January 27, 2025 | 8:30AM – 1pm

Autism Advocacy Day

More than 80 advocates and partnering autism organizations from around the state joined us for Autism Advocacy Day! Our teams filled the hallways of the Virginia General Assembly, bouncing from office to office to meet with legislators and staff members.

Our advocates – Autistic self-advocates, parents and caregivers of Autistic children, medical professionals and more – shared their powerful, personal experiences with Autism and information on several critical pieces of legislation that have the potential to improve the lives of countless Autistic individuals in Virginia. Our heartfelt thanks goes out to our advocates who came from near and far, our community partners as well as all of the legislators who took time out of their busy schedules to meet.

What You Need to Know

Schedule:

8:00 AM – Arrive at the general assembly building; be sure to leave ample time for parking, walking & going through security.
8:15 AM – Our room (7th floor House North Meeting Room) opens for gathering & picking up materials.
9:00 – 11:00 AM – Appointments with Legislators (or their staff members) in small groups.
11:15 AM – Meet in the Capitol Rotunda for a group photo (walk through the tunnel from the GA building to get to the Capitol).

Parking:

The Virginia General Assembly Building is located 201 N 9th St, Richmond, VA 23219 (at 9th & Broad). If you are providing your own transportation, then you can find information about parking here.
It will be a BUSY day at the General Assembly, so we encourage you to take Uber or Lyft, and allow for extra time for traffic and security (and dress appropriately for the weather!).

What to Wear/Bring:

Please wear comfortable, business casual attire; keep in mind you might have to wait in the security line outside on your way in, so you may want to bundle up if it’s cold out. Prepare to carry everything you bring with you throughout the day; we cannot guarantee a place to store items like coats & purses.
Please review what is allowed or restricted to bring with you in the building here.
We will provide branded name tags and stickers, and we encourage you to wear any extra flair you’d like.
We will have handouts and materials, but please write up and bring your personal story (keep this to 1 page), a business card, additional fliers, etc.

How to Prepare for Autism Advocacy Day

Visit www.ascv.org/advocacy to familiarize yourself with current bills related to our legislative agenda.

Review our one-pagers and talking points; prepare your own personal talking points for your meetings with your legislators, asking them to support of specific bills. Be sure to include WHY the issues are so important to you. Keep your talking points to 1-2 minutes.
We will be sure to stay in touch with you leading up to Autism Advocacy Day with additional details.
If you have questions in the meantime, please reach out to [email protected].
Download and our share info flier with people in your community who want to get involved!