Today we’re diving into the seventh installment of our eight-part, issue-based podcast series, and we will explore how nonprofits that operate in the health and disability rights space can boldly advance their missions through advocacy. Not only will we touch on recent developments in the news, but we’ll also discuss various lobbying and non-lobbying strategies currently being used by nonprofit advocates working to improve healthcare access and disability rights.
Attorneys for this episode
Natalie Ossenfort
Monika Graham
Victor Rivera
Shownotes
Current Events / Executive Orders
· Trump Administration Directives on Health & Disability Rights
o The One Big Beautiful Bill introduces new eligibility requirements that will exclude an estimated 5.2 million adults from receiving Medicaid benefits. In total, over 8.6 million adults could lose healthcare coverage as a result of this bill.
o Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently dismissed the 17-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
o Reports estimate that the Department of Health and Human Services has cut over 10,000 employees.
o The Trump administration has also taken recent actions that limit healthcare coverage for gender-affirming care in its crusade against gender ideology.
· Supreme Court victory for disability rights
o The US Supreme Court unanimously held that children with disabilities should have an easier path to sue or seek recourse against schools for failing to provide ADA-compliant accommodations. This lower barrier of entry to bring legal claims represents a significant victory for disability rights groups.
Non-lobbying Advocacy
Advocacy can take many forms, and lobbying is just one form. Your organization can engage in non-lobbying activities like: Organizing, educating the public, conducting research, executive branch and regulatory activities, working with your local state board of elections, training and litigation are just a few examples.
· Educating the Public
o The Arc’s North Carolina chapter, an AFJ member organization, continues to shed light on how recent actions by the Trump administration may have a lasting impact on the rights of students with disabilities.
· Holding a Rally
o This February[GU1] [VR2] [VR3] [GU4] , several health and disability rights groups held a Disability Advocacy Day at the Missouri Capitol. During the event, attendees urged the state to withdraw from a lawsuit brought on by 17 attorneys generals, including the Missouri AG. The groups want to keep federal protections for people with disabilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Section 504 provides funds for special accommodations for students and protects qualified individuals with disabilities.
· Litigation as Advocacy
o Planned Parenthood of Montana is celebrating a recent legal victory in the abortion space. by The Montana Supreme Court blocked several anti-abortion laws from taking effect in Montana that would institute a 20-week abortion ban and place significant restrictions on abortion-inducing medications.
o A federal district judge granted a preliminary injunction temporarily blocking a Trump executive order that prohibits prison officials from providing gender-affirming hormone therapy and other accommodations to transgender people. The lawsuit was filed by the ACLU, the ACLU of DC, and the Transgender Law Center.
Lobbying
· Advocacy Days
o The Arc Minnesota recently organized a rally day at the Minnesota Capitol to protect disability funding.
· Legislative Wins
o California: A coalition of nonprofit organizations successfully pushed SB634, the Unhoused Service Providers Protection Act, off the Senate floor. This bill is designed to increase protections for people and organizations that provide support to the unhoused.
o New York: The New York State Senate approved a bill that allows people facing terminal illnesses to end their lives on their own terms, which the bill’s proponents say will ensure a measure of autonomy to New Yorkers in their final days. The bill has the support of several health and disability rights groups like Compassion and Choices.
Resources
· Health and Equity: The Advocacy Playbook for Health and Disability Rights
· Public Charities Can Lobby Factsheet
· Practical Guidance: What your nonprofit needs to know about lobbying in your state
· Investing in Change: A Funder’s Guide to Supporting Advocacy