wisconsin is a member organization where employers set the table, share tools and mentor and learn from each other. These companies are some of the  hottest leads for your next job!  They are committed to developing a workplace that not only accommodates, but values all contributions.

In today's episode we talk with Derek Smith  -  senior vice president at Old National Bank and and the current Board Chair for Disability:IN Wisconsin. Derek says there is no time like today to get your application IN!

For more information: https://disabilityinwisconsin.org/

Become a member: https://disabilityinwisconsin.org/join-us/

2021 Ability Summit: 10/7/21 - https://disabilityinwisconsin.org/2021-wisconsin-ability-summit/

Contact:
Judy Quigley
Executive Director
262-364-6456
[email protected]

Derek Smith, Current Board Chair (August 2021): [email protected]

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