The 3rd Annual Roll on Capitol Hill was an unabashed success. From June 22-25, United Spinal Association and advocates from its membership division, National Spinal Cord Injury Association (NSCIA), made their presence felt in Washington, D.C. New and old faces injected enthusiasm and wisdom and created a palpable sense of excitement as attendees from 26 states, Puerto Rico and D.C. stormed the Hill. There were over 200 meetings with congressional representatives to educate them about how Congress can improve the lives of the millions of Americans living with disabilities. To give you a feel for what it was like, here are a few anecdotes from some of this year’s attendees.
Empowered and Excited
Reveca Torres, Illinois
My nervousness started as I began to pack and had to decide what to wear — what does one wear to speak to all those important people that make decisions in our country? I consider myself smart and articulate on many matters, but the truth is what I was about to do was new to me. That said, I’ve been disabled 19 years and I’ve become quite good at being that lady that writes letters when she’s been wronged or sees injustices. I don’t keep quiet and sit pretty. I am not aggressive, but I am firm and persistent.
To be honest, I am not a person that is very knowledgeable on politics and government. So, as much as I have been an advocate for myself it made me nervous to be an advocate representing a whole community of people with disabilities.
With my bags packed I got on a plane and arrived early Sunday morning. I decided to grab a map, explore and take a stab at public transportation, something I like to do whenever I’m in a new city. In the evening, when I arrived to the welcome reception I saw many familiar faces which both eased my nerves and also made me feel like I needed to step up my game.
Monday was a day filled with information and excellent speakers. I was in a room with over 100 advocates from all over the country learning the most up to date information in regards to Health Care, Social Security, Complex Rehab Technology, the ABLE act, Medicaid expansion and transportation among other topics. After talking to the other participants my nervousness turned into excitement, and after listening to the speeches I became overwhelmed and felt like maybe I didn’t know enough.
Tuesday not only was the weather great, but I was with the perfect team: a quad, a para, a walking quad and a person who has been a caregiver to people with SCI for over eight years. We were ready to kill it on the hill! We prepared with a chart, color coded and all, that would help us quickly reference which issues each legislator was/was not supporting; we discussed and decided which one would cover what topic depending on our experiences; we went into meetings expecting opposition but were pleasantly surprised. Everyone was very receptive and welcoming.
I felt empowered and honored to have shared those few days with people like George Gallego, founder of Wheels of Progress and the recipient of AAPD Leadership Award (NY); Finn Bullers, big time healthcare advocate (KS); Teal Sherer, actress and producer of My Gimpy Life (TN); Matthew Tilford, Ekso Bionics ambassador (CA), and so many more. There was such a range of backgrounds, personalities, and stories that I feel like Roll On Capitol Hill 2014 could not have been better represented!
My first visit to Washington, D.C., was a success! As I sat on the airplane flying back to Chicago I couldn’t help but smile and feel giddy that I somehow made a difference in just a couple days and that next year, 2015, the 25th anniversary of the ADA, wheelchairs will invade the capitol and our nation will have no choice but to turn their heads, look, listen and do!
For more testimony from this year Roll on the Capitol go to www.spinalcord.org.