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

Independence First - The Resource for People with Disabilities

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Independence First - The Resource for People with Disabilities

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THE resource for people with disabilities serving the Greater Milwaukee area. 20+ programs serving youth and adults with disabilities of all kinds.

10/29/2026

⚾🏆 BREWERS CHAMPIONSHIP PARADE: ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION FOR FANS WITH DISABILITIES 💙💛

Milwaukee is celebrating a WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP! As thousands of fans prepare to cheer on the Milwaukee Brewers tomorrow, Friday, October 30, Independence First wants to help fans with disabilities access the celebration.

The City of Milwaukee has shared information about accessibility accommodations and American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation for the parade and championship rally.

♿ PARADE ACCESSIBILITY

The Brewers championship parade begins at 10 a.m. Friday at N. 4th Street and W. Wisconsin Avenue. The parade will travel through downtown Milwaukee and conclude at Henry Maier Festival Park (the Summerfest grounds).

The parade is FREE and open to everyone!

The Milwaukee Brewers and Majic Productions are coordinating accessibility accommodations and ASL interpretation. Fans with questions about accessible viewing or other accommodations can contact:

📧 [email protected]
📞 Brewers Main Office: 414-902-4400
📞 Brewers TTY: 414-902-4200
📧 MLB Accessibility: [email protected]
📧 Majic Productions: [email protected]
🤟 CHAMPIONSHIP RALLY & ASL INTERPRETATION

The celebration continues at Henry Maier Festival Park, with gates opening at 8 a.m. and festivities scheduled through 3 p.m.

Admission to the Summerfest grounds is FREE, with entry available on a first-come, first-served basis until capacity is reached.

A separate ticket is required to attend the championship program inside the American Family Insurance Amphitheater. Fans without amphitheater tickets can watch the program on video screens throughout the Summerfest grounds.

Summerfest has confirmed that ASL interpretation will be available for the amphitheater rally. Fans should contact Summerfest for information about interpreter locations, accessible seating and other accommodations.

📧 ADA accommodation requests: [email protected]
📧 Guest Services: [email protected]
📞 Guest Services: 1-800-947-6644
📞 Wisconsin Relay: 711
🔗 Accessibility information: https://www.summerfest.com/accessibility/

📺 WATCH FROM HOME

FOX6 News Milwaukee will broadcast the championship parade. The Brewers will also stream the celebration for free at Brewers.com.

⚾ MORE PARADE INFORMATION

For the parade route, schedule, parking and other details, visit:
https://www.visitmilwaukee.org/things-to-do/sports/home-teams/brewers/

💙💛 At Independence First, we believe community celebrations should be accessible to everyone!

Please SHARE this information with Brewers fans who may need accessibility accommodations, and contact event organizers directly with specific questions before heading downtown.

GO BREWERS! 🏆

10/29/2026

🚍 Our lives don't stop at the county line. Why should our transportation options?

For many people with disabilities, traveling between communities in Wisconsin isn't as simple as getting on a bus.

Public transportation and paratransit services often operate within county or municipal boundaries, creating barriers for people who need to travel across those lines for work, medical appointments, shopping or everyday activities.

At Independence First, we believe reliable, accessible transportation is essential to independent living. That's why we're supporting the Wisconsin Independent Living Network's (WILN) efforts to improve transportation across our state.

WILN is calling for three important changes:

✅ Increase and stabilize public transportation funding.

✅ Allow communities to establish Regional Transportation Authorities to better coordinate services across boundaries.

✅ Explore ways to coordinate transportation funding sources to make travel more seamless for riders.

Where you live shouldn't determine where you can go.

Watch our video to learn more about these transportation challenges and how Wisconsin can help people with disabilities travel more freely and independently.

Wisconsin Transit Riders Alliance Mobilise Disability Rights Wisconsin Milwaukee County Transit System Wisconsin Council of the Blind & Visually Impaired Wisconsin Public Transportation Association

Video description: Standing at the Milwaukee–Waukesha county line, Andrew
Levinson and Andi Minster examine how transportation systems can create barriers for
people with disabilities traveling between communities

10/27/2026

Here's a clever tool for making clothing more accessible that's mom approved.

During a recent visit to Independence First for a fitting with students from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, Tracy Arwood showed us one of her favorite tricks.

She uses a small handheld tool called a Petra Stitch Gun, along with magnetic purse clasps, to modify Tyson's shirts. The magnets help keep an opened side seam closed while allowing the shirt to be easily removed when needed.

It's a simple, affordable solution to an everyday accessibility challenge.
As Tracy puts it, "We have never had accessible clothing. I've always been the accessible clothing."

That's one reason we're excited about our ongoing partnership with MIAD, where fashion design students are working directly with people with disabilities to create clothing that meets their individual needs.

Check out these resources for more: Runway of Dreams, Open Style Lab, Muscular Dystrophy Association, United Cerebral Palsy, Easterseals Southeast Wisconsin

Video Description for Accessibility:
Tracy Arwood demonstrates how she uses a small pink Petra Stitch Gun to modify clothing for her son, Tyson, who uses a wheelchair. Standing in a hallway at Independence First, Tracy explains how she uses magnetic clasps to make shirts easier to put on and take off. She demonstrates the handheld tool by fastening fabric on her own clothing and shares how she's developed creative solutions to meet Tyson's clothing needs.

