What it means to become an advocate
An advocate is committed, dedicated to the cause, and participates in activities that potentially further the cause.
As an advocate, you can:
- write letters
- make phone calls
- visit with policymakers to encourage support for important initiatives related to the brain tumor cause.
Why Become an Advocate?
Becoming an advocate is important because the North American health care system will be improved only through cooperative and joint action.
Your efforts made to enact improved policies can make a difference to patients today and tomorrow.
We can be influential by debating issues from a fresh perspective, using our firsthand knowledge of matters that affect oneself and one’s family members.
Advocates can provide a human view, making the issues of health care reform and improved treatments real for policymakers.
Basic Guidelines to becoming a Successful Brain Tumor Advocate
Know the issues and endeavor to understand the relevant positions. Be reasonable and be honest when conveying the issues.
Become knowledgeable about brain tumor facts.
Participate in NABTC Webcasts to stay current.
Become familiar with the legislative process so you can articulate the important positions and interests for the brain tumor community.
Always advocate for your position in a respectful manner. Present the position with clarity and be specific while being concise.
Engage the elected official or his/her staffer in conversations to learn the official’s position.
Opportunities to Communicate with your Senators and Representatives:
Brain Tumor Action Week (BTAW) provides an excellent opportunity to engage elected officials, reminding them of important issues to the brain tumor community. As a concentrated week, BTAW is devoted to the brain tumor cause and healthcare issues, inclusive of topics of interest to patients, friends, and families. Our representatives are always interested in hearing from their constituents.
Communication can be approached in a variety of ways:
- BTAW can be observed on the local level or by coming to Washington, DC, for visits to Capitol Hill. If you are unable to attend BTAW in Washington, can you visit your representatives in their local offices.
- Letter writing campaigns, including messages delivered by email, are often effective and provide a reference for your local policymakers to be reminded of the interest of their constituents.
- Phone calls to elected officials can be very useful; however, due to the busy schedules of the policymakers, it may be more difficult to reach them by telephone. Nonetheless, the office staff makes notes of issues that are the subject of telephone calls.
Each year, the member groups of the North American Brain Tumor Coalition discuss current priorities for advocacy during BTAW. The topics are then presented on the NABTC Web site.
Sign up Today
Remember, it is through our collective efforts as advocates that we may influence vital changes to benefit the brain tumor community. Sign-up today to join our e-mail list. We will notify you of action items requiring your voice to support change.