The SourceAmerica Grassroots Advocacy Conference brings together AbilityOne employee self-advocates, family members, and nonprofit representatives to discuss the policy issues affecting them. The conference focuses on educating policymakers on the importance of programs that benefit individuals with disabilities.

Grassroots will provide an opportunity to highlight current issues affecting disability employment, help self-advocates tell their personal stories, listen to inspiring speakers, and meet with members of Congress and their staff.

Conference attendance is by invitation-only. Selected Nonprofit Agencies may bring up to a three-person team. At least one member of that team must be a self-advocate (AbilityOne employee). Other team members may include representatives from your organization and/or a family member or support person.

Visit the 2026 Grassroots Advocacy Conference attendee site to obtain the most up-to-date information including travel and accommodations.

Each team must register by July 24 to confirm their attendance.

REMINDER: If you haven’t, please complete the pre-registration items below.

Nonprofit Agency (NPA) Pre-Registration Tasks:

Please review and complete the additional tasks below prior to registration.

1. Select your Self-Advocates and Sign Up for Self-Advocate Training – SourceAmerica is hosting a six-part training series to help prepare self-advocates for congressional meetings during the conference. Each NPA is allowed to register up to 3 self-advocates (AbilityOne employee with a disability) and their NPA representative to participate in the self-advocate training program. If you sign more than one person up to complete the virtual training program, you will need to select just one advocate to attend Grassroots in person. Selecting three self-advocates extends the reach of the training and ensures you have an alternate in case the original self-advocate selected to travel to Washington, DC is unable to attend. SourceAmerica will cover travel to Washington, D.C. for only one self-advocate attendee. 

Session 1: Welcome and Introduction to Advocacy – 7/14, 3-5 p.m. ET

Session 2: I am Somebody, I Make an Impact, and My Voice Matters – 7/23, 3-5 p.m. ET

Session 3: Learn to Tell My Story and Why Jobs Matter to People with Disabilities – 8/13, 3-5 p.m. ET

Session 4: Building Relationships with My Legislators – 8/25, 3-5 p.m. ET

Session 5: Being on Capitol Hill, Sharing My Story with Legislators and their staff, and Advocating for Myself and the AbilityOne Program – 9/3, 3-5 p.m. ET

Session 6: Final Review before the Sept. 14-17 Grassroots Advocacy Conference in Washington DC – 9/10, 3-4 p.m. ET

Don’t have a SourceAmerica Training Academy account?  

You must create a SourceAmerica Training Academy account to be enrolled in the Self-Advocate training.

2. Fill out the Self-Advocate Questionnaire – Share the link to this questionnaire with your self-advocates and ask them to complete and submit it online. If you prefer, download and print a PDF version, then email it to Advocacy@SourceAmerica.org.

Accommodations

Please note that attendees will be asked to book their own hotel rooms this year using the event room block. Hotel room costs will be reimbursed after the event along with travel, meals, and other conference-related expenses. 

Questions? Email Advocacy@SourceAmerica.org, we’ll be happy to help!

*Agenda subject to change

Monday, September 14

12:00 p.m. ET: Event Check-in Opens

5:30 p.m. ET: Opening Session

6:30 p.m. ET: Reception

*Dinner on your own

Tuesday, September 15

7:30 a.m. ET: Breakfast

12:00 p.m. ET: Lunch

Celebration of Stories and other programming information forthcoming

*Dinner on your own

Wednesday, September 16

7:30 a.m. ET: Breakfast

8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET:  Meetings with Members of Congress and their staff (House)

9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET:  SourceAmerica Disability Employment Educational Fair

6:30 p.m. ET: Monuments by Moonlight bus tour

*Dinner on your own

Thursday, September 17

7:30 a.m. ET: Breakfast

8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET: Meetings with Members of Congress and their staff (Senate)

Completing this registration does not reserve a hotel room.

Grassroots attendees are strongly encouraged to travel to Washington, D.C. on Monday, September 14 and to travel home on Thursday, September 17. SourceAmerica can only guarantee rooms for the three nights of the Grassroots Conference: Monday, September 14 – Wednesday, September 16 (checking out on Thursday, September 17). 

Lodging requests outside of these dates can be made directly with the hotel at their specified rate. Additional hotel nights, including Sunday and Thursday night, will not be reimbursed by SourceAmerica without prior approval.
Thank you for your understanding.

Note: SourceAmerica Board of Directors, NCSE Executive Committee Members, SourceAmerica Staff and Sign Language Interpreters, please DO NOT use the hotel booking link.