The Power of Presence

Rob Hudson is a Frank Trippett Advocacy and Outreach Fellow, and Community Outreach Associate for The Arc of Northern Virginia. Rob’s advocacy on behalf of his daughter, Schuyler, who has a rare disorder called polymicrogyria, has guided his personal philosophy for the past twenty years.

Advocacy comes in many forms. Last week at the 2024 Developmental Disabilities Rally in Richmond, I was reminded that the simple act of showing up carries power. It’s a truth I need to keep in mind moving forward.

Organizations like The Arc of Northern Virginia do so much hard work to advance legislative priorities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Much of that effort is the kind that takes place through spending long hours in front of a keyboard and putting our faces in front of a camera for a Zoom meeting. We do the work, and then we hit send and silently hope we did some good in the world.

But then there are the occasions when I find myself, as I did last week in Richmond, standing shoulder to shoulder with friends and allies and the people we love with IDD as we make our case to policy makers and legislators. We try to get them to see the logic of our arguments, sure. But mostly what we’re doing is saying “These are the people, your constituents, who need your help. They are human beings just like you, and they are extraordinary.”

I learned about the power of being a living presence in the face of big social issues seven years ago when my then-seventeen-year-old daughter Schuyler asked me to accompany her to the Women’s March in Dallas. She knew the issues at stake for her as a young woman with a disability in a changing America, and she wanted to be counted, although she was unsure what that would look like. She told me what she wanted her sign to say, we created it on the computer and had it printed at a local print shop.

“I am a strong disabled woman who won’t be bullied. I can change the world.”

I watched Schuyler stand in a sea of women representing their own lives and beliefs, and she stood out from most because of her identification as having a disability. She received a lot of attention from others, with many asking if they could take selfies with her and her sign. She learned something important that day, something that stayed with her.

She wasn’t alone, and there was strength in community.

Schuyler accompanied me to Richmond last week as we stood in the cold morning air and heard stories of people like her, children and adults alike with IDD whose families and friends stood with them as they had for years. My daughter heard from people like her, saw how they were loved and supported like she is, and most of all heard from legislators and professionals and even the governor speak about how they were going to take up the fight, HER fight, and work to build a more inclusive Virginia.

Most of all, at least for me as a father, Schuyler saw me standing out in the cold air with her. Of all the powerful messages she received that day, that’s the one that meant the most to me.

When we bring our loved ones and the stories of our families’ lives and needs to the public, we remind the rest of the world that we’re not just a collection of issues or agenda items, but are living, breathing human beings with dreams and ambitions and lives. “A Life Like Yours” speaks to that goal, and it resonates most powerfully when coming directly from those who have the most at stake.

On February 6, advocates will climb aboard a bus and return to Richmond to take our concerns directly to Virginia lawmakers. Register to join us.

The Frank Trippett Advocacy and Outreach Fellowship was established in 2021 by the family and friends of the late Frank Trippett. It was created as a tribute to his years-long advocacy on behalf of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Fellowship seeks to create an enduring legacy to Frank’s advocacy and deep personal commitment to helping other families like his connect to vital resources.

Consider making a financial contribution to The Arc of Northern Virginia to honor Frank’s memory and his commitment to outreach and advocacy.

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