Want Better Policy? Stop Explaining and Start Inviting.
Most provider leaders I talk to assume one of two things about advocacy:
“That’s for lobbyists.”
“I don’t have time to add that to my plate.”
Both assumptions make sense. They’re also quietly costing our field influence.
In a recent conversation on the IDD Leader Podcast, I spoke with Libby Vinson, CEO of the New Jersey Association of Community Providers (NJACP). And she kept coming back to an idea that’s almost suspiciously simple:
If you want lawmakers to understand your work, invite them in.
Not to a briefing.
Not to a perfectly polished presentation.
To the actual work.
And once you hear why this works, it’s unfortunate to realize how much opportunity provider leaders are leaving on the table.
The Real Problem Isn’t Policy. It’s Distance.
From the outside, disability services are abstract.
Budgets. Line items. Regulations. Headlines.
From the inside, they’re deeply human — routines, relationships, moments of care that never make the news.
Libby’s point was blunt and refreshing:
Most lawmakers aren’t indifferent. They’re just far removed.
They don’t wake up thinking, “How can I misunderstand providers today?”
They’re making decisions without ever having seen what you see every day.
And distance creates bad policy.
Why Inviting Lawmakers Works (Even If You Hate the Idea)
Here’s the counterintuitive truth Libby shared:
You don’t need to be persuasive. You don’t need to be political. You don’t need to be perfect.
You just need to open the door.
When lawmakers step into a home, a vocational program, or a day program:
Policy stops being theoretical
Workforce challenges stop sounding like excuses
And complexity suddenly makes sense
It’s no longer your opinion.
It’s their experience.
That shift is powerful — and it’s why Libby keeps telling providers:
“Make the ask.”
Not a demand. An invitation.
This Isn’t “One More Thing.” It’s a Leadership Move.
For execs and HR leaders especially, this matters.
Workforce instability doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Funding rates, regulations, staffing ratios, overtime rules — all of it is shaped by people who rarely see the downstream impact.
Inviting lawmakers isn’t about advocacy as an add-on.
It’s about reducing friction long-term.
Less explaining later.
Fewer reactive fixes.
More informed decisions upstream.
That’s not politics. That’s strategy.
What This Means for You (Even Outside New Jersey)
You might be thinking, “That’s great for NJ, but my state is different.” The principle still holds.
Lawmakers everywhere respond to:
Relationships over reports
Stories over statistics
Experience over explanation
And no one is better positioned to create that experience than provider leaders themselves.
If you want to hear Libby unpack this in her own words — including why providers consistently underestimate their influence — listen to:
Episode 70 – Why Workforce Stability Starts With Leadership, Not Fixes
https://iddleader.com/podcastEpisode 71 – Disability Provider Advocacy Shouldn’t Be This Easy
https://iddleader.com/podcast
(Start with Episode 70 for the bigger picture, then Episode 71 for the advocacy shift.)
One Small Step That Actually Matters
You don’t need a campaign. You don’t need talking points. You don’t need permission.
Just ask yourself:
Who would make better decisions if they actually saw our work?
Then send the invite. Worst case? Nothing changes.
Best case? Policy starts catching up to reality.
And honestly — that’s a risk worth taking.
