Accessible Hive • BEE HEARD
Understand the issue. Find your voice. Make one clear ask.
Plain language tools and trusted Arizona resources to help disabled people, families, caregivers, and allies participate in the decisions that affect their lives.
You do not need to know every acronym, read every bill, or become a policy expert. Start with what matters to you, find who makes the decision, and take one useful next step.
- Nonpartisan
- Plain language
- Arizona focused
- Free to use
Start here
You do not have to become a policy expert.
Good advocacy starts with a smaller question: what is happening, who has the power to change it, and what do you want them to do?
What is happening?
Identify the policy, service, rule, budget decision, or barrier you are concerned about.
Start with the actual issue, not the entire system.Who makes the decision?
It may be the Legislature, a state agency, a board, a committee, or another public body.
Find the decision maker before writing the message.What is your ask?
Turn a broad concern into one specific action the person you are contacting can understand.
One conversation does not need five asks.How will you participate?
Email, call, meet, testify, submit public comment, attend a town hall, or follow up after a meeting.
Choose the format that works for you.The simple version
Who I am → What is happening → Why it matters → My ask
That is enough structure for an email, elevator speech, meeting introduction, public comment, or one page leave behind.
Find the decision maker
Not every disability policy decision happens in the same place.
Before you advocate, figure out which part of government is actually making the decision. That tells you where to spend your time.
Arizona Legislature
Bills and state budgets
Start here when the issue involves proposed legislation, appropriations, statutory changes, or committee action.
- Find the bill number
- Read the bill and amendments
- Check committee agendas
- Contact the legislators involved
State agencies
Rules, policies and programs
AHCCCS, DDD, and other agencies may change rules, manuals, implementation details, or programs outside the legislative bill process.
- Look for public notices
- Read proposed rule or policy language
- Check comment deadlines
- Submit feedback to the agency
Elections
Candidates and elected officials
Use nonpartisan election resources to identify your districts, learn who represents you, and review candidate and ballot information.
- Confirm your district
- Find elected officials
- Review candidate information
- Check official election dates
Follow the money
Disability services have a cost.
So does inadequate support.
When a proposal is expected to save public money, the immediate line item is only one part of the picture. Ask what happens next, who absorbs the unmet need, and whether costs appear elsewhere over time.
Questions worth asking
A budget number is the beginning of the question, not the end.
Use these prompts to slow down a policy conversation and look at both immediate and downstream effects.
Build your message
Make it easy for someone to understand why you are there.
Your story can make a policy real. A clear structure helps the person listening understand what you want them to remember and what you are asking them to do.
-
1
Who I am
Give the part of your background that explains why this issue matters to you.
-
2
What is happening
Name the policy, service, proposed change, barrier, or decision in plain language.
-
3
Why it matters
Connect the policy to a real world effect, relevant evidence, or a concrete tradeoff.
-
4
My ask
Say exactly what action you want the decision maker to consider taking.
Need help shaping your ask?
Use a trusted advocacy guide.
These resources can help you narrow the issue, connect your story to the policy, and turn a concern into a specific request.
DISABILITY ADVOCACY
AAPD Advocacy Guide
Practical guidance for choosing an issue, preparing for a policymaker meeting, telling your story, creating a leave behind, and following up.
Open the AAPD guide →STORY + TESTIMONY
The Arc Storytelling Toolkit
Build an advocacy story, think about privacy and consent, and use a testimony blueprint when speaking with lawmakers.
Open the storytelling toolkit →POLICY TOOLS
AUCD Policy & Advocacy Tools
Plain language policy terminology, state level data, and advocacy guides for understanding and discussing disability policy.
Explore AUCD tools →MAKE THE CONTACT
Arizona Legislator Roster
Once your ask is clear, use the official roster to find a state legislator's email address, phone number, district, and committee information.
Find a legislator →Build a stronger case
Your story is evidence of experience. It is not the only evidence.
Different kinds of information answer different questions. Strong advocacy can bring them together without pretending one person's experience represents everyone.
Lived experience
What happened, and what did it look like in real life?
Data
How many people are affected, how often, and in which population?
Research
What does credible evidence tell us about outcomes, risks, or alternatives?
Fiscal impact
What does the policy cost, save, shift, or require over time?
Advocacy toolkit
Choose the tool that matches what you need to do next.
Bee HEARD tools are designed to turn a concern into something usable: a message, a meeting plan, a public comment, or a leave behind.
Start here
Elevator Speech Builder
Build a short introduction with who you are, why the issue matters, and one clear ask.
WHO I AM → ISSUE → WHY → ASKGet specific
My Ask Builder
Turn “something needs to change” into a request a policymaker or agency can actually respond to.
