In February, Governor Tony Evers released his proposed 2025-27 biennial budget. While the budget still has a long way to go before becoming law, it shows progress for the blind and low vision community. “The Governor put forward a very thoughtful budget, and we can see the impact of our advocacy throughout,” says Executive Director Denise Jess. “It’s good to see the blind and low vision community included in the budget in a meaningful way, even if there is still more work to do.”
The budget proposal includes multiple positive proposals around all forms of transportation. One of the most important forms of transportation for nondrivers is walking, and the budget proposal contains grants to help keep pedestrians safe, including a grant program that would provide millions of dollars to communities across the state to increase safety measures for pedestrians and bicyclists. It would also allow for what are known as Complete Streets, which require that pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure be included in certain types of road construction.
The Governor’s proposal also includes increased funding for both mass transit and paratransit programs around the state, as well as increases for the Specialized Transportation Programs for People with Disabilities and Older Adults. While those living in urban areas benefit from mass transit and paratransit, Specialized Transportation Programs are vital to people living in rural communities. The increased funding for all these programs is critical to allowing people who are blind or low vision to maintain their independence no matter what part of the state they are in.
The proposed budget also contains encouraging advances for voters with disabilities. That includes increased funding to the Wisconsin Elections Commission for the Polling Place Accessibility Review and Supply programs. These programs review polling places on Election Day to ensure that they are accessible to all voters and provide funding for municipalities to purchase anything they might need to address accessibility issues. The budget proposal also includes a change in policy to automatically register people to vote when they get their driver’s license or state ID, removing a major barrier by allowing them to take care of both in a single trip.
Another item in the proposal is funding to get more access technology into the hands of people who are blind or low vision through the state’s Assistive Technology program, also known as WisTech. This program helps people with disabilities be more independent in their education, employment and daily living activities.
The Governor’s budget also seeks to help people with disabilities find jobs. His proposal includes increased funding for the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) and the creation of five new jobs within DVR to provide counseling and training services for job seekers with disabilities. And finally, the budget removes a prohibition that prevents people receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) from collecting unemployment benefits.
This is not a full list of our legislative priorities for 2025, but these are budget items that we are especially interested in. Stay tuned to our On Sight e-newsletter and our social media in the coming weeks for a complete roundup of our legislative priorities.
It’s important to note that we are still early in the budget process, and the final biennial budget bill probably won’t be passed until the summer. The budget will first need to go through the State Legislature, which can use as much or as little of the Governor’s proposal as they’d like. The Joint Finance Committee will be conducting hearings throughout the spring to hear the public’s thoughts on the budget, and we encourage you to participate in those hearings. Your lived experience can be a powerful advocacy tool, and the Joint Finance hearings are a perfect place to put your advocacy skills into action!
We also encourage you to hone your advocacy skills by participating in our Advocacy Days events, virtually on May 6 and in person at the State Capitol on May 28. You must attend the online May 6 session to join us at the Capitol on May 28. You can learn more about Advocacy Days and register now at WCBlind.org/Events/Advocacy-Day.
