Wisconsin’s Interagency Partnership Demonstrates Progress for Workers With Disabilities

MADISON – Wisconsin’s ongoing commitment to competitive integrated employment (CIE) for individuals with disabilities continues to produce positive outcomes, according to the newly released 2026 Joint CIE Report. The annual report provides data on workers with disabilities who receive services from a combination of the Department of Workforce Development‘s (DWD) Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), Department of Health Services (DHS), and the Department of Public Instruction (DPI).

Highlights from the 2026 CIE Annual Report include:

• Over 109,000 individuals with disabilities were served by the three state agencies in 2025, compared to 103,000 in 2023.
• 93% of former students with disabilities who responded to the Statewide Indicator 14 survey earn minimum wage or greater.
• Three Individual Placement and Support (IPS) sites earned an “exemplary” score, demonstrating improved employment outcomes for those participating in IPS, from 38.7% in Q1 2025 to 42.9% in Q4 2025.

“Competitive integrated employment helps individuals with disabilities build meaningful careers while strengthening Wisconsin’s workforce,” said DWD Secretary Amy Pechacek. “This report demonstrates what’s possible when state agencies, schools, service providers, employers, and communities work together to remove barriers and expand opportunities for every Wisconsinite.”

Key performance achievements through DWD/DVR include:

• Average hourly wages for individuals whose DVR cases closed reached $17.21 per hour overall, and nearly $13 per hour for those in supported employment. Median wages for youth apprentices with disabilities also grew, with the majority earning above $14 per hour.

• Launched the Adult Technical Assistance Guide for individuals seeking competitive integrated employment, with regional trainings that begin in July 2026.
• Established the Transforming to Thrive Grant (T-3), an initiative led by DPI in partnership with the Department of Corrections, Division of Juvenile Corrections Type 1 secure facilities, that includes DVR providing services to justice-involved youth.

“Our schools play a critical role in preparing students for life after graduation,” said State Superintendent Dr. Jill Underly. “That means ensuring every student, including students with disabilities, has access to the meaningful experiences and support they need to succeed. The DPI is proud to collaborate with our state partners on this important initiative, helping to connect students to opportunities that build skills and confidence for a successful future.”

Key performance achievements through DPI include:

• Invested in the Transition Improvement Grant (TIG), which funded 10 full-time staff members who provide technical assistance and continuous improvement coaching to improve transition services and post-school outcomes for students with Individualized Education Programs.
• Provided ongoing coordination of the Wisconsin Community on Transition (WiCoT) to support local engagement of transition stakeholders in five County Communities on Transition.
• Collaborated with Career and Technical Education (CTE) partners to increase engagement of students with IEPs in Career Pathways, Youth Apprenticeship, and Academic and Career Planning. DPI’s Special Education Transition and Graduation Consultant collaborated with TIG on a new toolkit to support engagement of youth with disabilities in CTE coursework and experiences.

“People with disabilities are vital to our communities and workforce,” said DHS Secretary Kirsten Johnson. “We are honored to join our partners to support this shared value and to ensure access and opportunity for employment. We look forward to building on this progress over time.”

Key performance achievements through the DHS include:

• Aligned state and local service delivery systems to strengthen coordination and expand CIE opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Ten new Wisconsin counties are currently in varying phases of implementing IPS programs.
• Worked toward the goal of adding limited data from the Mental Health Functional Screen within the CIE Management Information System, making the integrated data set more complete for individuals participating in CIE.
• Began to collect feedback from the community that will inform practical updates about behavioral health information to the Youth Transition Action Guide (TAG) in 2027.

About the CIE report

The annual joint report, along with the biennial CIE plan, is required by 2017 Wisconsin Act 178 and demonstrate how interagency partnerships are advancing CIE for individuals with disabilities statewide. Competitive integrated employment is work in which an individual with a disability earns wages comparable to those paid to employees without disabilities performing similar work. It also provides opportunities to interact regularly with coworkers with and without disabilities while offering the same benefits and opportunities for advancement.

To learn more, and access the full 2026 Joint CIE Report and read about recent success stories of individuals served, please visit the CIE webpage.

Note to editors: The Wisconsin Joint Finance Committee refused to provide sufficient funding to DVR that was recommended by Gov. Evers during the 2025-2027 biennial budget process. As a result of insufficient funding levels, DVR implemented an Order of Selection (waitlist) for eligible new DVR participants in December 2025. The waitlist placed DVR services for some individuals on hold; in the interim, individuals and other agency partners collaborated to provide services while they waited to be activated off the waitlist. After months of advocacy, in June 2026, the Joint Finance Committee approved additional funding that allowed DVR to begin removing individuals from the waitlist. The approved funding is sufficient through June 2027 and an increase in state funding will be required to avert another waitlist. An analysis of the impact of the waitlist on CIE outcomes will be available in future reports.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

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