Mark your calendars and make plans to participate the week of August 19, which NCART has designated as National Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) Awareness Week. The purpose of the week is to expand awareness of the important role CRT plays in the lives of people with disabilities and to increase engagement in activities to protect access.
According to Mickae Lee, NCART’s Director of Advocacy, the organization is preparing by collecting testimonials from the CRT community, creating new educational materials, and collaborating with organizations like NRRTS, the Clinician Task Force, and others to maximize participation on a national level. NCART will also be encouraging its members to promote the importance of advocacy within their own networks, schedule meetings with members of Congress in their home offices, attend Town Hall events, or invite Members to visit CRT provider locations.
NCART facilitates and encourages working with members of Congress and their staff throughout the year via Capitol Hill fly-ins, assisting with in-district member site visits, and educating advocates on how to explain CRT and legislation that protects access. The organization earmarks a week in August for a focused and concentrated advocacy push while members of Congress are in their home districts for the August recess.
This summer has gotten off to a fast and exciting start for CRT stakeholders, as language from H.R. 2293 — the bill to protect access to CRT manual wheelchairs — has been included in two larger House bills, significantly increasing the likelihood of passage this year.
Executive Director Don Clayback said of the upcoming activities, “The timing of National CRT Awareness Week is important because we’ve just seen first-hand what consistent advocacy can accomplish. Getting more people involved on a local level will solidify the foundation we’ve all been working hard to build so that we can see bigger change happen.”
Get more specifics on National CRT Awareness Week at www.ncart.us, and at the advocacy site ProtectMyMobility.org. To learn more about how you can get involved, email Mickae Lee at [email protected].
