Anchored in Advocacy: The 2025 Policy Summit & Hill Day

Last month, ANCOR hosted hundreds of advocates in Washington, DC, for our 2025 Policy Summit & Hill Day! On Monday, September 8, more than 260 advocates joined us for the Policy Summit—featuring keynoters Jonathan Martin of POLITICO and the Honorable Tony Coelho, former US Senator and architect of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Attendees also celebrated the recipients of the 2025 Excellence in Public Policy Awards, which recognized ten disability leaders, including five members of Congress.

This year’s Policy Summit was a testament to the fact that even in challenging times such as these, we are stronger when we come together, connect, and learn from one another on how to move forward in creating a better world for people with I/DD and their families. In that spirit, a new feature of this year’s Summit was the convening of the inaugural cohort of ANCOR’s DSP Ambassador Program.

The inaugural cohort of DSP Ambassadors at their welcome reception at D.C. staple The Dubliner.

Designed to enhance the ability of direct support professionals to tell their stories about the vital role they play in the communities they serve, the DSP Ambassador Program’s inaugural cohort includes 38 of the nation’s leading DSPs who began an intensive eight-month training program at the Summit, held in celebration of DSP Recognition Week 2025. DSPs learned techniques for turning their success stories into powerful advocacy during their meetings with lawmakers. ANCOR was immensely grateful for the DSP Ambassadors’ openness to sharing their experiences.

On Tuesday, September 9, DSP Ambassadors joined hundreds of other advocates from across the country for meetings on Capitol Hill. ANCOR coordinated a record-breaking 280 meetings with 200 House members and 80 Senators across 42 states! These meetings offered direct access to the people who influence the federal policy landscape surrounding the vital services DSPs and provider organizations deliver.

We are so grateful to all of the advocates who took the time to meet with their elected officials on the critical importance of I/DD services, and what needs to be done to protect home and community-based services for people with I/DD. We also want to thank our sponsors, Elevance Health, iCareManager, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Kibu, Therap, and Statewise for helping make the experience possible.

Save the date for next year! Mark your calendar to join us at next year’s Policy Summit & Hill Day in Washington, DC, which will once again kickoff DSP Recognition Week, on September 15-16, 2026! In the meantime, our advocacy doesn’t stop. We urge everyone, even if you weren’t able to join us in DC, to take action today through the ANCOR Amplifier, and spread the word with your professional and social networks.

Thank you to all who joined us in DC for making our collective voice heard, and for making this year’s Policy Summit & Hill Day our biggest yet!

Alli Strong-Martin is ANCOR’s Marketing & Communications Manager.