Advocacy Team
The Legislative Accessibility Act, National Disability Health Equity Framework, Building Our Power Together Application Deadline
Access Living friends and allies,
There’s a ton of advocacy going on! Below, please find a heads up about the Legislative Accessibility Act, a reminder about applying for Building Our Power Together, and info about a historic new disability health equity framework for policymakers. Read on to check it all out!
Illinois Senate Committee Hears Legislative Accessibility Act Today: At 3:30 pm Central time, the Illinois Senate Executive Committee will meet online. One of the bills that will be called for the Committee is the Legislative Accessibility Act, SB 180. Senator Robert Peters will call the bill and talk about its purpose. Access Living’s Director of Advocacy, Amber Smock, will then testify on the need for the bill. This is the first time this bill has ever been heard in committee. If the Committee passes the bill, it will be referred to the full Senate for consideration. Thus, today’s hearing is an important step.
To watch the hearing, visit this link for the Senate audio/visual page. When the hearing is called to order, that page will show a link to the Senate Executive Committee hearing. An ASL interpreter has been requested. If you visit the page at 3:30 and do not see the link, the hearing has not started. Wait a few minutes and refresh the page-the link will only appear when the Committee is called to order (and there may be any number of reasons why it may not start on time-just keep refreshing every now and then). An ASL interpreter has been requested.
Organizing Training Applications Due February 21: Time is getting short! You can still submit an application for our Building Our Power Together training. This training is for people with disabilities, who have little organizing experience and want to get involved with our organizing groups. Check out the application and training overview at this link. Please also encourage others to apply!
NCD Releases National Disability Health Equity Framework: The National Council on Disability (NCD) has released a policy framework on disability and health equity. On February 23, NCD will host a panel discussion on the framework. The process for this framework has taken place under the leadership of Access Living Board member and NCD Chairman Andrés Gallegos. Thank you for your leadership Andrés! Learn more about the framework and sign up to watch the panel at this link.
Please share this time sensitive info with fellow advocates. Thank you all for your advocacy!