We Belong: Why Community Integration Matters

Photo Credit: Rah Studios. Image: Just some of our nationwide Little Lobbyists family at the Care Coalition’s Community Integration Summit in Washington DC! Image description: A couple dozen children of various ages and their parents pose in front of a tan and black paneled wall at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library in downtown Washington, DC. Most of the group members wear t-shirts with the Little Lobbyists logo.

In July, the Care Can’t Wait Coalition sponsored several events on community integration in Washington, DC, including a panel at the White House, a Congressional briefing, and a Summit at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library. Community integration is at the heart of disability rights, and is supported by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the U.S. Supreme Court’s Olmstead decision, and the 504 regulations. 

Our Little Lobbyists families were there for all of them! Our families traveled from all over the country to learn from disability experts and to tell our elected leaders that care can’t wait.

The Community Integration Summit offered three of our families the opportunity to speak their truth on the importance of belonging–in our communities, at school, in recreation, in the media, and, frankly, everywhere. You can watch a recording of the summit here.

The summit featured five panels:

• History of Disability Rights, Future of Disability Justice and Intersection with Care

• Community Integration Makes Our Homes and Communities Thrive

• The Disability Lens of Paid Leave and Child Care

• Centering Disability in Storytelling in the Media

• Inclusive Organizing for Change

Photo credit: Tirrea Billings. Description: Jenny McLelland, a white woman with chin-length blond hair holds a microphone. She’s seated in front of a navy blue backdrop with the Care Can’t Wait logo on it. She wears eyeglasses with bright pink frames, a white suit jacket and a turquoise Little Lobbyists t-shirt.

Jenny Mclelland offered her thoughts in the second panel, “Community Integration Makes Our Homes and Communities Thrive.” Jenny is Little Lobbyists’ Policy Director for Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS). 

Jenny spoke movingly about the power of Medicaid to keep our disabled loved ones in their community, noting that her son James had had to spend his first year of life in an institution before coming home on one of California’s HCBS waivers, “Medicaid is the glue that holds our family together.” Explaining that “50 different states have 50 different sets of rules,” Jenny advocated for ending waiting lists nationwide.

Little Lobbyists’ Communications Director Laura LeBrun Hatcher moderated the fourth panel, “Centering Disability in Storytelling in the Media, Pop Culture and in Narrative Change.” Laura emphasized the need to hear directly from disabled people when news outlets and others report on disability issues. Among the panelists were Rico and Isra’El Winston, Little Lobbyists members.

Rico introduced his son Isra’El, who is Autistic, emphasizing that he had found his life calling and purpose on his journey with his son: “I want everyone to look around … behind every beautiful face [here] is a compelling story waiting to be shared and needing to be told.” He then described the numerous media projects he and Isra’El had worked on, including films, comic books, and television programs, all of which centered disability as a force for change.

Photo credit: Tirrea Billings. Description: Laura Hatcher (white woman with long brown hair), Rico Winston (Black man with short hair and a mustache) and Isra’El Winston (young Black man with a short cut with a fade) sit in front of the navy blue Care Can’t Wait backdrop. They are all wearing jeans and dark blue Little Lobbyists t-shirts.

Isra’El, 14 years old, spoke at length about his advocacy journey, noting that his dad is “always by my side, showing me that I am important, amazing and loved. With his support and love I’ve learned that caring for and respecting each other is how we can change the world.” 

When asked what he’d like other children to know about advocacy, Isra’El responded, “I want kids to know that they can stand up for themselves and others. I have learned to express my feelings and to do my best to overcome my fears and that we can stand together to support each other, lift each other, and empower each other.”

Our families had tons of fun, too, at all the events! Advocacy can be challenging, but let’s not forget that advocacy is filled with joy!

Enjoy the slideshow! Click on the large photo below to advance the slideshow.

Rico & Isra'El Winston speak at the summit. A Care Can't Wait backdrop is behind them, and they are seated, wearing primary blue Little Lobbyists t-shirts. Photo credit: Tirrea Billings

Group photo of seven Little Lobbyists parents, all wearing LL t-shirts, on the rooftop plaza of the MLK, Jr., Library, with advocate Matthew Cortland. The skyline of Washington, DC, is behind them. Photo credit: Tirrea Billings

Little Lobbyist Simon, wearing a blue LL t-shirt and holding a notebook with the LL logo, poses on the rooftop plaza of the library.

