Legislative Affairs Day

The day kicked off with humorous opening remarks from Senator Jon Erpenbach who shared his educational and leadership experience. Participants also enjoyed two panel presentations. Hot Disability Topics included information on the transition from school to college (Amy Mather, DVR Counselor), voting issues (Melissa Mulliken, Statewide Voting Consultant), and the Long Term Care Re-Design (Kathleen Luedtke, DHFS). The Getting Your Point Across panel included Jon Mielke, Legislative Aide to Representatives Hubler and Boyle; Representative Parisi; and Representative Zepnick who talked about the most effective ways to contact a legislator including the importance of building a relationship.

Participants also enjoyed lunch with the speakers and a tour of the State Capitol. Some participants agreed to mentor the high school delegates through their first legislative appointments. Delegates said they were nervous at first but thought they would be more likely to contact their legislator again in the future if they had an issue or concern. Most delegates talked to their legislator or staffer about personal issues they faced at school or in their community. For example, one delegate discussed with the staffer she met with about her problems with finding transportation to work in the rural area that she lives in.

The overwhelming majority of participants thought this event was much needed and should be expanded in the future. We are looking forward to hosting the 2nd Annual WRA/YLF Legislative Affairs Day next summer.

This year’s event was sponsored by the ADA WI Partnership, Job Placement and Development Division of WRA, and the Governor’s Committee for People with Disabilities.

 Rehabilitation Technology Expo.

Here is a brief overview of the different components of the Expo:

Exhibitors
Approximately 30 exhibitors displaying everything from environmental controls to mobility devices to communication aids participated in the event. Exhibitor booths were arranged so participants could wander through and try new equipment at their own pace.

Experiential Labs
New this year were the two “experiential labs”, sponsored by WisTech, that were designed to encourage community members to try new assistive technology. The Seating and Mobility Lab allowed individuals to try the latest advances in wheelchair technology including the new Ibot, stair-climbing wheelchair. The Computer Access Lab encouraged people to try the latest voice activated software and devices.

Presentations
Kerri Morgan, Research Director for the Enabling Mobility Center at Washington University in St. Louis, joined us to present the keynote address. Kerri is an Occupational Therapist (OTR) and avid wheelchair athlete competing in both Quad Rugby (ever seen the movie Murderball?) and triathlons. She shared her thoughts and experience about the importance of maintaining a person-centered approach within team-based rehab environments.

Please see the attached insert. The Job Placement and Development division of WRA is offering a $200 Scholarship to students who are enrolled in the field of Rehabilitation, Job Placement, or a related field. Applicants are to write a short essay and send it to Ava Gray by December 1, 2006.

Calendar of Events

2007 NRA Annual Government Affairs Summit March 11-13,2007
Hilton Alexandria Old Towne, Alexandria, VA.

**2007 RFW/WRA Rehabilitation and Transition Conference March 21-23, 2007
American Club, Kohler, Wi. Reserve your room today at 1-800-344-2838

2007 WARPPS Spring Conference (Wisconsin Association of Rehabilitation Professionals in the Private Sector) TBA.
WRA and WARPPS hope to have a cooperative effort.

2007 WI. Youth Leadership Forum. June 24-29, 2007. UW-Whitewater, Whitewater, WI.
Applications for high school students with disabilities can be obtained by contacting
Jenny Neugart at neugajw@dhfs.state.wi.us or (608) 266-8778. Then stay tuned for the
annual Legislative Affairs Day with YLF at the capitol this summer, date TBA.

2007 Rehabilitation Technology Expo. Thursday, October 7, 2007
UW campus engineering building. Mark your calendar now.

Did we forget anything??
If so, contact the WRA newsletter editor, Jim Hill @ (608)835-0998, or at vecs@charter.net. We’ll “git er down” in the next edition.

Name: ___________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

Phone: _________________________________________________________

School attending: _________________________________________________

Major: _________________________________________________________

Please attach a short essay (1 page) outlining your educational and experiential background as well as future career goals, specifically as it relates to the field of Vocational Rehabilitation and/or Placement. Include and indicate why you have chosen to work in this field and why you feel you are deserving of this scholarship. Scholarship applications are due December 1, 2006.

Send completed applications to:
Ava Gray
North Central Health Care
1200 Lake View Drive, Suite 100
Wausau, WI 54403
e-mail: agray@norcen.org