Governmental Affairs Committee Legislative Advocacy Tools

Advocacy Tools

The Arc of Massachusetts' Governmental Affairs Committee has developed and compiled the following advocacy tools to assist individuals in effectively advocating for the interests of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

Viewing most of these resources requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. Click here to download this free software.

The Arc's Step-by-Step Guide for what to do if you are Impacted by Recent Budget Cuts: "Know Your Rights" and other Age-Old Advice. Click here to see and print Word version.

Download your own Legislative Advocacy Kit
Explains the basics of legislative advocacy, including an overview of the budget process and the legislative calendar; tips and instructions for communicating with your legislators; sample communications and testimony; and other useful information.

Instructions for Joining Arcmass Listerv: See our step-by-step instructions for joining the Arc of Massachsuetts listserv for regular updates on budget, legislative, and other disability policy issues. Also includes instructions for joining The Arc's Action Center, which will allowyou to send pre-written emails to your legislators on issues of concern to people with disabilities and their families.

We Need Your Story: Please share your story with us. Stories are extremely important for us to be able to give our elected officials a personal take on the needs of people with disabilities and their families. We can use success stories as well. You can select the
degree of disclosure you are comfortable with.

Providing Testimony: A step-by-step guide to providing verbal and/or written testimony at the State House. Includes tips and instructions on providing testimony, and sample testimony.

State House Info: Everything you need to know about getting there and getting in the door...Directions, Parking, Entrances and Security.

Communicating with State Legislators in Good Times and Bad
A family-friendly guide (updated 10/2008) on the importance and best ways of communicating with your state legislators on issues vital to your family member with developmental disabilities. Designed for parents, families, and advocates of persons with cognitive and developmental disabilities.
Find Your State Representative's Contact Info Here
Find Your State Senator's Contact Info Here

Top 10 Guidelines for Meeting with Policy Makers

How to Write a Letter to the Editor

Learn how the system works ... and how you can make it work for you
TheArcLink Massachusetts offers resources designed to help people understand the system and how to navigate it. Learn about the services available to Massachusetts residents and how to obtain them; access tips and instructions on influencing the system; view guidelines for interviewing potential service providers; learn about the grievance processes in use for developmental disabilities services in Massachusetts; and more.

Guide to Lawmaking in Massachusetts
Includes a glossary of legislative terms as well as guidelines for how you can participate in the legislative process. Courtesy of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

See The Arc's Frequently Asked Questions about Voting and Disabilities

Glossaries
* Legislative terms
* Terms and acronyms commonly used by the Department of Mental Retardation (DMR)

If you need any of these materials in an alternate format,
please contact us at (781) 891-6270 or arcmass@arcmass.org

For more resources, visit our Advocacy & Self-Advocacy page.