Grassroots Advocacy

This is a bizarre thing to post but I thought it deserved to be shared to a wider audience. A website devoted to sharing resources for deaf and the hearing impaired posted tips for advocacy and how to approach legislators. Cheryl Heppner summarized the following information from Shhh, a conference and workshop on how to implement classroom acoustics standards. A lawyer, John Flanders, entitled his presentation "Four Things Your Mother Taught You About Political Advocacy," which included: don't talk to strangers, bring something for your host, don't talk with your mouth full, and write thank you notes. Here are the summarized tips for improving your efforts at legislative advocacy:

- "Don't Talk to Strangers." Talk to the people who represent you, using the contacts you have to get started. Involve other people because they also could have key contacts. Volunteer for a politician; you don't just have to throw money to get heard. Watch the media reports to find out which politicians have an interest or history of supporting bills like the one you want. Use the media to get attention; you will be less of a stranger to people who have seen your name.



- "Bring Something for Your Host." If you approach the legislator with bill language already worked out, you've done their homework. Also give support information about why the bill is needed, its impact, resources and its cost. This helps give them a map of the minefield and can help make allies.



-- "Don't Talk with Your Mouth Full." When people advocate, they tend to get excited and talk about all kinds of things associated with the issue. A politician's time is limited and he or she wants to hear something concise. Use information that is memorable, like the Tennessee study that showed poor acoustics was linked to children being held back. Be prepared and have answers to any potential questions.



-- "Write Thank You Notes." At the end of the session, thank the legislator in as public a way as you can. This will make your politician much more willing and eager to help with the next issue you want to tackle. Some ways you can do this are to give an award or some exposure such as a photo op. Recognize staffers too because they do much of the hard work on an issue.



-- "A Few Things Your Mom Probably Didn't Mention." You should issue a lot of press releases so the media becomes familiar with you and the issue. They probably won't print the first or second, but on a slow news day, they might. Weekly papers will print more; so will "thrifty shopper" type publications. Take advantage of local access television. Some politicians have their own weekly shows and you can try to get invited to speak. Arrange a day at the Capital if you have a lot of support; get a room for a reception and/or fan out and visit representatives.