My Day Advocating on the Hill
On March 13, I teamed up with my dear friend, Megan Kelly, an elder law attorney from Minnesota and shareholder of Northwoods Law Group, P.A, and we visited our state representatives together in Washington, D.C. as part of the Spring Meeting with the Special Needs Alliance. It was a great experience meeting with the staff for the Tennessee and Minnesota representatives and Megan and I had a lot of time to compare notes about our state’s policies as we walked around the buildings looking for their offices - navigating around the buildings felt like we were in a maze! It was neat seeing how each representative decorates the doorway of their offices to reflect their state’s interests and personality.
The issue Megan and I were advocating for is a technical issue with serious implications for families with children who have disabilities. Sometimes the law as it’s written has unintended consequences and the harm caused to families like yours and mine can only be addressed if we get out and talk to our representatives and ask them to fix it.
I was thankful for the warm reception we received when we explained this issue to the policy aids and staff. What also struck me is that when the staff walked us out of the office, almost every one of them shared about a personal connection with a family member who has a disability. This just goes to show that legal issues that impact people with disabilities impacts all people. The disabled community is not a small invisible group over in the corner of our society - it’s our families, it’s our kids, it’s our friend’s sister or uncle. It’s all of us, and it’s personal.
I almost didn’t go to the Day on the Hill because I wasn’t sure if I would have any real impact. I’ve attended similar advocacy days at the State Capitol and have had mixed feelings about the experience. However, on this day, I’m glad I made the effort to meet with our representatives and discuss this important issue. I cannot sing the praises of the Special Needs Alliance loud enough to do this group justice or accurately express my gratitude for the opportunity to work alongside these wonderful attorneys.
