NCIL’s 2020 Annual Conference on Independent Living Wrap-Up is now available online.

NCIL’s 2020 Annual Conference on Independent Living was truly unprecedented – an accessible virtual conference on disability rights and independent living. Despite having just weeks to overhaul our entire conference and transform it into a virtual experience, we were able to put together a 3 week conference packed with a plethora of content affecting CILs, SILCs, and people with disabilities: advocacy and public policy, the COVID-19 pandemic, racism and racial justice, voting rights and access, and so much more. Yes, three weeks was a very long time, but all conference content was recorded and offered online so that people did not have to attend live. Part of the reason for the long conference is that we had already accepted all of our workshops for the original, in-person conference, but we needed to add content on COVID-19 and racial justice and police violence to address everything that was happening in 2020. 

While we all missed our iconic NCIL March through the streets of Washington, we were thrilled to see everyone’s photos for the virtual March, and our virtual Rally was a really exciting and moving event. Holding a virtual conference came with some silver linings, too. We had our largest conference in NCIL history, with well over 1,000 participants. Without the need to travel, more people than ever were able to afford and access the conference. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, to all of our 2020 Annual Conference attendees, sponsors, and exhibitors, who stuck with us during this unexpected upheaval. You are the ones who make the NCIL conference special, no matter if it’s virtual or in person. We could not have gotten through this year without the support of our members, conference attendees, and donors. 

While there’s no question that this has been a very difficult year – devastating at times – the NCIL conference was transformed by the realities of COVID-19 pandemic. Some of that has resulted in positive changes that will stay with us in the future. We are so glad to be a part of this evolution and we are excited for what the future holds. 

• Read the full 2020 Annual Conference on Independent Living Wrap-Up

The United States Postal Service (USPS) has been experiencing drastic changes that have led to major delays in mail service. People around the country are experiencing weeks of delays in receiving mail-order prescriptions, medical equipment, benefits checks, bills, notices, and other necessities they receive via mail. Delays in these critical items and information could result in utility shutoffs, homelessness, food insecurity, sickness, and other dire consequences for disabled people. USPS has also told 46 states and the District of Columbia that it may not be able to deliver mail-in ballots in time for the General Election in November.  

Before the coronavirus pandemic, the USPS was instrumental in delivering necessities and information. As the country continues to struggle with the Coronavirus pandemic, many more people rely on the USPS to receive medications through mail-order pharmacies. Millions of Americans plan on voting by mail to exercise their right to vote while maintaining social distance.  

The National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) are asking for your help in collecting stories that we can use to illustrate how the changes to the USPS are impacting people with disabilities. We are looking for: 

1. Stories from people who have experienced delays in receiving the following: 

• Medications 
• Medical supplies, including durable medical equipment 
• Basic Necessities 
• Paychecks or benefit checks 
• Bills and notices 

2. Stories from people who plan to vote by mail in the November election. How do you feel about the changes to the USPS so far, and how have these changes impacted your plans to vote in November? 

Our goal is to collect these stories and send them to the House of Representatives prior to the House Oversight Committee’s emergency hearing on mail delays taking place on August 24, 2020.  

Please submit stories through the online form or by sending them to [email protected] by Saturday, August 22 at Midnight. Please include your first name (or initials), your city and state, and two to three paragraphs concisely telling your story.   

We are greatly saddened by the loss of Representative John Lewis, who died after a battle with cancer at the age of 80. Representative Lewis was a hero of the civil rights movement who dedicated his life to fighting for justice, including during his over three decades in Congress. There he was seen as a sort of moral authority, becoming known as “the conscience of the Congress.”

Representative Lewis spent his whole life fighting to make America a country that truly belonged to everyone. Well-known for his activism around voting rights, he was a staunch advocate for many important issues ranging from healthcare to immigration to disability rights. He was a lifelong activist, having been arrested over 40 times throughout his life, and frequently encouraging people to make “good trouble” in the pursuit of justice.

Representative Lewis leaves behind a legacy of justice-seeking, of love, and of honor. NCIL joins the broader civil and human rights community, and the entire nation, in mourning the loss of this true hero. We commit to continuing the work for justice and equity. And we commit to working to make this country, and our community, one that truly belongs to everyone.

We hope you are getting excited for this year’s Virtual Hill Day, which is coming up quickly! As a reminder, the Virtual Hill Day will be on Tuesday, July 21, 2020.

Earlier this week, the Co-Chairs of several key NCIL Legislative and Advocacy Subcommittees hosted NCIL’s annual Policy Briefing to provide everyone with key information in preparation for next week’s Virtual Hill visits.

• View the archived Policy Briefing
• See NCIL’s previous message about scheduling your virtual meetings

We want to provide you with some additional key information heading into next week!

