inMotion Magazine

November | December 2019 12 There are 2.1 million American living with limb loss or limb difference and each one has a story uniquely their own. The story you have to tell may not only convey where you came from, but where you hope to go given proper access to care. For some it could be returning to work, living independently, engaging with your community, or participating in physical activity. Every one of these examples is different but follows a similar opportunity to share struggles, hope, and a focus on overcoming. You may be thinking that one story cannot make a difference, but each story is essential to convey the importance of advocacy efforts that impact the limb loss/difference community. An essential method the Amputee Coalition uses in its advocacy efforts is to convey the stories of the community and the impact access to care has on individual’s abilities to live the life they want to live. The Amputee Coalition utilizes the stories you provide to communicate actual examples that connect issues to the people it affects. For example, we use stories of insurance struggles to show the need for proper access to care including legislation like Insurance Fairness for Amputees. Everyone’s story is compelling. Even if you haven’t had struggles, stories of what access to care has meant to you can help make the case for why it’s vital everyone has access to the care they need. Policy makers often recognize or think of the limb loss and limb difference community with a specific lens. Not dissimilar to what the general public sees. Commercials often show people with limb loss who are veterans or who are doing incredible feats with devices that may not be accessible for the average person. When we share stories with policy makers, we can often connect through these experiences, but it’s important in our conversations to celebrate the trips to the grocery store, the ability to mow your lawn, living independently in your home, and being able to spend time with family and in your community. Making this connection is crucial to the argument that every person living with limb loss or limb difference deserves proper access to care. The next question is how can you provide your story to the Amputee Coalition and elected officials? Approximately two years ago, the Amputee Coalition developed the AmplifyYourself.org platform to help you share your story and/or your goals towards living your best life with limb loss and limb difference. The platform allows you to tell your story and send it to the Amputee Coalition. Additionally it provides the ability to communicate your story to those that can make changes legislatively or to insurance coverage (yours and more broadly). As you think through your story and what access to care has meant to you, we want to encourage everyone to share their stories. While one story can make a difference, thousands, tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands of stories and experiences can help elevate the broader needs of the community and what access to care means to individuals. We use the stories you provide at both the state and federal level to convey what that access means and how improving access can not only make a difference in one’s life, but can also mean overall improved care, reduced costs, and better community integration. Legislators and staff need to hear from you, and by sharing your story at AmplifyYourself.org they can better understand the amputee coalition’s emphasis that arms and legs are not a luxury. We’re anxious to ramp up our advocacy efforts in 2020 and are confident that your stories will help lead to the reintroduction of the Insurance Fairness for Amputees Act, and developments on other key legislative and regulatory issues.