Share Your Experience with the United States Congress

On November 8, 2007, as part of CHADD's 19th Annual Conference, we will be taking to the halls of Congress for our CHADD "Morning on the Hill" to make sure our elected officials know that we're paying attention. Hundreds of CHADD conference attendees will be visiting their members of Congress to tell their personal stories about AD/HD. Our goal is that all conference attendees go to the Hill. We typically have between 1,200 and 1,500 conference attendees. But we need your help to make this day the huge success we know it can be. This Morning on the Hill is a CHADD strategic priority, and is needed to convince Congress that AD/HD is a serious disorder.

The focus of the appointments is to discuss your lived personal experience with AD/HD and related disorders. We will have handouts on a half-dozen public policy issues, but the real purpose is to inform Congress about AD/HD. You can directly explain to members of the U.S. Congress what living with AD/HD is like. But you won’t be alone—you will be part of a delegation of people from your own state. You will experience legislative democracy firsthand, make a memory for a lifetime, and have a lot of fun!

CHADD national and chapter volunteer leaders are agreeing to become state legislative delegation "captains"—facilitators and mentors. We are providing training to all captains. Every CHADD delegation will be led by one of these mentors. Just this week, we asked our leaders to become captains, and already a dozen have volunteered. When we have many more captains on board, we will share this list.

We need more than a thousand people attending the Morning on the Hill to leave a lasting impression. We are making and confirming the appointments, providing transportation from the hotel to the Hill, and providing breakfast. Members of Congress and CHADD staff members will orient you before going to the Hill. We want to reassure those of you who have never visited your member of Congress that it is important, easy, and fun.

If you are planning to attend the conference on Friday and Saturday only, please reconsider. A prominent candidate for President will likely be our opening speaker at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, November 7. The standard conference fee includes the Wednesday evening plenary session. All the Thursday morning Hill activities are free of charge.

Thank you for your efforts to build CHADD's social movement to assist people with AD/HD and related disorders.

Let us know your thoughts about this activity—questions, concerns, excitement. And join us on the Hill!

Clarke