Community Access Advocacy Team

The Community Access Advocacy Team focuses on making sure people with disabilities can fully participate in all areas of community life. Together, team members identify barriers that limit access in our community and work to advocate for meaningful solutions. These barriers may be physical, such as inaccessible buildings or sidewalks, but they can also include communication barriers, program design, policies, or systems that unintentionally leave people out.

This team takes a broad view of accessibility and inclusion. Members explore questions like: Who is included in our community spaces and programs? Who might be missing? What changes can help remove barriers so everyone has the same opportunity to participate? Through discussion, shared experiences, and collaborative advocacy, participants help shape a more inclusive community for people with disabilities.

Community Advocacy Teams are open to people with disabilities, family members, advocates, Independence First staff, and anyone interested in disability rights and accessibility. Meetings are held in a hybrid format so participants can join either in person at Independence First or online through Zoom. A call-in option is also available.

Meeting Schedule:
3rd Wednesday of each month
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
On Zoom and In-Person at Independence First in Milwaukee
540 S. 1st Street, Milwaukee, WI 53204

Anyone interested in joining the Community Access Advocacy Team should contact Brian Peters at bpeters@independencefirst.org or 414-937-5912. You can also reach out to Brian if you need accommodations to participate.

Reasonable Accommodations  
Independence First is committed to providing the highest degree of accessibility when offering agency-sponsored events. Please notify Brian Peters at (414) 937-5912 with your disability-related accommodation requests by 2 days before the event. We will do our best to honor accommodation requests made after this date. 

Environmental Chemical Sensitivities 
For the safety and comfort of those with chemical and environmental sensitivities, Independence First requests that when attending agency-sponsored events, please refrain from using any perfumed products such as scented soaps, deodorants, perfumes, colognes and heavily scented fabric softeners. To maintain a smoke-free environment, please also refrain from smoking in paths of travel and doorways.