Hi all,

I’m writing to let you know that Wisconsin lost an amazing self-advocate, visionary leader, and relentlessly kind and generous individual on Friday: our board member and People First Wisconsin President Jennifer Kuhr. I’ve attached a photo, as Jennifer participated in several NACDD conferences and the Disability Policy Seminar in DC. Here she is with Governor Scott Walker last fall, when she talked to him about the transportation barriers people with disabilities face in our state. When our Governor’s office learned she had passed, the changed their own rules on “in memoriam” decrees from the Governor and created/had the Governor sign one for her that day so it can be shared with her family at her funeral.

Jennifer was recovering from open heart surgery when she passed Friday night. Her husband, Robert, had just been re-appointed to our Board. (Although we pointed out that he was appointing two individuals who were married to serve at the same time, both are such amazing self-advocates that he went ahead with Robert’s appointment). Jennifer is the narrator and host for our “Take Your Legislator to Work” video on how to set up appointments with your legislators, and co-presented at APSE and other national conferences on her Take Your Legislator to Work experiences. All of her legislators soon became her friends. She was an amazing President to People First, and with her exec committee, created their first real policy agenda with regular meetings with the Governor’s office.

If you knew Jennifer, you can send condolences to her husband Robert Kuhr at P.O. Box 155, Menasha, WI 54952-3043.

Best wishes to all of you,
Beth