Youth Advocate Brings Democrats and Republicans Together
Not even the government shutdown could stop Lucy Meyer from visiting senators in Washington, D.C. to ask them to help children around the world with disabilities.
by Marty Rendon, Vice President Public Policy and Advocacy
Lucy, who is 14 and has cerebral palsy, is a youth advocate for children with disabilities and a champion of UNICEF’s work. She was accompanied to Washington by her parents, Chuck and Jamie Meyer. Jamie Meyer is a member our Southern California Regional Board.
Lucy Meyer with Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) (left) and Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) (right).
In May, Lucy was a principal speaker at our preview briefing in the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center of UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children: Children with Disabilities report for 2013. To keep the momentum going, Lucy returned to DC to meet senators who were not able to attend that event. Lucy met directly in person with eight senators from both parties who serve on important committees like the Appropriations Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee. Caryl M. Stern, the President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, joined Lucy to amplify her message.
In her meetings, Lucy shared her many activities to support UNICEF, including her web site to raise money for UNICEF’s work for children with disabilities. Lucy also wore her Special Olympics medals and discussed her role as Global Messenger for the 2015 World Games to be held in Los Angeles.
Lucy asked the senators not to forget about children with disabilities. They deserve the same opportunities every child should have. And UNICEF is working to make sure children with disabilities are protected, recognized and encouraged to lead fulfilling lives and contribute to the social, cultural and economic vitality of their communities.
As Lucy told the senators, an important action each senator can take to help children everywhere with disabilities is to vote to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. You can join Lucy as an advocate by contacting your two senators right now to ask them to support it! Together, we can make the world a better place for children with disabilities.
