All Policy is Disability Policy: An Invitation to Join the Conversation

Every day, people with disabilities and their families face the exhausting task of navigating fragmented and siloed systems. A disabled person with a job may find themselves removed from benefits after working too much or because of an unknown policy change. A parent may spend hours coordinating their child’s care, managing medical needs, and navigating the maze of public benefits. For too many, the supports meant to ensure opportunity instead become barriers to full participation in the community.

But none of this is new. We are more than thirty-five years past the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and continue to face the same challenges, with more on the horizon. Education, health care, employment, transportation, and benefits are all governed by different policy frameworks, and people with disabilities are expected to bridge the gaps themselves.

Instead, we need evidence-based solutions informed by people with lived experience. That is the goal of Bridging the Gaps in Disability Policy, a hybrid event hosted by New America on October 15. This event will bring together thought leaders including people with lived experience to chart a path toward disability policy that is integrated, inclusive, and forward-looking.

Why Have This Conversation Now?

All policy is disability policy. Whether we are designing workforce programs, investing in technology, or reforming child care, every program and every decision made at both the federal and state level impacts disabled people. Yet, even though one in four adults identifies as disabled in the U.S., our policy continues to be written and implemented with disability seemingly an afterthought.

Too often, the perspectives of those most impacted are only listened to once policies are in place and ramifications are realized. That is why, at our event, the first panel will amplify the voices of individuals who have direct experience with our fragmented systems. Their stories are powerful and they underscore the urgency of why policymakers and decision makers must pay attention.

Connecting Policy Silos

Our fragmented systems take an immense toll on people every single day, starting from birth. From accessing early intervention services and navigating care for young children with disabilities, barriers continue to mount as people grow older, including in areas such as accessing work, maintaining benefits, and receiving care. In the policy world, each domestic issue is often tackled either as a line item or individual issue, rather than addressed holistically as people actually experience the world.

Now, more than ever, we need to center disabled people to address these challenges and find better solutions for everyone. That is the goal of bringing people together to discuss Bridging the Gaps in Disability Policy. Our powerful speakers will weave a narrative that begins with lived experience and builds toward scalable, evidence-based solutions.

Join Us

If you are a policymaker or decision maker, this event is an essential opportunity to listen, learn, and engage. And if you are someone with lived experience, we hope you will find much of the discussion resonates with you. The event will have takeaways for everyone.

We invite you to join us for Bridging the Gaps in Disability Policy. Together, we can ensure that all policy is crafted with disability in mind, so that the disability community no longer bears the burden of connecting fragmented systems.

RSVP and learn more about the event here.