Independence First - The Resource for People with Disabilities

Independence First - The Resource for People with Disabilities THE resource for people with disabilities serving the Greater Milwaukee area. 20+ programs serving youth and adults with disabilities of all kinds.

08/11/2026

🌱🪴 Plant Pals had plenty to share today!

Our Plant Pals gardening club held a plant swap, giving staff and group members a chance to share plants, cuttings and pots from their own collections — and take home something new to grow.

But Plant Pals is about more than plants. 🌿 Throughout the summer, participants have been learning about indoor and outdoor gardening while exploring assistive technology that can make gardening more accessible for people with disabilities.

In this video, Plant Pals leader and Independence First Assistive Technology Training Specialist Mary Wegner shows us some of the plants available at today’s swap and checks in on the club’s garden, where the jalapeños, greens, herbs, prairie grasses and begonias have been thriving! 🌶️🌼

As Mary says, there’s something special about watching a plant grow and knowing it’s happy. 💚

Video Description (Accessibility):
The video features Mary Wegner speaking to the camera during a Plant Pals plant swap event at Independence First. As Mary explains how Plant Pals helps make gardening more accessible, the video shows tables filled with free houseplants, garden plants, cuttings and pots brought in for staff and group members to exchange. Participants browse the plants and talk with one another.

08/10/2026

🐾 If you rely on an emotional support animal, an important change in federal housing policy could affect you.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has withdrawn its previous guidance on emotional support animals, changing how the agency handles housing discrimination complaints involving ESAs. While the Fair Housing Act itself has not changed, this new guidance could impact how these cases are enforced.

Want to learn more? Join us for our next Learn & Advocate Lunch Series on Thursday, August 13, from 12:00–1:00 p.m. (Central). Sarah Jenkins of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council will provide a deeper look at HUD's revised guidance and what it means for tenants, landlords, and advocates.

📅 Event details and Zoom information are available here: https://bit.ly/4eYpc6B

Video Description (Accessibility):
The video is narrated by an Independence First staff member and includes footage of Puppy, a small Chihuahua, relaxing at home and interacting with his owner. Additional footage shows Brian Peters, Advocacy and Accessibility Services Specialist at Independence First, communicating in American Sign Language (ASL). Brian’s comments are voiced by an interpreter.

🍸 Meet another guest bartender you'll find behind the bar at BluTender: Putting People "First"!We're excited to welcome ...
08/10/2026

🍸 Meet another guest bartender you'll find behind the bar at BluTender: Putting People "First"!

We're excited to welcome Eric DeGroot, Foundation Director of WisPact, as one of our featured BluTenders on Tuesday, August 11.

Eric has dedicated his career to helping people with disabilities and their families plan for the future through WisPact's Special Needs Trust programs. Now, for one evening, he'll step behind the bar to help raise funds that will support Independence First's mission of empowering people with disabilities to live independently in their communities.

When you order a drink during BluTender, 10% of bar sales and 100% of bartender tips will help Independence First purchase a new hybrid outreach vehicle. The vehicle will expand our Independent Living team's outreach across southeastern Wisconsin and make it easier to transport larger mobility equipment, including wheelchairs, to consumers who need it.

Eric joins fellow guest bartender TJ Perlick Molinari of Perlick Corporation and our special guests, Paralympic champions John Boie, Becca Murray, and Jeromie Meyer, for an evening of cocktails, conversation, and community.

We're just two days away! Bring your friends, enjoy one of Milwaukee's best skyline views, and help us put people first.

📅 Tuesday, August 11
🕠 5:30–7:30 p.m.
📍 Blu Cocktail Lounge, 23rd Floor of the Pfister Hotel

We can't wait to see you there!

After weeks on the road, Carl Schulze has completed his wheelchair journey from Fox Crossing to the Wisconsin State Capi...
08/07/2026

After weeks on the road, Carl Schulze has completed his wheelchair journey from Fox Crossing to the Wisconsin State Capitol.

Carl's remarkable trek brought attention to issues that directly impact people with disabilities across Wisconsin, including the need for strong home and community-based services, fair wages for caregivers, and policies that support independent living.

We congratulate Carl on safely completing this incredible journey and thank him for using his voice, and every mile, to advocate for disability rights.

Read more about Carl's journey here: https://www.wmtv15news.com/2026/08/06/wisconsin-man-travels-by-wheelchair-state-capitol-advocate-disability-rights/

🗳️ Election Day is almost here!Wisconsin's Partisan Primary is Tuesday, August 11, and now is a great time to make your ...
08/07/2026

🗳️ Election Day is almost here!

Wisconsin's Partisan Primary is Tuesday, August 11, and now is a great time to make your voting plan.

A few reminders before you head to the polls:
✅ Check your voter registration
✅ Find your polling place
✅ View your sample ballot
✅ Make sure you have an acceptable photo ID
✅ Learn about transportation resources if you need a ride to vote

Every eligible Wisconsin voter deserves the opportunity to cast their ballot. If transportation is a barrier, the Wisconsin Disability Vote Coalition has compiled a statewide directory of organizations that may be able to help connect voters with rides to the polls.

Visit MyVote Wisconsin to check your registration, find your polling place, and view your sample ballot:
🔗 https://myvote.wi.gov

Need transportation information?
🔗 https://disabilityvote.org/2025/rides-to-the-polls/

Polls are open 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 11.

