family-advocacy
You Already Have Your Testimony
Attorney and Little Lobbyists powerhouse Charlotte Cravins talks about the power of speaking before the legislature.
family-advocacy
Unraveling Bias in Healthcare: We Need NICU Advocates (by Anne Louis)
There was a time while I was caring for Adonise as an infant in the NICU when people tried to apologize for things they did not understand about my son. The unknown and the undescribed. He spent 361 days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where he received a
What I Learned by Advocating with Little Lobbyists (by Anne Louis)
My son Adonise is a second-generation Haitian-American who has a teacher and a technology professional for parents. Adonise is curious, rambunctious, funny, and intelligent. He’s a budding drummer, and he loves the playground and to wave the Haitian flag every morning. We call him Donnie, but I call him
Little Lobbyists Families in the News: “Understanding Autism” on PBS (by Jeneva Stone)
This spring, PBS aired Understanding Autism, a documentary by filmmaker Scott Steindorff, who was diagnosed with autism as an adult. Steindorff wants to reframe the conversation about autism by focusing on the incredible talents and personalities of autistic people. The film is a rewarding and refreshing look at neurodiversity. Little
We Belong: Why Community Integration Matters
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
Know Your Rights: The Community Integration Mandate (by Jeneva Stone)
Did you know that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not ensure civil rights for people with disabilities? The Act “outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin.” The Civil Rights Act does not outlaw discrimination based on disability. So how then are people with disabilities
25 Years of Olmstead Rights: James & Jenny McLelland’s Story
Today, June 22, 2024, marks the 25th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark case, Olmstead vs. L.C., which affirms the right of disabled people to use their state Medicaid benefits to live in their communities, rather than in institutions. The suit was brought by Lois Curtis
Knowing How to Do All the Stuff: An Interview with Kelley Coleman (by Jeneva Stone)
Kelley Coleman is the mom to two amazing boys, one of whom has multiple disabilities (including an as-yet-undiagnosed genetic syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism, CVI, epilepsy, and more). Her book Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child: Your Guide to the Essential Systems, Services, and Supports stems from
family-advocacy
When No One Consults the Disability Community: The Unfit Transition to ENFit (by Sandra Joy Stein)
“Hey there”, my email to our enteral supplier began in as friendly a tone as I could muster, “We received my son’s tube-feeding supplies and after his home health aide went to hang one of the bags, she realized that the wrong feeding bags were sent. We usually get
family-advocacy
Supporting Your Disabled Child In Adulthood (by Grace Dow)
Adulthood is a challenging time for most young adults and their families. For adults with disabilities and their parents, it’s extra challenging. As an adult with Cerebral Palsy, adulthood has been more challenging than I’d imagined. Luckily, my parents have been supportive. I am lucky to have a
family-advocacy
Remembering Julie Beckett: Discovering Our Strength
Little Lobbyists honors the passing of an advocate who changed our children’s lives: Julie Beckett, the mother of Katie Beckett, for whom a crucial Medicaid waiver is named. Julie and Katie Beckett became advocates for people with disabilities because they wanted justice and a good life for Katie and
family-advocacy
A Reflection on the Healing Power of the Affordable Care Act (by Peter Witzler)
On June 17, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision on a group of cases from several states that challenged the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that the plaintiffs lacked standing to challenge the health care law. This was the third