Spring Kick Off: Educational Access for Children with Disabilities

In late January, NH-ME LEND gathered in Lewiston, Maine for the annual spring kick-off event: Organizing to Influence Your State’s Policy. This daylong event was in preparation for the upcoming policy module when the trainee’s attention turns to researching educational policy and analyzing the current data related to educational access for children with disabilities. 

The session included two keynote speakers, Atlee Reilly, Managing Attorney at Disability Right Maine (DRM), and Sarah Sadowski, Project Director of the NH Leadership Series, UNH Institute on Disability. Atlee, who has represented children on a wide range of education related issues, presented foundational information about the Individual with Disabilities Education Act, Americans with Disability Act, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as a framework for trainees to understand the legal basis for the civil and educational rights of children in public schools.  Sarah Sadowski’s presentation focused on effective ways to make policy change through powerful personal stories and cultivating voices through coalition building. 

During her presentation Sarah Sadowski shared, "Tell your story, find like-minded people, be mindful of power imbalances, pick a strategy, and adopt an iterative approach." 

ME Senator Marianne Moore seated with Sarah Sadowski. NH Representative Burton, ME Representative Murphy and advocate Alex Beauchner joined virtually. 

In the afternoon, trainees participated in a panel discussion. The guest panelists shared their path to leadership and discussed the importance of all people engaging in policy to educate and influence legislators and policy makers. The panelists included state legislators from Maine, Representative Kelly Noonan Murphy and Senator Marianne Moore, as well as New Hampshire Representative Wayne Burton. The president of ABLE NH, Alex Beauchner and Sarah Sadowski also contributed.

Senator Moore shared this reflection, “Hearing from the people closest to the issue is what I am going to listen to. It does not take a lot of emails. Hearing the details of someone’s story and why they care about an issue is when you can really see the impact it will make. It could be one or two emails or phone calls; that resonates more than three hundred identical form emails.” 

While reflecting on the day, NH-ME LEND Trainee Lisa Rancourt shared, “When Alex Beauchner, a self-advocate, shared his personal stories, his disability experience became a reality. He showed that stories are not just used as emotional appeals, they are evidence of why legislation matters.” 

We look forward to our NH-ME LEND trainees taking their new understanding of the role of education and advocacy in disability policy from today’s session to the Disability Policy Seminar (DPS) and congressional visits on capitol hill in March 2026.