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Action Alert: COVID - 19

August 4, 2020

Voices of constituents from every state and territory are needed to ensure Congress takes critical action!

Tuesday, August 4th, is a national call-in day, a chance for the disability community to make sure Congress considers #whatweneed today and every day until the next COVID-19 relief package is passed. Without overwhelming action there is a real risk that human needs, including the needs of people with disabilities, will not be included in this package!

Background


TAKE ACTION TODAY!

Call both of your Senators

  • Call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 (voice) or (202) 224-3091 (tty) and ask to be connected to your member.
    • You can use this easy tool to find your Senators, including local office numbers.

What to Say:

Hello, this is [Name]. I'm a resident of [Town, State].

I am calling to ask [Senator's Name] to make sure that the Senate's COVID-19 relief bill includes dedicated funding for home- and community-based services (HCBS), dedicated funding for Special Education, and to make sure that all civil liberties protections are left intact. The millions of people with disabilities in this country have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and we need to make sure their needs are met and their rights are protected.

  • Dedicated HCBS funding is desperately needed to help people with disabilities and older adults remain safely in their homes rather than being forced into nursing homes and other congregate settings, where infections and deaths from COVID-19 are rampant.
  • Dedicated funding for Special Education through the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act is necessary to ensure that funds actually reach this historically underserved population and to provide the necessary equipment and resources to schools and early intervention providers.
  • Finally, I am opposed to any liability shields that attempt to waive broad civil rights protections, including those in the American with Disabilities Act, the Civil Rights Act, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. We should be protecting and expanding upon the rights of people with disabilities, not chipping away at them.

I ask you to pass on the critical importance of dedicated IDEA funding, HCBS funding, and protecting civil liberties in the lives of people with disabilities to Senate leadership.

Thank you!

[IF LEAVING A VOICEMAIL: please leave your full street address and zip code to ensure your call is tallied]

EMAIL

  • You can contact your office via email in two ways:
    • Emailing the office's general email. Find your Senators' emails here, or by looking on their office websites.
    •  Emailing the staff member that handles disability or health policy directly will have the greatest impact. If you need assistance finding that email, please send a request for help to [email protected] or [email protected].

Sample email to customize:

Hello, this is [Name]. I'm a resident of [Town, State].

I am writing to ask [Senator's Name] to make sure that the Senate's COVID-19 relief bill includes dedicated funds and protections to meet the needs of people with disabilities across the lifespan:

  1.  
    1. Home-and community-based services (HCBS): Dedicated HCBS funding - including HCBS waivers and mental health funding - is desperately needed to help people with disabilities and older adults remain safely in their homes rather than being forced into nursing homes and other congregate settings, where infections and deaths from COVID-19 are rampant.
    2. Dedicated education funds for IDEA: Funding specifically for students and young children with disabilities receiving services under the Individual with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) is necessary to ensure that funds actually reach this historically underserved population and to provide the necessary equipment and resources to schools and early intervention providers.
    3. Protect civil liberties: I am alarmed by and opposed to liability shields that attempt to waive broad civil right protections, including those in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Civil Rights Act, and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). We should be protecting and expanding upon the rights of people with disabilities, not chipping away at them.

I ask you to support these needs.

Thank you!

[Please leave your full name, full street address, and zip code]

TWEET YOUR REPS

How to contact:

  • You can find the Twitter handle for your Senators or House Representatives by typing their names into the ‘search' box.
  • What to say:
  • [Your Senator's/Representative's Twitter Handle] #WhatWeNeed is dedicated #IDEA funding in the HEALS Act so schools can safely and effectively educate all students during #COVID19.
  • [Your Senator's/Representative's Twitter Handle] #WhatWeNeed is dedicated #HCBS funding in the HEALS Act so people with disabilities can access the services they need safely at home, not in institutions with severe #COVID19 outbreaks.
  • [Your Senator's/Representative's Twitter Handle] #WhatWeNeed are full civil rights protections for people with disabilities during the #COVID19 crisis and always. #HandsOffMyADA #ADA30

TIPS

Include your full address at the end of emails and calls to ensure they are tallied by the office.

You can and should include a personal connection to the disability community in your call, email, or tweet if you are comfortable with it.

  • For more guidance on how to share your personal story with your members of Congress, see these examples. 

Reach out and ask others to join you in calling and emailing! Additional details can be found at FaceBook event page for this call-in day