Disability Action Network

Empowerment is at the heart of the Coalition’s Disability Action Network. It’s one thing for staff to advance legislation and public policy, but it is something else – something quite special – to help a family advocate for a child or arrange for local residents to meet with a legislator for the first time so they can tell their stories.

The Coalition’s Disability Action Network seeks to engage people locally at a grassroots level by providing the tools, training, and guidance to help political novices learn how to positively impact public policy. Early efforts focused on voter registration and improving polling place accessibility through the VOTE! Campaign because the right to vote is the foundation for all other rights.

More recently, the Coalition has focused on increasing opportunities for development of one-on-one relationships between people with disabilities and their legislators by supporting three weeks of Disability Days on the Hill (DDH) each spring.  2009 will mark the third year of this expansion and we hope to see even more families and people with disabilities come to Nashville to visit with their legislators. For more information about DDH contact Courtney Jenkins-Atnip.

Finally, the Coalition continues to seek out individuals across the state who are willing to make an occasional phone call or write a letter to their legislators on a variety of disability issues as part of a Disability Action Network. We can provide the background and support for contacts, if you can offer a few minutes of your time. Click here to join the Disability Action Network.