Please share this alert with folks who would like to see the R-word removed from Wisconsin law!

Share Your Story About Living With a Disability in Wisconsin – Hearing Set for January 25^th!

The People First Bill, which will remove the words "mental retardation" from Wisconsin Law, is moving quickly! People who care about this issue will have an opportunity to share their stories with legislators on January 25. You can either come to Madison to share your story in person or write your story and send it in.

Here is what is happening:

What: A Hearing to discuss the People First Bill (AB 471)

When: At 10 am, on Wednesday, Jan. 25

Where: The hearing will take place in the Assembly Health Committee, in room 417-N.in the state capitol in Madison.

What you can do:

Hearings mean anyone from the public can speak about the bill. You can mail or e-mail testimony or share your story in person. If you support this bill, you should clearly say why and share any personal stories that help people understand why legislators should vote yes. Think about these questions and write your own testimony:

• Have you been in a situation where the R-Word was used and it was hurtful?
• Why is it disrespectful to refer to people who have an intellectual disability as "mentally retarded"?

Ask legislators to support the People First Bill – AB 471!

FILL OUT THE SURVEY: Filling out this survey may help you think about how to tell your story. We will share the survey stories with legislators to help them understand why this bill is important. If you cannot attend the hearing, your story will still be shared! This survey will also help legislators understand why they should support programs like Family Care and IRIS that help people with disabilities to live good lives.

Here is the survey link:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SurveytoendtheRwordandliftthecaps

How to Send Your Testimony – Who does it go to?: Address your testimony to "Members of the Assembly Committee on Health".

If you e-mail the testimony, click on this link to find the contact information for the committee members and make sure they are all contacted. You can call them, too!:

http://legis.wisconsin.gov/w3asp/commpages/IndividualCommittee.aspx...

Next Steps: After this hearing, the bill still has to go through several steps before it becomes law! It will be voted on in two committees before it goes to the full legislature. We will keep you posted on what you can do next to make sure it passes!