Make a plan. Bring your photo ID. Vote.

🍸 Meet one of the guest bartenders you'll find behind the bar at BluTender: Putting People "First"!We're honored to welc...
08/07/2026

🍸 Meet one of the guest bartenders you'll find behind the bar at BluTender: Putting People "First"!

We're honored to welcome TJ Perlick Molinari, CEO of Milwaukee-based Perlick Corporation, as one of our featured BluTenders on Tuesday, August 11.

For one evening, TJ will trade the boardroom for the bar as he helps raise funds to support Independence First's mission of empowering people with disabilities to live independently in their communities.

When you order a drink during BluTender, 10% of bar sales and 100% of bartender tips will help Independence First purchase a new hybrid outreach vehicle. This vehicle will expand our Independent Living team's outreach throughout southeastern Wisconsin and allow us to transport larger mobility equipment, including wheelchairs, to the people who need it most.

Join TJ, fellow guest bartender Eric DeGroot of WisPact, and our special guests, Paralympic champions John Boie, Becca Murray, and Jeromie Meyer for an evening of cocktails, community, and giving back.

📅 Tuesday, August 11
🕠 5:30–7:30 p.m.
📍 Blu Cocktail Lounge, 23rd Floor of the Pfister Hotel

We hope to see you there!

08/06/2026

Before someone can get to a doctor's appointment, the grocery store, work, or a community event, they need a ride they can count on.

Yesterday, after one of our youth social outings, Adolfo found himself stranded when his pre-scheduled Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) ride was canceled without notice. Adolfo uses a power wheelchair and depends on specialized transportation to travel safely. Instead of heading home, he and his brother Jayden waited more than an hour while we worked with the transportation provider to get another vehicle dispatched.

Unfortunately, this isn't an isolated experience. Too many people with disabilities face canceled rides, long delays, and transportation systems that force them to organize their lives around someone else's schedule.

Transportation is fundamental to freedom. Without it independence, community participation, employment and healthcare become more difficult to obtain. No one should be left stranded because the system failed them.

We're grateful we were able to stay with Adolfo until his ride arrived, but no one should have to wonder whether they'll be able to get home safely after participating in their community.

🎥 Watch Adolfo share his experience below. If you've experienced challenges with accessible transportation, we'd love to hear your story in the comments.

Video Description:
A young man who uses a power wheelchair waits outside a local strip mall after his scheduled accessible transportation ride is unexpectedly canceled. On-screen text explains that Adolfo was left stranded after a recent social outing when his pre-arranged ride was canceled without notice. Additional on-screen text notes that they waited more than an hour before a replacement vehicle finally arrived.

📸 Throwback Thursday: Fighting for an Accessible RiverWalkThese photos take us back to October 2003, when Independence F...
08/06/2026

📸 Throwback Thursday: Fighting for an Accessible RiverWalk

These photos take us back to October 2003, when Independence First staff and consumers gathered on Milwaukee's RiverWalk to demand something that should have existed from the very beginning: equal access.

When the RiverWalk was first built in the 1990s, many sections were inaccessible to people who used wheelchairs and other mobility devices. Despite years of planning, people with disabilities were left out of the final design, making one of Milwaukee's signature public spaces off limits to many members of our community.

Rather than accept those barriers, Independence First and disability advocates spoke up. These demonstrations were part of a larger effort that ultimately led to a U.S. Department of Justice investigation, a 2006 settlement agreement requiring accessibility improvements, and years of work to install ramps, improve pathways, and remove barriers throughout the RiverWalk.

The final accessibility improvements weren't completed until 2016. It shows meaningful change often takes persistence.

Today, thousands of people enjoy Milwaukee's RiverWalk every day, often without realizing that its accessibility was won through years of advocacy by people with disabilities who refused to be excluded.

These photos are a reminder that progress doesn't happen by accident. It happens because people organize, speak out, and insist that our communities be built for everyone.

Do you remember these demonstrations or the RiverWalk before it became accessible? We'd love to hear your memories in the comments.

Milwaukee Riverkeeper City of Milwaukee Department of Compliance and Engagement

08/05/2026

Before you hit "Apply," consider making a real difference in someone's life.

Independence First is looking for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Personal Care Workers (PCWs) to help members of our community remain independent in their own homes.

If you're Deaf or Hard of Hearing and want to support others while working in an accessible environment, we'd love to have you on our team. Our Personal Assistive Services (PAS) program provides:

🤟 Full communication access through ASL interpreters and other accommodations
🏠 Paid opportunities to provide personal care to eligible consumers in their homes
👩‍⚕️ Orientation, training, and ongoing support from our nursing staff
❤️ Meaningful work that helps people avoid unnecessary nursing home placement and continue living in their own communities

Watch Leah Simmons explain how the program works in American Sign Language.

🔗 We'll share a link (in comments) to learn more about our Personal Assistive Services program and how to become a Personal Care Worker in the comments.

Video Description (Accessibility):
Leah Simmons, a Deaf staff member at Independence First, stands against a plain grey-colored background and delivers the message entirely in American Sign Language (ASL). English captions appear on screen throughout the video.

Address

540 S 1st Street
Milwaukee, WI
53204

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

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