ICI at 2017 Disability Policy Seminar in Washington, D.C. in March

Nine ICI staff will participate in the 2017 Disability Policy Seminar in Washington, D.C. on March 20-22, an opportunity to "cultivate champions on Capitol Hill and advance the grassroots movement for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities." David R. Johnson (pictured during the 2016 Disability Policy Seminar with Kim Musheno, AUCD's Director of Public Policy), Amy Hewitt, Barb Kleist, Kelly Nye-Lengerman, Jerry Smith, and LEND Fellows Fatima Molas, Jack Reagan, Liliana Torres, and James Whitt will attend this annual event, which is sponsored by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, The Arc, the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, Self Advocates Becoming Empowered, and United Cerebral Palsy.

"I am excited that so many of our staff and LEND Fellows are attending the event this year," says Hewitt. "It is clearly a time of significant change and the disability policy seminar will help us build strategies together that address key policy issues that promote education and community living and participation for all people with disabilities." For 40 years, the seminar has provided information and training about current policy issues and prepared advocates, self-advocates, and other professionals in the field to speak to their legislators about these pressing issues that affect people with disabilities and their families, such as protecting civil rights, Medicaid, and access to health care and community living supports. "It's an opportunity to connect with advocates nationwide to collectively advocate for public policies that support integration," says Nye-Lengerman. "It is an important opportunity to learn about policy issues on Capitol Hill and to share ICI's research in ways that help make the case for community living. Our research supports and drives many of the policy discussions and priorities."