Madison, WI – The Arc Wisconsin celebrates The Employment First bill – LRB-0753 – introduced for co-sponsorship today (October 19) by Representative James Edming, Representative Jimmy Anderson and Senator Tom Tiffany that will be the first of its kind in the nation to promote employment of people with disabilities.
Read the Co-Sponsorship Memo Here: Co-Sponsor Memo – Employment First_
Read the Bill here: LRB 0753 – Employment First Bill
Read Bill Facts: Employment First bill – FAQ – LRB 0753
“People with disabilities want the opportunity to work and this bill goes a long way in helping them achieve that dream,” says Lisa Pugh, Executive Director of The Arc Wisconsin. “This bill is notable in how it will require state agencies to collaborate, share data and streamline policies and funding. Bureaucracy shouldn’t get in the way of people’s desire to work and now it won’t.”
The bill was shared today with significant support across a variety of stakeholders including employment services providers. Early bill supporters include: Special Olympics Wisconsin, Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin, Bethesda Lutheran Communities, Easterseals of Southeast Wisconsin, Wisconsin Down Syndrome Advocacy Coalition, Survival Coalition of Wisconsin Disability Organizations, Headwaters, Inc., Black River Industries and Rehabilitation for Wisconsin in Action.
Read all letters of support here: Letters of Support for LRB 0753
“We would like to thank the bill’s authors for working across the aisle and with state agencies to secure support for this important bill,” says Pugh. “While other states have passed employment policies that require discussion of barriers to work for people with disabilities, this is the first such state legislation that requires collaboration across state agencies with benchmarks and goal-setting.”
The Arc Wisconsin urges all legislators to support this bill and to ensure its passage.