Virtual March

Our Virtual Hill Day includes a fun, new virtual format for our Annual March! To participate, make a homemade sign with your message on it and send us a picture. You can use anything from poster board to a regular sheet of paper. Just make sure your text is BOLD so we can read your message. You can use any medium. Send your photo to [email protected] and include a short description of your photo (30 words or less). We’ll post the photos we receive on the NCIL Virtual March page.

Virtual Rally

Our Virtual Hill Day also includes a fun, new virtual format for our Annual Rally! We have an incredible line-up of members of Congress and advocates who will be providing remarks to inform and energize you before you head into your Hill meetings. You can tune in to the Rally at 11:00 a.m. Eastern at the NCIL Virtual Rally page. To allow for the greatest amount of flexibility around your meeting schedules, the Rally video will be archived and available throughout the conference. ASL interpretation and CART will be provided.

Advocacy Priorities & Talking Points

Each of NCIL’s Legislative & Advocacy Subcommittees have written up summaries of their key priorities and talking points to help prepare you for your Virtual Hill Visits!

Advocacy Priorities & Talking Points:

• Advocacy Priorities & Talking Points (PDF)
• Advocacy Priorities & Talking Points (Word)
• Advocacy Priorities & Talking Points (plain text)
• Advocacy Priorities & Talking Points (audio / mp3)
• Advocacy Priorities & Talking Points (text only)

As a reminder, the Virtual Day on the Hill is open to the public. We encourage everyone to join us for the Virtual March, Rally, and Hill Visits! This year’s Virtual Hill Visits have the potential to make a huge impact. Congress returns from recess on Monday, July 20, and our Virtual Hill Day will be a critical time to urge our members of Congress to take action and to prioritize the needs of their disabled constituents. We hope you will join us!

This year, NCIL’s Virtual Hill Day will be on Tuesday, July 21, 2020. We hope you have already been scheduling meetings with your Members of Congress and are planning to attend our 2020 Policy Briefing on Tuesday, July 14.

• Register for Policy Briefing
• See NCIL’s previous message about scheduling your virtual meetings

Our Virtual Hill Day also includes a fun, new virtual format for our Annual Rally! We have a fantastic line-up of people who will be providing remarks to inform and energize you before you head into your Hill meetings. You can tune in to the Rally at 11:00 am Eastern at the NCIL Conference website or our YouTube page. To allow for the greatest amount of flexibility around your meeting schedules, the Rally video will be archived and available at both websites all day. ASL interpretation and CART will be provided.

This year’s Virtual Hill Visits have the potential to make a huge impact. Congress returns from recess on Monday, July 20. While the House has already passed the HEROES Act, the Senate has not taken any action on the next COVID-19 relief package. Our Virtual Hill Day will be a critical time to urge our Senators to take action and to prioritize the needs of their disabled constituents. This is an important time, and we hope you will all join us!

We will be providing the links to the Virtual Rally (which is open to the public!) and additional information to help prepare you for your meetings soon. Stay tuned!

Tuesday, July 14, 2020; 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. Eastern

Register online

NCIL is happy to announce our 15th Annual Policy Briefing.

This important presentation will to bring advocates up-to-date on national issues and federal policies that affect people with disabilities and provide participants with question and answer sessions with national leaders to ensure you have in-depth information on the issues you care about most.

The Policy Briefing will ensure that we are fired up and prepared for NCIL’s 2020 Virtual Day on the Hill!

This teleconference is free for NCIL Members and conference registrants. There is a $25.00 registration fee for Non-Members / non-conference registrants, per call-in site. Fee does not apply per participant in group, provided the group uses the same conference line.

The Policy Briefing will be available via webinar / teleconference and CART captioning will be provided.  You must register by 12:00 Noon Eastern on July 14 to participate in the call.

Please contact Tim Fuchs at [email protected] with any questions.

DATE CORRECTION: The 2020 NCIL Policy Briefing will be Tuesday, July 14^th from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m. EDT.  The call will be recorded and available online if you are not available at this new time. 

This year, NCIL’s Annual Hill Day will be on Tuesday, July 21, 2020. Like the rest of the Annual Conference, it will be completely virtual!

Part of each Annual Hill Day is the Hill Visits. These are meetings with the Senators and Representatives in Congress who represent you. A key part of successful Hill Visits is planning ahead – and this is just as important for a Virtual Hill Day!

We will be announcing the date for our annual Legislative and Advocacy (L&A) briefing soon. At this briefing, the Chairs of key NCIL L&A Subcommittees will discuss NCIL’s legislative priorities. They will also provide talking points to prepare you for your meetings. This briefing will be archived and available afterwards.

NCIL will be providing additional details about the Virtual Hill Day as they become available. This also includes a fun, new, virtual format for our Annual Rally!