Summary

• The 2008 Disability Policy Seminar was deemed a success by those involved. Read AUCD's summary of the event here.
• View photos and read comments from some of the 60+ AUCD trainees who attended.

Materials

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  • Presentation Materials from Seminar Speakers (thearc.org) []
  • Fact Sheets (thearc.org) []
    
  • Event Agenda []
  • Program-at-a-Glance [, 223KB]
    
  • Brochure with Details [, 258KB]
  • "Save the Date" to post and distribute [, 65KB]

Description

Advancing Disability Policy in an Election Year, the theme for the 2008 Disability Policy Seminar, will offer a pragmatic view on the unique challenges and opportunities facing the Congress and White House as the 2008 political campaign proceeds.

In November of 2008 Americans will cast votes for a new President, a third of the Senate, and the entire House of Representatives. The Democrats will seek to expand their present thin majority in both houses of Congress while Republicans fight hard to regain lost ground. With bipartisanship an increasingly elusive goal for most public policy issues these days, we will explore effective strategies to obtain support from both sides of the aisle for disability issues.

Together, The Arc of the United States, United Cerebral Palsy (UCP), the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) and the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD) will look to our extensive grassroots networks to advocate in a bipartisan manner for national public policies promoting the full inclusion of people with disabilities in our society.

On Sunday, March 2, at 9:30 a.m., participants will begin two days of in-depth, intense public policy discussions/presentations that end on March 3 at 6:00 p.m. On March 4, we will take our unified message to Capitol Hill.

What will we be talking about at the Seminar and lobbying for on Capitol Hill? We expect the following public policy issues will take center stage:

• Budget and Appropriations
• Entitlements
• Developmental Disabilities Act
• Health
• Housing
• Social Security
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Employment

Capitol Hill staff and our nation's leading public policy experts, disability advocates, and association leaders will be on hand to address these and other issues.

Registration

Registration closed on February 22, 2007. You can register on-site.

Logistic Information

• Event Hotel: Hyatt Regency Washington Capitol Hill
  • Group Rate: $249/night: you must mention the "Governmental Affairs Disability Policy Seminar"
  • Hotel reservations must be made by February 8 to receive the group rate
  • Make reservations by calling the hotel at 800-233-1234
• Alternate Hotels
  • Download a list of alternate hotels, their rates, and contact information [27KB]
• Ground Transportation
  • Download information on ground travel to and from the Policy Seminar []

Congressional Appointments

On March 4, all attendees are invited to visit their Senators and Representatives to discuss relevant issues. Be sure to make your own appointments with your state's Washington Congressional Delegation.

• List of Policy Seminar Registrants as of 02-21-08 [332KB]
• Helpful Hints for Making Hill Visits (thearc.org) []