Advocacy

Advocating for the needs of people with developmental disabilities is vitally important! We must all work together to educate the public about the needs of people with developmental disabilities and to have our voices heard at every level of government. Ways that you can help include:

• Speak to funding bodies and legislators about your situation: both the positive impact of the services you receive and the additional services you and your family need today and in the future.
  
  
• Attend rallies, legislative meetings. Have your voice count!
  
  
• Write to your state and federal legislators to urge them to support bills that will support community based services for people with disabilities.
  
  

How to find out the Elected Officials who represent you

Your elected officials want to hear from you on issues facing people with developmental disabilities. Here are two ways to find out the elected officials who represent you as well as their addresses, phone numbers and other information.

• Method One If you have Internet access
  1. Go to the Web address: www.vote-smart.org
  
  2. On the left side of screen under "Find your Candidates and Elected Officials" insert your zip code plus 4, then select "GO". This will give you your elected officials.
  
  3. If you do not know your "zip code plus 4", at the Vote-Smart site, on the left hand side of the screen, select the zip code look up section under "Find your zip +4". This will link you to the United States Post Office web site. Type in your address. This will give you the zip code, plus 4 for that address. Then, return to vote-smart and insert the zip +4 as stated in #2.
  
  
• Method Two -- If you don't have Internet access
  1. Call CSS at (708) 354-4547
  
  2. Dial "0" for the receptionist.
  
  3. Tell the receptionist that you would like him/her to find out the elected officials who represent you. After you give the receptionist the needed information s/he will look this up for you.