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Independent Living News & Policy from the National Council on Independent Living

Action Alert: Invite Your Members of Congress to the 2019 NCIL Congressional Briefing & Reception on Capitol Hill!

Note: Online RSVPs are closed as of 5:00 p.m. Eastern on Friday, February 22. Individuals who do not RSVP can still attend the event (space permitting) and can register on site.

Dear NCIL Members,

It’s time for the annual NCIL Congressional Briefing & Reception on Capitol Hill! If you are in the DC area, we hope you will join us. Please see the event details and RSVP at our website.

Wherever you are, we are asking for your help to get your members of Congress to attend this briefing. NCIL, as the national advocate for CILs, SILCs, and the Independent Living philosophy, has the mission of being your voice in Washington DC and representing your interests. NCIL hosts this annual briefing and reception in order to educate members of Congress on a number of relevant policy initiatives that aim to advance disability rights and the ability of people with disabilities to live more independently.

There is a lot at stake for our community in 2019. This event is a great opportunity for your members of Congress to learn more about the issues affecting our members, and they will hopefully leave better equipped to vote in the interests of the Independent Living community.

To invite your members, simply email the customizable invitation below to your Senators and Representatives, and urge them to attend! They are much more likely to attend if they hear from constituents within their home districts, so we are really counting on our members to make this event a success.

Follow the links below to find contact information for your state’s Representatives and Senators. You will likely have to submit an email using the form on their website.

Sample Invitation Letter

Dear [Senator or Representative’s Name],

The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) would like to invite you and your staff to our Congressional Briefing & Reception on the State of Disability in America. As a member of NCIL and as your constituent, I sincerely hope you will attend. With so much at stake in 2019, we want to ensure that our elected officials understand the issues that are most important to the independent living community. The event will take place on Thursday, February 28 from 5:00-7:00 p.m. in the Kennedy Caucus Room (Russell Senate Office Building, Room 325).

NCIL is America’s oldest cross-disability, grassroots organization run by and for people with disabilities. Founded in 1982, NCIL represents individuals with disabilities and organizations including Centers for Independent Living (CILs), Statewide Independent Living Councils (SILCs), and other organizations that advocate for the human and civil rights of people with disabilities throughout the United States. There are currently over 700 locations across America providing Independent Living services.

As your constituent, I am inviting you to attend this year’s event because it is important to me that my elected officials strongly support their constituents with disabilities. Last year’s NCIL Briefing was extremely successful, and was well attended by leaders in the disability community, the Administration, and both parties in Congress. We are looking forward to another exciting event this year.

We would like to thank Anthem, Inc. for the continued support, and Senator Casey for sponsoring the room for this event. If you plan to attend, or if you have any questions, please RSVP at the link below or to NCIL’s Policy Analyst, Lindsay Baran, at [email protected] by Tuesday, February 19, 2019.

NCIL Congressional Briefing & Reception
Thursday, February 28, 2019
5:00-7:00 p.m.
Location: Kennedy Caucus Room (Russell Senate Office Building, Room 325).

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

2019 Congressional Briefing and Reception Logo features a drawing of the Capitol Rotunda