Making Change Happen on Capitol Hill

"Don't just throw pillows at your television. Engage to make a change!" (staff person for Senator Grassley)

Cherry blossoms were blooming at our nation's capital!

Disability advocates, myself, and several interdisciplinary LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities) Trainees and from across the country came together last week for the annual Disability Policy Seminar held in Washington, D.C. At the Disability Policy Seminar, attendees were armed with the information needed to help educate our Members of Congress and their staff on the priorities of the ID/DD community. One of the most important lessons that we as young professionals learned from the Seminar and Hill Visits was the importance of engaging with the legislative process in order to create change for individuals with disabilities. As a current LEND trainee in the field of public health, I was impressed with the collaboration between multiple organizations (American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, The Arc, Association of University Centers of Disabilities, National Associations of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, Self Advocates Becoming Empowered, and United Cerebral Palsy). It is rare to see so many groups with differing missions come together to work towards a common goal and bring a united front when working on key policy issues.

The opening presentation entitled Forging a Path Toward Bipartisanship featured such notable panelists as former U.S. Senator Pete Domenici, Former U.S. Representative Tony Coelho, and several staff members from the Bipartisan Policy Center. This session highlighted the importance of using commonalities and personal stories to get things done in Congress. The panelist also stressed how vital it is to identify new disability champions in both parties, especially with all the new faces in Congress. With several important pieces of legislation coming down the pipeline, such as the ABLE Act and Combatting Autism Reauthorization Act, it has never been more important to advocate in a bipartisan manner. In addition, we learned that future legislation, which hopes to garner bipartisan support, should be developed in a bipartisan manner.

Iowa LEND trainees with disability and public health
champion, Senator Tom Harkin. 

Another highlight of the conference was hearing from the speakers representing Self Advocates Becoming Empowered - their slogan is "nothing about us, without us." In particular, Claudia Gordon, who served as the liaison between the disability community and the Obama Administration, delivered an inspiring speech (through sign language) that made each person in the audience feel like they could make a difference as an advocate. The seminar left LEND trainees feeling prepared and energized for the Capitol Hill Visits on Wednesday. For many of us, this was our first time advocating for something we each care deeply about – the Combatting Autism Act (which funds our wonderful program). After meeting with the staff of Senators Harkin and Grassley, we were surprised by how accessible the whole process was and encouraged by the fact that each of our voices were heard and taken seriously. LEND is all about becoming leaders, not only in our disciplines, but also in the communities that we serve. The Disability Policy Seminar empowered each of us to take on this role as future leaders in healthcare.