ELKHART LAKE (NBC 26) — More than 100 Wisconsin families could lose access to services that aid deafblind students in the state following an announcement by the U.S. Department of Education this month.
September 5, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) received notice from the federal government that effective September 30, there would no longer be federal grant funding for the Wisconsin Deafblind Technical Assistance Project (WDBTAP).
The news came midway through a five-year grant cycle totaling about $550,000 awarded by the previous federal administration.
“The reason why they [the Department of Education] said they’re going to do this is because the current federal administration’s priorities don’t align with the previous,” said Chris Bucher, Director of Communications at the DPI.
Watch the full story by Jessica Goska here:
A statement by the Department of Education Press Secretary, Savannah Newhouse, reads:
“The Trump Administration is no longer allowing taxpayer dollars to go out the door on autopilot – we are evaluating every federal grant to ensure they are in line with the Administration’s policy of prioritizing merit, fairness, and excellence in education."
Newhouse continued to state that the Department re-awarded over 500 IDEA Part D grants and non-continued fewer than 35 grants that do not align with the current Administration's priorities.
"Many of these [discontinued grants] use overt race preferences or perpetuate divisive concepts and stereotypes, which no student should be exposed to. The non-continued grant funds are not being cut; they are being re-invested immediately into high quality programs that better serve special needs students," said Newhouse.
Bucher said the Wisconsin DPI has appealed the decision. The funds were supposed to last through September of 2028.
“It’s devastating,” said Brenda Eberle, whose 28-year-old daughter, Brittney, received support through WBDTAP from birth through age 21.
That support included an intervener at Brittney’s school and family coaching.
“If Brittney didn’t have her staff trained, I don’t think she would have had a good experience at school,” Eberle stated.
Brittney graduated in 2016 and “is still making gains in her life today,” according to her mom.
Through WDBTAP, families of deafblind students can access assistive technology and other tools to help the students transition into adulthood.
“This program wasn’t just a luxury,” said Bucher. “It was a lifeline. Without it, students who are deafblind, they really risk falling through the cracks of a system that’s not really built for them.”
Eberle said that the program did more than help her family. It’s biggest impact on Brittney was helping her connect with her peers.
“It opens up not only the deafblind child’s world,” said Eberle. “It opens up the whole world.”
NBC 26 reached out to Wisconsin state senators Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson for comment on the Department of Education’s decision but did not receive a response.
Additional non-continued grant programs, according to Newhouse, include:
- A Technical Assistance center focused on early childhood that indicates its framework must “address the systemic racism that permeates all aspects of society,” which it achieves by “enhancing equity content within early childhood preparation programs.”
- A school for the blind that indicates it “must embed the values of diversity, equity and inclusion in all aspects of our work.”
- One grantee embedded ‘cultural humility’ as a significant aspect of all training provided to federally funded agencies supporting adults with disabilities.
