Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Beyond Trump: A Webinar to Sharpen Your Engagement with Those Running for Office This Year, All of Them

The cable news channels are saturated with Trump-related news. Print media and other TV channels are also seeking rating heaven by tracking his every utterance and what his competitors are responding. There is no doubt he is a one-of-a-kind phenomenon, or at least I hope so.

What will we do when the dust settles? I hope, recognize that there are many other people running for elective office -- 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 33 Seats in the Senate are up for grabs this year. Now is the time to learn about these OTHER candidates and engage them. Make them an ally early on things that are important to you.

 I am president of the U.S. international Council on Disabilities (USICD). I have agreed to do a webinar for USICD, "Engaging Politicians: High Impact Strategies for Individuals with Disabilities & Their Advocates".

In this one-hour web-based lecture, I offer a little history and strategies for exercising your civic-minded muscles -- what to do, how to do it, and how to judge your success. The webinar will focus on goal setting, messaging, organizing, and assessing your becoming a force for disability rights, not only here but around the world. The webinar will be held at 3:00-4:00 pm East Coast time on Tuesday, March 22, 2016.

For those new to my blog, my career includes stints in both the public and private sector. I worked for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions for five years and worked for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor for seven years. During those times I played a central role in the drafting of major disability legislation ranging from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997, to the Assistive Technology Act of 1998, to the Ticket to Work and Work Incentive Improvement Act of 1999, the Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 (ADA), and more.

I have also served as a consultant to Fortune 200 companies on ADA compliance and was a member of the U.S. Delegation to a United Nations while it drafted the Convention on Civil Rights for Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

To register here's the link: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07ecdazi8l8a87b859&llr=xmiyfhdab


By June we should know who the presidential front runners are. Why not use the time between now and then to refresh our knowledge of our congressional candidates and develop plans for engaging them as individuals and through organizations in which  we are members. One step in the preparation process is my webinar. It costs $50, which will help USICD expand its work overseas. With your $50 you receive a one-membership to USICD. If you are already a member, you can pass it on to someone else as a gift. The membership is worth $25.

I look forward to your joining me on March 22, at 3 PM (EDT). There are a limited number of slots, so please register today!

Thank you,

Common Grounder