2. From Wisconsin to Florida:
TAKE YOUR LEGISLATOR TO WORK!
Presentation by
Fil Clissa, Andrew Gerbitz & Joshua Ryf
FL SAND
December 8, 2012

3. Question:
Who has contacted their legislator?

4. What is Take Your Legislator to Work?
A campaign to raise awareness that every
adult with a disability in Wisconsin can
participate in gainful employment and have
a meaningful job in the community.
The campaign is conducted by the
Wisconsin Board for People with
Developmental Disabilities (BPDD).

5. Why conduct the campaign?
Reason #1: Educate legislators

6. Why? Educate Legislators
Legislators create laws and allocate
funding that affects people with
disabilities.
We want legislators to know that
individualized, community-integrated
employment is a high priority and good
for Wisconsin.

7. Why conduct the campaign?
Reason #2: Show employability of
people with disabilities

8. Why? Show Employability
Give individuals with disabilities the
opportunity to show their skills and
talents to their elected officials.

9. Why conduct the campaign?
Reason #3: Raise awareness about the
importance of community-integrated jobs

10. Why? Raise Awareness
When people with disabilities have
community-integrated jobs, everyone
benefits:
• Stronger workforce
• More inclusive community
• People pay taxes and rely less on
programs and services

11. Why conduct the campaign?
Reason #4: Strengthen disability
advocacy

12. Why? Strengthen Disability Advocacy
People who participate in the campaign
will have the confidence to voice their
opinions to their legislators.
Building relationships between
legislators and people with disabilities
can be beneficial to both parties.

13. Where DOES the campaign happen?
33 Senate districts + 99 Assembly
districts = 132 possible visits*
*133 if you count the
Governor

14. Where COULD the campaign happen?
40 Senate districts + 120 Assembly
districts = 160 possible visits*
*161 if you count the
Governor

15. When does the campaign happen?
October, in conjunction with National
Disability Employment Awareness
Month (NDEAM).

17. Who can be involved?
People with disabilities who want to
participate and show their legislator
how everyone benefits when people
with disabilities have community-
integrated employment at a
competitive wage.
(Participants)

18. Who can be involved?
People who know a person with a
disability who might be a good
candidate to participate.
(Facilitators)

19. Who can be involved?
Facilitators can include:
• Family/friends of a participant
• MCO staff
• IRIS consultants
• Employers
• Job coach

20. Who can be involved?
Employers of people with disabilities
who provide community-integrated
jobs at competitive wages.
(Employers)

21. Did we miss anyone?

22. Legislators!

23. How does it work?
For individuals with disabilities who are
interested in participating, there are
things to do both prior to and during
the visit.

24. How? Prior to the Visit
Individuals with disabilities who are
interested in participating…
1. Get approval from their employer
2. Complete the Participant Information
Form
3. Get approval from BPDD
4. Invite their legislator to visit
5. Plan the visit

25. How? During to the Visit
Campaign participants
1. Give their legislator a tour
2. Show them what they do
3. Introduce them to co-workers and
employer
4. Sit down with their legislator and
share their story

26. 2011 Campaign
• 40 people with disabilities
participated
• 28 legislators and the Governor
made visits

27. 2012 Campaign
• 50 people with disabilities have
participated or are scheduled to
participate
• 40 legislators, the Governor, and
DHS Sec. Smith have made visits or
are scheduled to make visits
• Visits are still being scheduled

28. One of the 2011
participants was…

29. Andrew Gerbitz!

30. Andrew’s Visit

31. Andrew’s Visit – Video (TMJ4)
http://www.todaystmj4.com/multimedia/videos/?bctid=1352689824001

32. Questions for Andrew?

33. 2012:
High-Profile Visits

34. Branding with T-Shirts

35. Jobs First! of Manitowoc County

36. DHS Sec. Smith

37. Patrick Young & Gov. Walker

38. Patrick Young & Gov. Walker
http://fox6now.com/2012/11/27/gov-walker-highlights-national-disability-employment-month/

39. How do YOU get involved?
Anyone can take their legislator to work
– you don’t even need a campaign.
If you want to show your legislator the
value of community-integrated
employment, take YOUR legislator to
work!

40. Steps to take to get involved
Step 1: Get help (if you need it)
If you think you might need help to
take your legislator to work, don’t be
afraid to ask someone you know and
trust to help you!

41. Steps to take to get involved
Step 2: Get approval from your
employer
Talk to your employer about inviting
your legislator to visit you at work and
make sure everybody – including your
co-workers – are comfortable having a
visit where you work.

42. Steps to take to get involved
Step 3: Invite your legislator to visit you
• Figure out which one of your legislators
you want to invite to visit you.
• Invite the legislator right away!
Legislators are busy and their schedules
fill up quickly, so schedule the visit as
soon as possible.

43. Steps to take to get involved
Step 4: Inform everybody of the visit
Let your employer and co-workers
know the details about the visit. Tell
them the date and time of the visit, and
also what you plan to show your
legislator during the visit.

44. Steps to take to get involved
Step 5: During the visit
While your legislator visits you at work,
show them what you do, introduce
them to your employer and co-workers,
and talk about why working in the
community is important to you.

45. Steps to take to get involved
Step 6: After the visit
• After your visit, follow-up with your
legislator. You can thank them for visiting
you and you can also remind them why
working in the community is important
for people with disabilities.
• Thank everyone who was involved!

46. For more information…
Go to www.wi-bpdd.org, or
contact Joshua Ryf at (608) 261-7829 or
joshua.ryf@wisconsin.gov.

47. Thank you for
attending!