Newsroom_News Release_2023-09-01 Recruitment Open For DNR’s Disability Advisory Council

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 2023-09-01

Contact: Nick Zouski, DNR Accessibility Coordinator
Nicholas.Zouski@wisconsin.gov or 608-381-0573

Recruitment Open For DNR’s Disability Advisory Council

Six people posing for a photo at the top of Eagle Tower at Peninsula State Park with Lake Michigan and fluffy white clouds in the background. The Disability Advisory Council meets quarterly around the state, with the goal of advising the DNR on matters related to accessibility. Photo credit: Wisconsin DNR

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is seeking volunteers to serve on the department’s Disability Advisory Council (DAC).

The nine-person council currently has three vacancies and is looking to fill two voting member seats and one alternate seat. The application deadline is Sept. 30, 2023.

The membership goal for the Disability Advisory Council is to have a diverse group of people that reflects a variety of disabilities and geographic areas of the state. Knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or expertise in disability-related issues is strongly recommended. Members are appointed by the DNR Secretary and serve three-year terms.

“The Disability Advisory Council’s primary role is to be a resource to the DNR on how people with disabilities use and experience the DNR’s programs and services, including hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities,” said Terry Bay, Director of the DNR’s Facilities and Lands Bureau. “The council provides us with important input and considerations for accessibility.”

The council meets quarterly and in different locations around the state. At least one meeting per year is held at a state property, with the main meeting on a Thursday and a property tour on Friday. The winter meeting is held via teleconference and establishes the tentative meeting schedule for the following year.

The purpose of the Disability Advisory Council is to:

  • Advise the department on matters pertaining to the accessibility of all department programs and services by physically challenged persons;
  • identify and evaluate the needs of physically challenged persons and communicate them to the department;
  • advance research and design, policy and legislative changes to improve the accessibility of agency programs and properties; and
  • communicate with individuals and other organizations and agencies with similar purposes in a collaborative process to improve accessibility.

Find the application in the Membership section of the DNR Disability Advisory Council webpage and mail or email the completed application materials by Sept. 30, 2023 to:

Department of Natural Resources
C/O Nick Zouski, Accessibility Coordinator, Facilities and Lands Bureau
101 S. Webster St. LF-6
Madison, WI 53707
Nicholas.Zouski@wisconsin.gov or 608-381-0573

Alternate formats of the application will be provided upon request.

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