Large group photo of disability activists, Little Lobbyists parents and children, some standing, some using wheelchairs, on the rooftop plaza. Behind them is the city skyline, a bank of heavy clouds, and a rainbow.

Little Lobbyists James and Louisa with LL parent Andrea. They are at the summit at a large table working on a beading project. Andrea is wearing a face mask. Photo credit: Rah Studios

Little Lobbyists Ali and Ethan wear dark blue and turquoise LL t-shirts, respectively. They pose on the rooftop plaza of the library. Visible behind them is the city skyline, decorative foliage in a planter, and a roof overhang. Photo credit: Rah Studios

Little Lobbyists Roger, Jeneva and Rob pose inside the conference area in the MLK library. Rob is using a wheelchair and his vest is covered with disability advocacy pins. He is holding his AAC communication switches. Photo credit: Rah Studios

Little Lobbyists Danielle and Destiny pose with friends. Both moms and their toddler daughters wear LL t-shirts. They are inside the conference area at the library. Photo credit: Rah Studios

Little Lobbyists Victoria and Cole sit outside on the library rooftop plaza. Victoria has her arms around Cole, who leans into her. They wear LL t-shirts and the city skyline is behind them. Photo credit: Rah Studios

Little Lobbyists Teddy and Sanghee sit on a long bench inside the library, with plate glass windows behind them showing the plaza and buildings. They are wearing LL t-shirts. Photo credit: Rah Studios

Little Lobbyists Victoria and Meghann pose with their arms around each other. They wear LL t-shirts and a Care Can't Wait banner is behind them. Photo credit: Rah Studios

Little Lobbyist Adonise poses on a DC city street with both arms raised high. Behind him, in the distance, is the U.S. Capitol building. Adonise wears a turquoise LL t-shirt and brown pants.

Little Lobbyists Ali and Ethan pose in the Old Executive Office building in front of a wall with the White House logo (blue & white oval) above them and a U.S. flag to the left. Ali wears a long skirt and Ethan is dressed more casually.

Adonise wearing a sharp, tailored suit coat, poses in a hallway in the OEB, with a White House logo to his right on a wall.

Isra'El wears a tailored suit coat and pants, with a white button-down shirt. He stands in a stairwell in the OEB, his hand on a decorative metal railing. The 19th century columns and other architectural features of the historic building are behind him.

Isra'El poses--a small figure--under the giant mural at the MLK Jr Library. The mural depicts colorful scenes from the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Sanghee poses with her sons Teddy and Leo in the OEB. A decorative flag is to the right. Teddy sits on a rug that partially covers a black and white tiled floor. He looks up at a decorative light fixture. Framed photos of President Biden and Vice President Harris are on the wall behind them.

Adonise sits in a chair in the conference area of the library. Behind him is a banner with the Care Can't Wait logo and the summit title, "Disability Integration Makes Our Lives and Communities Whole." An electronic board is to the right, giving the name and speakers for one of the panels.

Adonise and his mom Anne are seated in a presentation room in the OEB. Disability advocate Haban Girwin is seated next to them. Anne wears a vivid red dress and Adonise wears a suit.

Ethan, James and Louisa, wearing turquoise LL t-shirts, pose on the library's rooftop plaza, under an overhang, with plateglass windows behind them.

Olivia poses with Destiny and others inside the conference area of the library. All are seated on the tiled floor and framed artwork hangs behind them on the walls.

Teddy and Destiny play with a bright red Elmo doll on the concrete flagstones of the library's outdoor plaza. They are smiling and laughing.

Little Lobbyists Danielle and Destiny pose in front of a framed abstract painting inside the library's conference center. They are wearing LL t-shirts and smiling. Danielle is hold Destiny, who has her arms around her mom's neck. Photo credit: Rah Studios

Elena and Xiomara pose in front of an elaborately wood-paneled wall (different shades of narrow wood paneling in long vertical stripes) at the MLK Jr. Library. They wear turquoise LL shirts. Elena bends down to hug Xiomara, who is seated in her wheelchair and wears a rainbow-colored skirt. Xiomara has her arms around her mom's waist. Photo credit: Rah Studios