In the coming weeks, disability advocates from across the country are gathering in Washington, D.C. for major disability awareness and policy advocacy events. One of the most significant is the Disability Policy Seminar, organized by national disability organizations, where self‑advocates and allies learn about federal issues and then meet with members of Congress to push for policies that reflect the needs of disabled communities. The event is designed to amplify voices that are often excluded from policy‑making tables and to build stronger relationships between advocates and lawmakers.

These advocacy days offer real opportunities for people with disabilities — and those who support them — to directly influence decisions about access to healthcare, community supports, education, employment policy, and civil rights protections. Past activism in the U.S. capital, including protests and grassroots mobilization, has shaped landmark legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which guarantees reasonable accommodations and prohibits discrimination.

Even as history shows the power of collective action, current discussions around disability policy highlight gaps in everyday access and representation. For example, advocates continue to fight for safer pedestrian infrastructure and fully accessible public spaces in Washington, D.C. — an ongoing issue for blind residents who have had to sue the city due to unsafe crosswalks lacking accessible signals — underscoring that the disability rights movement still has unfinished work ahead.

My Thoughts

I’m attending a disability advocacy day in my state for the first time, and it’s exciting to see people with disabilities taking space in these conversations. But I also believe it shouldn’t be limited to just one day or a few weeks a year — listening to and including disabled voices should be a continuous process. Policy decisions are often made without people with disabilities at the table, and even when well‑intentioned, those decisions don’t always meet our needs because the people making them don’t live with disabilities. Living with a disability is a daily struggle, and accessibility is more than following guidelines; it’s about understanding real lived experience. That’s why I believe we need representation in government — nobody can represent disabled people better than those of us who live it.

Question to Consider

How might disability policy look different if disabled people were consistently included in decision‑making spaces before laws and programs were created?

Sources

Disability Policy Seminar & Advocacy Events — The Arc (organization details and upcoming advocacy program information) Policy Summit & Hill Day — ANCOR’s 2025 Policy Summit event overview History & Impact of Disability Rights Activism — NBC Washington: how local activism in D.C. helped build ADA protections Ongoing Accessibility Issues in D.C. — Washington Post coverage of blind pedestrians suing D.C. for unsafe crosswalks