Transit2go

08/18/2026

I shared my banana bread problem — how I'm squeaking by right now on just enough support to live independently and keep working, and how one more cut could make it all collapse. We talked about my personal care worker, my job coach, and what it looks like when disability funding is the first thing cut and the last thing protected.
The piece is expected to run mid-to-late September, and I've already been invited back to go deeper on Medicaid specifically — and to share what happened the night I was volunteering as event security at Concerts on the Square, when a Madison police officer made sure I got home safely in the middle of the chaos. That night taught me how far a small act of kindness can travel. I want to pay it forward by using my voice for the people who need these supports to stay exactly where they are.
In the meantime, I've reached out directly to Senator Baldwin's and Representative Pocan's offices. Both have responded and are working on finding time to talk with me. I'll keep at it — people with disabilities deserve a seat at the table before funding decisions get made, not after.
More soon. Thank you to everyone who's been part of this. 💛

08/15/2026

💛 Another beautiful evening with our AbRC family! 💛
We came together for an inclusive meal, heartfelt speeches, and a campfire — celebrating the friendships and community that have always been the heart of AbRC. When the rain rolled in and pushed us indoors, the night didn't slow down one bit — we pivoted to an impromptu karaoke session, and the laughter (and singing!) said it all.
We know this is a season of mixed emotions for many of us. There's a lot of change ahead, and it's okay to feel all of it — grateful, uncertain, hopeful, sad, sometimes all at once. What we saw tonight is proof that no matter what changes on paper, this community and these friendships aren't going anywhere.
Thank you to everyone who showed up, sang loud, and reminded us why we started this in the first place. 🎤🔥
There's an old saying, often credited to Alexander Graham Bell: "When one door closes, another one opens — but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us." Tonight felt like proof of that. The rain closed one door, and karaoke opened another — and honestly, it might have been even better.

08/11/2026

I got to do something really special this week — a Q&A with Special Olympics Wisconsin about Transit2Go and why I do this work. 🚌
I have cerebral palsy, and learning to ride the bus on my own opened doors I didn't expect — volunteering, working, even traveling to the State Capitol to advocate for the disability community.
Now through Transit2Go, I help other people with disabilities learn to do the same: plan trips, ride safely, use transit apps, and feel confident traveling independently.
Thank you to Special Olympics Wisconsin for having me! Know someone who could use travel training? Send them my way. 💛

08/09/2026

Big moment for me this weekend — my first time playing in a real scramble!
I played at Lake Pepin Golf Course for the first time ever, and as someone with a disability, I wasn't sure what to expect. Turns out I sank my first BIRDIE — a 15-foot putt, according to Coach Dan! 🎉
It'd be amazing to see more adaptive golf programs in the future so even more people can experience moments like this. For now, I'm just proud of myself and think I found a new sport to love. 😄

08/03/2026

💙 A thank-you to the Madison Police Department
On the night of July 22, I was volunteering as stage security at Concerts on the Square when things turned chaotic fast — after the shooting earlier that day, protesters marched to the Capitol and took over the stage. I was in the middle of it, unsure how I'd get home safely.
I found an officer and asked for help. Even in the chaos, they stopped, gave me clear directions to a nearby hotel, and made sure I had a real plan home. That moment meant everything.
As an adult with a disability, asking for help in a high-stress situation isn't easy — anxiety can make it hard to even approach someone. That officer didn't hesitate, didn't make me feel like a burden, and treated me exactly the way people with disabilities need law enforcement to: as someone dependable to turn to when things fall apart.
Thank you to that officer and the whole department. I hope this is the start of an ongoing, positive relationship between MPD and adults with disabilities — knowing that kind of support is consistently there makes all the difference in whether we feel safe reaching out at all.

07/30/2026

As Disability Pride Month comes to a close, I want to remind everyone that disability advocacy doesn’t end on July 31.

Medicaid makes it possible for me to live independently, work as a substitute Special Education Assistant, run my business, volunteer, and give back to my community. It is not a barrier to work—it is what makes work possible.

I’m urging the federal government to withdraw or pause the proposed Medicaid rule, reverse the restrictive “medically frail” definition, and protect people with disabilities and family caregivers from losing coverage because of unnecessary paperwork.

Healthcare should never depend on someone’s ability to navigate complicated paperwork. Let’s continue fighting for inclusion, independence, and equal opportunity every day—not just during Disability Pride Month.

07/25/2026

Tomorrow, we celebrate 36 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)—one of the most important civil rights laws in our nation’s history.

The ADA opened doors that had been closed for far too long. It helped make workplaces, schools, public transportation, businesses, and communities more accessible for millions of Americans with disabilities. It affirmed something that should have always been true: people with disabilities deserve equal opportunity, dignity, and inclusion.

As someone with cerebral palsy, I’ve experienced firsthand how the ADA has made a difference. It has helped create opportunities for employment, independence, and community participation that previous generations fought hard to make possible.

But anniversaries aren’t just about celebrating the past—they’re also about looking ahead.

There are still too many barriers to employment, transportation, healthcare, housing, and full community inclusion. At times, it can feel like the progress we’ve made is being challenged or slowed. That’s why we cannot take the ADA—or disability rights—for granted.

The ADA wasn’t the finish line. It was the beginning of a promise: that disability should never be a reason someone is excluded from participating fully in society.

As we celebrate 36 years of the ADA, let’s honor the disability advocates who organized, protested, and refused to accept inequality. Their courage changed our country.

Now it’s our turn to continue their work.

Here’s to protecting the progress we’ve made and building a future where accessibility, inclusion, and equal opportunity are realities for everyone—not just ideals.

Happy 36th Anniversary to the Americans with Disabilities Act!

AmericansWithDisabilitiesAct CivilRights DisabilityAdvocacy

06/05/2026

I’m excited to share my final project from the Transit Academy.

I’m excited to share my final project from the Transit Academy.

In this video, I discuss some of the challenges people with disabilities can face when using public transportation and how travel training can help build confidence, independence, and access to opportunities.

As someone who has relied on public transit for many years, I know firsthand how transportation can connect people to employment, community involvement, leadership opportunities, and advocacy.

This experience is a big part of why I founded Transit2GO.

Watch here:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mVjzLWNqihk&t=11s&pp=2AELkAIB&ra=m

Abby discusses the challenges some people with disabilities face us...

06/01/2026

Voices of Wisconsin- Abigail Tessman

Advocacy has become a major part of my life over the last 12 years. After graduating from the cutting-edge program at Edgewood College in 2014, I continued pursuing opportunities in education, transportation training, disability inclusion, and public speaking.

One area I am especially passionate about is helping people with disabilities build confidence and independence using public transportation. Through my business, Transit2GO, I help train individuals and groups on how to navigate city bus systems and explore their communities more independently.

I have also continued growing as a self-advocate by speaking with community members, educators, leadership teams, and policymakers about accessibility, inclusion, and the importance of creating welcoming spaces for people with disabilities.

Advocacy is not always about one big moment. Sometimes it is about the everyday conversations, trainings, and experiences that slowly help create change over time. I look forward to continuing that work in the years ahead.

05/29/2026

Thank you to Mark Pocan for traveling around the state to connect with Wisconsinites, answer our questions, and sprinkle in a little hope.

I appreciated the opportunity to speak about accessible transportation, employment, and independence for people with disabilities through the work we’re doing with Transit2GO.

Conversations like these matter.