We're Little Lobbyists and we're here to change the narrative on disabled children
Historically, children with complex medical needs and disabilities have been kept out of sight, hidden at home or in institutions, rendered invisible and forgotten. When these kids were seen or discussed, it was as passive recipients of societal pity, even ridicule. Regrettably, this outdated view is still common.
But we know better. And our disabled kids deserve better — all kids do!
Our kids are funny, vibrant, joyful, curious, full of life… and we want them to be seen, heard, understood, supported, included, and respected as the whole people they are in the communities where they live.
Little Lobbyists is the only national family-led organization advocating for kids with every type of disability.
Our goal is to make a better USA for every disabled child.
We advocate for health care, education, community integration, authentic representation, and joy, so our kids can survive and thrive.
We advocate for all kids with disabilities: mobility, sensory, mental health, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and chronic health conditions.
We are nationwide because disabled kids live everywhere, in every state, in every town.
We want everyone to see that disabled kids are just kids: they go to school, love to play, and are funny, kind, mischievous, amazing. They deserve access to everything they need to grow up and live their best lives.
We use the power of real stories to change hearts and minds
Our kids rely on care, and care relies on society… a society that often doesn't understand who disabled kids are, what they need, or how they live.
That's where the power of stories (and Little Lobbyists!) comes in.
We collect family stories and we make sure these stories are heard by the people who need to hear them.
Stories have a unique power to change hearts and minds — more than facts, data, reports. It really works! When people get to meet our families, they gain first-hand knowledge of the joys and challenges we share, and those old societal myths fall away.
We connect with each other, and with our communities, the media, and decision-makers, using the universal, uniting power of story.
We are here for our kids, and for each other
These are our guiding stars:
- We are here for disabled children, first, forever, and always
- We are families here for each other
- We are building a more joyful, accessible, and inclusive future, through community-building events, supporting each other, and sharing our stories with the world.
We are family-led and we involve our kids every step of the way, from community play dates to public speaking events.
Our voices are our power. And so is our joy!
Help us spread the truth about kids with disabilities
Tell your story and make a difference
The most powerful thing you can do is Tell your story. Our voices truly are our power… and you don't even have to leave home to put yours to work.
You don't have to be a professional writer, just be yourself! We're here to help you (it's our job!)…
Who is Little Lobbyists?
Little Lobbyists was founded in 2017 by Elena Hung and Michelle Morrison, parents of Xiomara and Timmy, in response to the health care repeal efforts in DC As the news covered the stories of Americans across the country, we were desperate to hear about medically complex disabled children, but that voice was missing.
Late one night, over a kitchen table, we asked ourselves:
How can we get the public to understand families and kids who rely on specialized health care? How can we help put a face on this issue?
The plan we made was simple:
- collect photos and stories of real kids with complex medical needs and disabilities from around the country, and
- get those stories directly to the people who needed to see them.
In just one week, we collected over a hundred stories from families like ours across the country. We took the train to Capitol Hill and we hand-delivered these stories in person, with our own kids at our side (along with their ventilators, oxygen tanks, wheelchairs, walkers, leg braces, feeding tubes, and more in tow) so everyone would see first-hand the kids and families who needed access to health care, and why.
We saw, first hand, the power of our physical presence. It made a difference. We learned how critical it is for the country to see disabled children out in the community, including in the halls of Congress.
The press quickly dubbed our family group “little lobbyists,” and the name stuck! (Of course, it's a little inaccurate — we're not lobbyists in the DC way, just everyday citizens speaking out for the rights of our disabled kids, and disabled kids everywhere.)
Since 2017, we have continued to elevate and center our disabled kids and their stories.
We are changing the narrative with authentic representation of disabled children living joyful lives.