10/26/2026

⚾🌭 LET'S GO BREW CREW! 💙💛

The Milwaukee Brewers are up 2-0 in the World Series, and we've got plenty of reasons to celebrate!

Today, the Independence First team got together for a Hot Dog Tailgate Party in our Milwaukee office! Staff brought brats, hot dogs, sides, snacks and plenty of Brewers spirit for a potluck lunch celebrating our hometown team.

Good food, great coworkers and October baseball. What more could we ask for?

A special shoutout to Visit Milwaukee for the awesome Brew Crew swag that helped set the mood!

We're cheering you on, Milwaukee Brewers! Let's bring that championship home! 🏆

10/26/2026

Wisconsin has plenty of beautiful neighborhoods filled with homes built generations ago.

But how many of those homes will continue to meet their residents' needs as they grow older or experience changes in mobility?

Steps, narrow doorways and other accessibility barriers can make it difficult for people with disabilities to find housing that works for them.

Wisconsin's Independent Living Network is proposing three ways to address the
challenge:
• Build new homes with basic accessibility features.
• Create incentives to make existing homes more accessible.
• Expand affordable accessible homeownership opportunities.

Accessible housing isn't just about buildings. It's about giving people meaningful
choices about where and how they live.

Because independence starts at home.

Learn more about WILN's housing priorities: https://il-wis.net/

Disability Rights Wisconsin AARP Wisconsin Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA) Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council Milwaukee Habitat Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities Wisconsin Department of Health Services

10/26/2026

🎤 A special thank you to CBS 58's Michael Schlesinger !

We were thrilled to have Michael join us as emcee for Independence First's 2026 Empower Gala: A Night of Enchantment!

Michael generously volunteered his time and talents to help make the evening a success. We're grateful for Michael's continued support of Independence First and our mission to empower people with disabilities to live independently.

Thank you, Michael, for helping us light up the night! ✨💙

10/22/2026

✨ The countdown is almost over! ✨

We're less than 24 hours away from Independence First's 2026 Empower Gala: Light Up the Night! 🌟

Our team has been hard at work today at Boerner Botanical Gardens, transforming the venue and putting the finishing touches on what promises to be a wonderful evening celebrating independence!

Here's a little behind-the-scenes peek at the preparations! 👀

🎁 And you don't have to attend the gala to get in on the excitement!

Our online silent auction is LIVE, with more than 70 items available for bidding! From unique experiences and local treasures to gift baskets and one-of-a-kind collectibles, there's something for everyone.

We'll also have a special live auction during tomorrow night's gala, featuring exclusive experiences and packages available only to guests in attendance!

🎤 We're also thrilled to welcome back CBS 58's Michael Schlesinger as our emcee for the evening! Michael will help us celebrate independence and the incredible community that makes our mission possible.

A huge thank-you to our staff, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters who are helping bring this special evening together. Tomorrow, we Light Up the Night! 💙

10/19/2026

✨ JUST 3 DAYS UNTIL WE LIGHT UP THE NIGHT! ✨

The countdown is on! This Thursday, we'll come together at Boerner Botanical Gardens for Independence First's 2026 Empower Gala!

It's going to be an unforgettable evening of celebration, generosity, and support for independence in our communities.

🌟 Great company
🥂 An exciting evening
🎁 Incredible auction experiences
💙 A mission worth celebrating

We can't wait to see everyone Thursday!

And don't forget... Our silent auction is already OPEN for bidding, even if you can't attend!

🔗 https://empower2026.ggo.bid

10/19/2026

Could everyone you know get through your front door? It's a question many homeowners have never considered.

"Visitability" means designing homes with basic accessibility features so people with disabilities can enter, move around and participate in everyday life.

Wisconsin's Independent Living Network supports defining minimum visitability standards for new housing, including:

At least one entrance without steps.
Doorways that are 36 inches wide.
A bedroom and bathroom on the first floor.

These features can make homes more welcoming to visitors with disabilities while helping residents adapt to changing needs throughout their lives.

Accessibility shouldn't be an afterthought. Learn more about WILN's housing priorities at the link in the comments.

10/16/2026

👖 Finding clothes that fit shouldn't be a challenge. But for many people with disabilities, it is.

For Shawn Smith, a double amputee who uses a wheelchair, finding comfortable pants can be especially difficult. Clothing that fits while standing doesn't always work for someone who spends much of their day seated.

That's one of the challenges students from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design are working to solve through our adaptive fashion partnership!

This week, MIAD apparel design students visited Independence First for their first fitting session of the semester. Six models with disabilities are collaborating with pairs of students to create custom outfits that reflect their individual needs, preferences and personal styles.

We're excited to follow these collaborations as the students bring their designs to life throughout the semester!

For more information, check out these resources: Amputee Coalition, Disability Rights Wisconsin, United Spinal Association, Easterseals Southeast Wisconsin

Video Description for Accessibility:
Students from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) meet with Independence First consumers during an adaptive fashion fitting session. Shawn Smith, a double amputee who uses a wheelchair, discusses his clothing challenges, while students Emma and Jackson work on garment designs. MIAD instructor Bonnie Chandek explains the importance of creating comfortable, accessible clothing that meets each person's individual needs.

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

Website

http://www.independencefirst.org/

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