Advocacy Volunteers - Learn ways you can get involved as an advocacy volunteer.- Photo of volunteers in front of the U.S Capital Building

Becoming an Advocacy Volunteer

The Amputee Coalition is the only national non-profit representing the limb loss and limb difference community in Washington, D.C. As the independent, unbiased, evidence-based voice of people living with limb loss and limb difference, we work to improve care through advocacy, education, support, and prevention. We can’t do it alone.

With your help, we can improve the lives of more than 2.1 million Americans living with limb loss and limb difference and the 28 million more at risk of losing a limb. The Amputee Coalition has different ways you can get involved as an advocacy volunteer for the limb loss and limb difference community, as an Advocate or Certified Lead Advocate.

Advocate  

You become an advocate just by taking action with the Amputee Coalition. That can be as simple as responding to an action alert sent by the Amputee Coalition or reaching out to your lawmakers to let them know why an issue is important to you. If you let your voice be heard by your lawmakers, you’re an Advocate.   

To become an Advocate, sign up for the Amputee Coalition’s advocacy emails and texts.

Certified Lead Advocate

CERTIFIED LEAD ADVOCATE logo

Certified Lead Advocates (CLAs) are advocacy volunteers who have gone through specific training to build advocacy skills and learn about the issues facing the limb loss and limb difference community.    

Certified Lead Advocates build relationships with their Senators and Representative as well as their staff. They build those connections in different ways, by writing emails, picking up the phone, or visiting them in person when possible. By reaching out regularly and being a reliable resource of useful information, Certified Lead Advocates create connections and educate policymakers about what it is like to live with limb loss or limb difference.   

Certified Lead Advocates don’t work alone. The truth is, even though the Amputee Coalition serves the entire United States, the Coalition’s Government Relations team does not have the reach that our advocacy volunteers do. The Amputee Coalition wants to have Certified Lead Advocates for all 435 Congressional districts and 50 states across the country that have relationships with their policymakers. The more Advocates and Certified Lead Advocates we have working together in every state and district across the country, the more effective we’ll be. Certified Lead Advocates work with the Amputee Coalition to help connect and coordinate Advocates in their districts and states to be as effective as possible.   

Certified Lead Advocates also contact others in their networks to act with the Amputee Coalition. Do you have family, friends, or colleagues who have shared your journey? Do you know folks in your support group who would be willing to share their story? Or friends in other groups or organizations you belong to? Certified Lead Advocates amplify the voices of the limb loss and limb difference community through the voices of those in their networks.    

By advocating with us, you can make sure your voice gets heard – and help others get their voice heard, too! 

For more information on how to become a Certified Lead Advocate, join the Advocacy Community on AC Connect

Stay Connected!

Join the Advocacy Community on AC Connect for advocacy conversations and updates.

Why advocates are working to make a difference:

“When my son Chase was 1 year old, he was diagnosed with bone cancer. We made the difficult decision to amputate his right leg to save his life. Much to my surprise, getting the proper insurance coverage for the cost of his prosthesis was nearly impossible. All I could think of was, ‘How can this be?! I chose to amputate my son’s leg to give him the best chance for a quality life, and an insurance company can take that away?!’”

Carrie, New York

“I was born without the lower portion of my right arm. Even though I’ve always worked and had insurance, I have not had coverage for my arm since I left my parents’ Blue Cross. I am 40 years old. My last prosthesis was more than 20 years ago; it no longer fits or works properly. I really would like to have a new arm, but I can’t afford the cost without insurance.”

Dianne, Arizona

“Without a leg, it’s extremely difficult for me to work to pay bills and help provide for my family. And without a leg, I can’t go out and play or go hiking in the woods with my children. This is both a financial issue in terms of lost wages and a personal issue in terms of the impact on my ability to lead a full life.”

Garry, Pennsylvania

“I called our insurance company to determine if this $7,000 lifetime cap is a policy-specific limit set by my wife’s employer or if the insurance company uses this as an across-the-board policy. The insurance company was reluctant to give me answers at first, but I was finally told that limiting orthotic/prosthetic (O&P) coverage to $7,000 lifetime is a companywide policy. I pay them for a service, and I expect adequate care under that service; it’s only fair.”