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Advocacy Teams

Advocacy Teams

The Consumer Advocacy Teams consist of consumers, people with disabilities, staff and interested community members. The Consumer Advocacy Teams meet approximately once a month to work on a variety of issues effecting people with disabilities.

The ADA Consumer Advocacy Team is hard at work to ensure laws and regulations regarding accessibility are being met by area businesses as well as improving those businesses currently not accessible. The team also works on trying to change current legislation and making sure legislation is being enforced. Meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month from 10-12 p.m. in Room 601. For more information, contact Diana Sullivan 414-226-8383 V/TTY or Email: dsullivan@independencefirst.org.

The Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Consumer Advocacy Team is beginning a campaign to change domestic violence laws to include caregiver abuse. The team is also working to ensure abuse service providers are meeting the needs of people with disabilities. Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month from Noon to 1 p.m. in Room 202. For more information, contact Leslie Myers 414-226-8381 V/TTY or Email: lmyers@independencefirst.org.

The Employment Advocacy Consumer Advocacy Team addresses employment issues faced by people with disabilities. Meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month from 1-2 p.m. in Room 601. For more information, contact Kristin Stern at 414-226-8332 V/TTY or Email: kstern@independencefirst.org.

The Housing Consumer Advocacy Team is pursuing advocacy efforts relating to Section 8 Rent Assistance Vouchers, Tax Credit developments, and Visitability in an effort to increase the availability of affordable & accessible housing. Meetings are held in Waukesha on the third Friday of the month from 11 a.m – 12:30 p.m., call for location information. Meetings are held in Milwaukee on the first Monday of the month from 2-3:30 p.m. in Room 202. For more information contact Brian Peters 414-226-8338 TTY or call Wisconsin Relay at 711 or Email: bpeters@independencefirst.org.

The Long Term Health Care Consumer Advocacy Team is working on putting together a scrapbook of testimonies of people who use various services connected with Long Term Health Care to use when visiting legislators or for advocacy purposes. The team is also busy working with MiCASSA and Money Follow The Person issues. Meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month from 2-3 p.m. in Room 402. For more information, contact Molly Hefter 414-226-8346 V/TTY or Email: mhefter@independencefirst.org.