In 2025, the policy environment facing disability, workforce, housing, and education programs grew increasingly constrained, shaped by budget negotiations, shifting federal priorities, and heightened uncertainty for state‑administered services. For a national network whose programs depend heavily on Medicaid and federally supported funding streams, advocacy was not an abstract exercise—it was an operational necessity. Easterseals’ national government relations efforts focused on protecting the policies and funding structures that enable Affiliates to deliver services consistently and plan responsibly in their communities.
Through coordinated federal monitoring, coalition engagement, and direct policymaker outreach, Easterseals helped preserve or secure more than $151 million in federal program funding in 2025, while maintaining stability across core programs such as IDEA, SCSEP, and Medicaid. Not every outcome was favorable—funding for the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) was reduced heading into 2026—but early intelligence and shared response strategies allowed Affiliates to anticipate impacts and reduce disruption at the state level. In a constrained fiscal environment, maintaining or increasing funding across multiple programs represents a material outcome for the network.
Just as important, national advocacy reduced fragmentation across states by providing Affiliates with a unified federal strategy, shared policy analysis, and coordinated guidance. By centralizing federal engagement and translating policy developments into actionable intelligence, Easterseals strengthened the network’s collective capacity to respond—ensuring that individual Affiliates did not have to build standalone government relations infrastructure to protect the services, workforce investments, and civil rights protections their constituents rely on.
Protecting the Policies That Sustain Services
Policy shapes possibility. When federal funding is threatened, Easterseals’ national advocacy serves as the network’s first line of defense—protecting the programs, workforce investments, and civil rights protections constituents rely on.
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Not every outcome was favorable. Funding for the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) was reduced by 21% heading into 2026. However, early intelligence and coordinated response allowed Affiliates to prepare and reduce uncertainty at the state level.
For a network that depends heavily on Medicaid and federally supported workforce, housing, and education programs, maintaining or increasing funding in a constrained fiscal environment is a material outcome. A unified national voice reduces fragmentation across states and equips Affiliates with shared federal monitoring, legislative strategy, coalition engagement, and policy guidance—advocacy capacity that can be difficult to build independently.
Shared Advocacy Platforms, Tools, & Support
In 2025, the National office expanded shared advocacy infrastructure so Affiliates could engage policymakers with coordinated strategy, consistent messaging, and expert support—without needing standalone government relations capacity.
National investments provided Affiliates with centralized tools and direct support to engage effectively at the federal and state levels, including:
- EastersealsAction.com, a centralized hub for action alerts, policy statements, and network‑wide advocacy efforts
- An Advocacy Toolkit and one‑pagers for Affiliate use
- The Government Relations Affiliate Resource Center, housing advocacy materials, recordings, and policy updates
- State‑level action alerts developed on behalf of Affiliates
- Five national webinars in 2025 on priority policy issues (with quarterly webinars planned for 2026)
- Access to outside policy experts through the Government Relations workgroup
- Opportunities for Affiliate leaders to participate in virtual congressional meetings
Affiliates gain access to coordinated advocacy strategy, policy intelligence, and federal engagement capacity without maintaining dedicated in‑house government relations staff. This strengthens funding protection, increases influence, and reduces policy risk across states.
