About Us

We protect the rights of people with disabilities in Wisconsin.

Disability Rights Wisconsin helps protect the rights of people with disabilities across Wisconsin. We listen to people with disabilities, help people understand their rights, and work to remove barriers in laws, policies, programs, and services.

We are independent from government and disability service providers. That means we can speak up freely and strongly for the rights, choices, and dignity of people with disabilities.

Our Team
Our Board
Advisory Council
Annual Reports
Careers
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Our Mission

Disability Rights Wisconsin strengthens the dignity and self-determination of people with disabilities by defending rights and advocating for systemic change.

Our Vision

We envision a society that is universally accessible, inclusive, and just.

Our Goals

Disability Rights Wisconsin helps people across Wisconsin gain access to services and opportunity through its advocacy and legal expertise. We regularly challenge systems and society to create positive change and improve the lives of people with disabilities.

We accomplish this by:

  • Rigorously upholding our Vision Statement, Mission, and Core Values.
  • Promoting self-advocacy and serving as a legal advocate for people with disabilities, including individual cases and systems-change litigation to achieve broad-based reform.
  • Independently monitoring public and private institutions and programs serving people with disabilities.
  • Setting priorities and goals to guide our work in an effective and balanced way.
  • Serving as a watchdog over government, business, and not-for-profit sectors.
  • Advocating through public policy and legislative activities to give people greater choices in their lives and ensure independence and full participation in community life.
  • Empowering people and their families through disability rights training so they can advocate for themselves and others.
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Our Organization

DRW is governed by a Board of Directors with assistance from Advisory Councils. These groups include people with disabilities, family members, and others committed to advancing disability rights.

Learn about the protection and advocacy system.

Every state and U.S. territory has a Protection and Advocacy organization, often called a P&A.
Disability Rights Wisconsin is Wisconsin’s designated Protection and Advocacy agency.

P&A organizations were created to protect the rights of people with disabilities. They have authority under federal law to investigate certain concerns, monitor places where people with disabilities get services, give advocacy and legal assistance, and address policies or practices that affect disability rights.

DRW is independent from the state agencies and service providers whose programs or practices it may review.

Watch this short video to understand how the Protection and Advocacy system works.