One issue. One action.Leave behind
One Pager Builder
Organize a short personal introduction, the issue, your ask, and your contact information.
Make it easy to remember you.Public meetings
Public Comment Builder
Structure a one, two, or three minute comment without trying to fit the entire issue into one speech.
Lead with the point.Prepare
Meeting Prep
Know your goal, bring the right source, prepare your ask, and write down what follow up is needed.
Walk in with a plan.After the conversation
Follow Up Builder
Send a short thank you, answer anything you did not know, and give the office a way to find you again.
Advocacy is a relationship.These builders can be added as interactive Bee HEARD tools as the library grows.
Arizona advocacy resources
Go to the source before you speak up.
Use official and nonpartisan sources to confirm who represents you, what a proposal actually says, when a decision is happening, and how to participate.
Who represents me?
Find your districts, elected officials, and election information.
NONPARTISAN
Arizona Clean Elections
Search by address to find Arizona elected officials and district information.
Find elected officials →NONPARTISAN
Legislative District Locator
Enter an address to identify an Arizona legislative district and related information.
Find your district →OFFICIAL STATE SOURCE
Find My Legislator
Use the Arizona Legislature's member resources to identify and contact state legislators.
Find your legislators →NONPARTISAN
Voter Dashboard
View district, election, candidate, ballot measure, and voting information by location.
Open voter dashboard →Track legislation and participate
Read the bill, watch the process, and find opportunities to weigh in.
OFFICIAL STATE SOURCE
Arizona Legislature
Search legislation, members, committees, agendas, calendars, and legislative tracking tools.
Open the Legislature →BILL SEARCH
Search and Follow a Bill
Search introduced Arizona bills by number or title, then open the bill page to review its status, documents, sponsors, and legislative history.
Search Arizona bills →COMMITTEE PARTICIPATION
Request to Speak
Open current committee agendas to register a position on a bill or request to speak. First-time RTS users must activate their account at a Capitol kiosk.
Open Request to Speak →HELP
Arizona Legislature FAQ
Get practical instructions for finding legislators, committees, records, and other legislative information.
Read the FAQ →Disability, Medicaid, and agency policy
Follow policy changes that may happen outside the legislative bill process.
ARIZONA MEDICAID
AHCCCS Public Notices
Find public notices, meetings, policy changes, proposed rules, and opportunities for public comment.
See public notices →PUBLIC COMMENT
AHCCCS Proposed Rules
Review proposed state rules and current instructions or deadlines for submitting comments.
Review proposed rules →DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
DDD Policies and Rules
Read DDD policy manuals and see Division rules or policies currently open for public comment.
Open DDD policies →PUBLIC MEETINGS
DDD Councils and Committees
Find meeting notices and information for DDD councils, committees, and public forums.
See meetings →Voting and elections
Use official or nonpartisan election sources when it is time to evaluate the ballot.
NONPARTISAN
Clean Elections Voter Education
Explore voter education tools, candidate information, debates, ballot measures, and election resources.
Explore voter education →NONPARTISAN
Find My Candidates
Search by address for candidate information. Use your official ballot for the complete list of races that apply to you.
Find candidates →OFFICIAL ELECTION SOURCE
Arizona Secretary of State
Find voter registration, election calendars, election information, and links to the state's voter information portal.
Open voter resources →NONPARTISAN
Voter Education Guide
Review voting information and candidate statements for statewide, legislative, and other covered races.
Open the guide →Disability advocacy and research
Use these sources for rights information, self advocacy materials, research, and Arizona disability system resources.
DISABILITY RIGHTS
Disability Rights Arizona
Browse Arizona disability rights, voting, accessibility, education, employment, healthcare, housing, and self advocacy resources.
Browse resources →RESEARCH + RESOURCES
Arizona Developmental Disabilities Planning Council
Find research, publications, system navigation resources, and information related to inclusion and services for Arizonans with I/DD.
Explore ADDPC resources →A useful habit
Read the original source first.
Start with the bill, rule, policy, budget document, meeting notice, or official election source. Then use advocacy organizations, news coverage, testimony, research, and lived experience to understand how different people interpret the issue and what effects they are seeing.
Not sure where to start?
Follow the issue from beginning to end.
Start small
Ask one good question. Tell one true story. Make one clear ask.
You do not have to know everything before you participate. Find the next useful step and start there.
BEE HEARD is a nonpartisan educational resource from Accessible Hive. It does not endorse political candidates, parties, or ballot choices. Resources are provided to help people find primary sources, understand processes, communicate their own experiences, and participate in policymaking. Information can change; verify dates, deadlines, rules, and official instructions at the linked source. This page is not legal advice.