How AzDAC Got Started

Background: Over the past decade, disability rights organizations throughout Arizona have spearheaded a number of successful federal, state and local public policy initiatives aimed at improving the lives of individuals with disabilities. While the disability community has enjoyed many victories in the public policy arena, insufficient resources devoted specifically to improving public policy coordination among advocacy organizations and the community has often hampered efforts to create a more coordinated and far-reaching public policy presence in Arizona.

Problem: The lack of coordination in the public policy arena has resulted in the duplication of efforts, gaps in communication between advocacy organizations, and a lack of usable information on current issues at the community level, thus limiting the capacity of the disability community to take action on policy issues.

Solution: Improved coordination in this arena would result in the increased empowerment of advocacy organizations and community members, while ultimately allowing the disability community to have a greater impact when federal, state and local policy change is needed to improve the lives of persons with disabilities and ensure protection of their rights.

Action! In order to address this issue, several organizations serving individuals with a wide range of disabilities, including mental, physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities, began a series of meetings in February 2002 to study public policy coordination within the disability community. Facilitated through the Technical Assistance Partnership (TAP) program, sponsored by St. Luke’s Health Initiatives, the meetings focused on topics such as expanding the grassroots network of persons with disabilities and their family members who are active in advocating for public policy change and the establishment of an annual public policy agenda for the disability community. The last meeting held in conjunction with the TAP initiative was held on May 22, 2002. The outcome of the series of meetings was an agreement among the organizations to enter into a Memorandum Of Understanding under the name of the Arizona Disability Advocacy Coalition (AzDAC).

AzDAC founding member organizations: Arizona Center for Disability Law, Arizona Technology Access Program, Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Mental Health Association, Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, and Arizona Bridge to Independent Living.