A SQUEAKY WHEEL GUIDE 4

TO LOCAL ADVOCACY

Although Karen Tamley is now the president and CEO of Access Living, until recently she was the commissioner of the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities in Chicago. 

She says it pays to know how to interface with your local government.

“Know what’s available to you. Many cities have 311, a line you can call to state your issue.

You get a case number so you can track it,’’ says Tamley, a wheelchair user. Many cities have a smart phone app that you can use to capture your issue in pictures and send it in to be addressed.

It’s easy to document things with a camera phone.

Take a picture and caption it to precisely explain the issue you are addressing. 

This will help city inspectors and repair workers to pinpoint the location and impress elected and appointed officials that you meet with.