This year’s Virtual Roll on Capitol Hill number is 200!
200 United Spinal advocates and allies attended over 200 congressional meetings this week. They urged our policymakers to act on policies that impact the quality of life and independence of wheelchair users.
“This was my second year doing Roll on Capitol Hill and my first virtual experience was amazing. For my state’s representative to see me as a constituent and sympathize with our cause meant the world. They may not have been disabled themselves, but they knew someone with a disability they were close to,” says Tyra Randle, an advocate and wheelchair user in Missouri.
“I felt like my voice was heard.”
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ROCH Policy Priorities
Wheelchair Service and Repair Reform: Our community knows how important the right wheelchair is to our independence. We face daily challenges to getting the right wheelchair, battling our insurance policies and experiencing delays in obtaining the equipment we need.
Expand Access to Care Support: People with disabilities face a caregiving system that is underfunded, outdated and filled with holes. Medicaid home and community-based services (HCBS) helps to keep people with disabilities in our own homes and part of our communities. Because of the lack of funding, the direct care workforce is underpaid and family members are often forced to become unpaid caregivers.
Maximizing Rehabilitation Outcomes: In collaboration with clinicians, researchers and advocates we want to maximize the health and functional outcomes of individuals living with spinal cord injuries during their initial rehabilitation program.
Why We Roll
- To preserve and enhance disability rights
- To make all transportation accessible (air, ground and sea)
- To strengthen community supports and services
- To improve public accessibility
- To secure increased funding for Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems and advance better rehabilitation outcomes
- To ensure accessible affordable internet and expanded telehealth access
- To secure and improve veterans’ benefits and services
- To secure appropriate medical equipment, supplies and pharmaceuticals
- To obtain appropriate wheelchairs and assistive technologies
Our 12th annual Roll on Capitol Hill brought great progress but the work is far from over. Be a part of the change and take action with us.
Are you a member of United Spinal Association interested in making a difference for wheelchair users? Join our Grassroots Advocacy Network today. For more information on our extensive advocacy and policy activities, visit our advocacy and policy page.