“The resources and tools presented in Partners reach much further than policymaking and can be ingrained into our daily lives.”
The Partners in Policymaking Program is a leadership training program designed for adults with disabilities and for parents of children with disabilities. The program teaches leadership skills, and the process of developing positive partnerships with elected officials and other individuals who make the policy decisions about services which individuals with disabilities and their families use. The program is based on the belief that the most effective and enduring public policy decisions are made by the people who need and use services in partnership with elected officials and other policymakers. It is about becoming confident in oneself, competent in the knowledge and information received and comfortable in sharing the life experiences and expertise one brings to the program.
Effective change takes people, united as one, working together. Partners in Policymaking is a program that prepares individuals to be effective leaders and advocates for the rights of people with disabilities. The goal is to achieve a productive partnership between people needing and using services and those delivering services or making policy or law.
Training for Excellence
Selected participants attend eight two-day training sessions with a Friday night stay-over at the hotel (for those traveling from outside of the training site area). Training sessions and accommodations are provided at no cost to participants including travel and needed supports. The sessions explore current disability issues, best practices and the policymaking and legislative processes at the local, state and federal levels. Partners also complete assignments between sessions and commit to one major project after graduation.
We Need YOU!
Partners in Policymaking invites adults with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities to fill out an application. Partners are highly motivated men and women who represent a variety of backgrounds, geographic regions of the state and different types of disabilities. Those who are not already active in advocacy organizations are especially encouraged to apply.
Session Topics Include:
History of the Disability Movement
People First Language
Inclusion
Communicating Effectively
Supported/Inter-dependent Living
Personal-Futures Planning
Supported Employment
Assistive Technology
Strategies for Effective Advocacy
Positive Behavioral Supports
State Legislative Process
Federal Policy & Legislative Process
Vision Building
Community Organizing & Alliance Building
And So Much More!