Today is the Parkinson’s National Day of Action – Get Involved!
Take action today (Tuesday, September 9) and join APDA and thousands of policy advocates across the country today as we urge elected officials to support key policies that will help expand and advance important progress for PD.
Led by the Unified Parkinson’s Advocacy Council (APDA is a member), the Parkinson’s National Day of Action is entirely virtual, and it only takes a few minutes to participate! Simply contact your federal and state representatives and urge them to take action (scroll down for instructions and talking points).
This year’s priorities:
- Federal: Help us urge Congress to protect and expand funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for vital Parkinson’s and brain disease research.
- State: Ask state lawmakers to prioritize Parkinson’s policies in your state as they prepare for the 2026 legislative session.
How to contact your state and federal representatives:
- Simply call the US Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121. The Capitol switchboard operator can transfer your call to the office of any member of Congress.
- Alternatively, you can find contact information for your representative or senator on the official U.S. House of Representatives website (House.gov) or the U.S. Senate website (Senate.gov).
What to say when you call:
Your personal story is impactful, so customize what you say to be relevant to you, but the talking points below will help you make sure you’re pushing your representatives on the right issues right now.
Federal:
- As your constituent and a member of the Parkinson’s community, I ask that you support federal investment in Parkinson’s disease (PD) research by ensuring robust funding for the National Institutes of Health.
- PD is the world’s fastest growing neurological disease — more than 1 million people in the U.S. live with PD today, and over 90,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with the disease each year.
- Federal action is vital to our search for improved diagnostics, better treatments and ultimately, a cure.
- I’m asking you to please prioritize policies that:
- Ensure robust funding for the National Institutes of Health
- Establish a transparent public process for considering any proposals to reorganize NIH that is guided by scientific discovery, patients and families.
State:
- As your constituent, I urge you to step up and lead on policies that will improve the lives of people impacted by Parkinson’s disease in the 2026 legislative session.
- States across the country made meaningful progress this year — investing in Parkinson’s research, creating state registries to improving data collection, and expanding access to care and support for patients and caregivers. Now, it’s time for [insert your STATE] to build on that momentum.
- I encourage you to champion policies that:
- Fund research into neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.
- Support statewide registries that drive innovation in treatment and prevention.
- Protect and expand access to care and caregiver support services.
- With your leadership, we can drive real change at the state level and bring hope to the more than one million people in the US living with Parkinson’s — including many right here in our community.
- Thank you for your commitment to public health, and I look forward to working with your office to make Parkinson’s a state policy priority in 2026.
Thank you for joining us in this effort!
PS: If you are interested in learning more about PD advocacy news and other ways you can get involved, please fill out this simple form so we can keep you posted.