Advocacy may look easy when you watch Brady Werger. He has opened doors for many advocates with disabilities. He was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Iowa DD Council, where he is Vice Chair.
He has been an advocate for the rights of Iowans and for people living at Glenwood State Resource Center. He's come to the Capitol many times, and when he shows up at Medicaid town halls, DHS Director Kelly Garcia and Medicaid Director Liz Matney greet him as a friend. Brady is a natural advocate.
But to Brady, sharing his story was not easy and advocacy was not natural. It was a learned skill, something that came after a lot of practice. Brady joined other advocates at the Capitol for NAMI-Iowa's Capitol Day, which he found out about in his church's newsletter. NAMI-Iowa is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, something Brady knew a lot about. In his earlier years, he had run-ins with the law, because the system just didn't put the resources into addressing his mental health needs. He wants to stop the criminalization of mental illness, and get people the services and supports they need, just like Brady.
His message was clear:
- He is concerned for Iowans struggling with mental health.
- He wanted to express frustration with the growing waiver waiting lists and the complex process to get on them.
- He wanted to share his story of overcoming significant obstacles and thriving with key supports.
Brady had a meeting set up with the Lt. Governor Adam Gregg, but not with Governor Kim Reynolds. He really wanted to meet her, so he just decided to knock on her door and see what happened. As you can see from the picture above, he got to meet her and even sit in her chair. She listened to his story, and was moved to tears. There is absolutely no better way to show that your story matters, and your story can move people to action.
How can you get started?
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Join our Capitol Chats each month to talk about ways to advocate and learn from others. Sign up for March here.
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As Brady says, "Mental health issues are important. Disability issues are important. You are not alone." He encourages advocates who want help in getting started to reach out to him, he wants to help. You can email Brady at wergerbrady22@gmail.com.
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