1. United States
2. Wisc.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to publicly support and actively push for the Department of Workforce Development’s request for $11 million in state funding to eliminate the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) waitlist through June 30, 2027, and to apply pressure to the Joint Committee on Finance to act quickly. DVR is a core employment support for people with disabilities in Wisconsin. It helps individuals find jobs, keep jobs, and advance in the workforce, and it plays a critical role in school-to-work transition services. When DVR access is delayed, people are not simply waiting for paperwork. They are waiting to work, to earn income, and to contribute to their communities. Wisconsin’s failure to fully fund DVR in the most recent state budget has already created serious harm. Since December 2025, DVR has been forced to place eligible applicants on a waitlist for the first time since 2014. More than 2,000 people are already waiting, with delays of up to a year. Without immediate action, approximately 1,000 additional people will be added to the waitlist every month, causing the backlog to grow rapidly and indefinitely. This situation is especially troubling given that DVR operates on an 80/20 federal match. For every dollar the state invests, Wisconsin draws down four additional federal dollars. Failing to provide the requested $11 million does not save money. It leaves federal funding on the table while preventing people with disabilities from working. The waitlist also disproportionately impacts individuals with less significant disabilities, many of whom could enter employment quickly with minimal support. Instead, they are being delayed unnecessarily, losing job opportunities and financial stability while the state absorbs the long-term cost of unemployment and underemployment. I am asking you not only to support the requested funding, but to actively advocate for it. Please communicate clearly to the Joint Committee on Finance that eliminating the DVR waitlist must be treated as an urgent priority. Wisconsin should not be erecting barriers to employment for people with disabilities when a modest state investment can resolve the problem. I will be watching closely to see how this issue is addressed and whether decisive action is taken to fully fund DVR and end the waitlist.