The United Spinal Association Advocacy Network currently has five working groups that meet virtually monthly. These working groups are Accessible Parking, Outdoor Access, Emergency Preparedness, Care Support, and Accessible Transportation.  These working groups provide opportunities for advocates to organize around the issues that matter most to them. The members of these working groups work together to compile their experiences, suggestions, and networks to create resources for the disability community. These resources can be found on the Advocacy Resource webpage at https://unitedspinal.org/advocacy-resources/. 

Many of our advocates have expressed an interest in United Spinal Association starting and running other working groups around the possible topics of wheelchair repair, housing, and health equity. We would like the capstone students to help with running some of these requested working groups. We also want to create more outreach and involvement with the younger population, marginalized groups, other disability organizations, and disability groups.  

Running these working groups requires scheduling, taking notes, facilitating the working group monthly meetings, setting goals and targeting issues, and creating resources on topics selected by the working group members. After targeting the desired issues, the group would work together to find solutions and the steps needed to achieve those solutions. In order to increase our outreach, we are looking for ways to connect and network with other disability organizations, social media groups, the younger population, and marginalized groups.

Success would include adding and running new working groups and increasing our outreach. Measurable results are based on creating quarterly resources from the working groups, and increasing the number of advocates who sign up and participate in these working groups. In regard to outreach, success would be based on engaging and collaborating with other various groups and populations.