Education is the surest pathway to economic security and life options. But students who are blind or low vision face significant barriers to educational opportunity. The Council supports these state budget and legislative measures to endure that Wisconsin’s blind and low vision students have fair and equitable chance at educational success.
Budget Items
• Provide adequate funding for special education to help close the funding gap faced by Wisconsin schools. Increase funding by $500 million in each year of the biennial budget. This would result in an approximately 60% reimbursement rate.
• Provide funding to support the statewide outreach efforts of the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
• Provide $104,000 in the first year of the budget and $203,000 in the second year to maintain BadgerLink and Newsline for the Blind levels of service.
Legislative Items
Promote loan and loan forgiveness programs, facilitated by the Higher Education Aids Board, for all vision services professionals, including teachers of the visually impaired, vision rehabilitation therapists, low vision therapists, orientation and mobility specialists, etc.