Brook Kubik Gains Advocacy Insight, Perspective at 2025 Disability Policy Seminar in Washington, D.C.
- Podcast URL: https://open.spotify.com/episode/20g28oah4jDEwtxbWsXSL4?si=c7d8f7cf9455483e
Brook Kubik, a council member for the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities, went to the 2025 Disability Seminar in Washington, D.C. She returned to Georgia with more than policy updates – she came back with a new understanding of the strength of relationships, the importance of advocating with heart and facts, and the power of telling stories that help people connect.
The Disability Policy Seminar is held every year in Washington, D.C. It brings together self-advocates, families, professionals and policymakers from across the country to discuss disability-related public policy. This year’s conference focused heavily on Medicaid — how it works, what services it provides, and how proposed cuts could affect people. For Kubik, the experience was as personal as it was political.
While much of the content, including a deep dive into Medicaid’s role in services for people with disabilities, was familiar to Kubik because of her existing work on public policy, Kubik said the real value of the event came from the relationships and conversations outside of the main sessions.
“It wasn’t just about learning what Medicaid is,” she said. “It was about understanding the system at a national level and bringing that knowledge back to Georgia.”
One of the most revealing moments came during a Q&A session with a speaker from The Arc, a national disability organization. Kubik wanted to learn more about their position on paying people with disabilities less than minimum wage. She waited until the end of her presentation to ask her question — and the answer surprised her. The national group supports ending subminimum wage, but each state chapter makes its own decisions, and local views may differ.
“That one conversation changed how I view the organization,” she said. “It reminded me that real advocacy starts with talking and listening — not assumptions.”
During the last two days of the seminar, Kubik and a small group of Georgia advocates visited offices on Capitol Hill. They met Congressional staff to share stories and policy priorities. After missing a meeting with Georgia’s Sen. Raphael Warnock’s office due to long security lines, they met with a staffer in Sen. Jon Ossoff’s office. Kubik said the staff member listened carefully to them and seemed very interested.
“These staffers are young and often early in their careers,” she said. “They’re listening and that means our stories matter.”
Kubik stated that being a good advocate is more than speaking up during challenging times. It also means staying active and involved when things are going well.
“We need to be consistently educating, engaging and building relationships,” she added.
Kubik believes that storytelling still matters but says it must be paired with caring and facts. She also called for a stronger presence on social media to connect younger people who want to make a difference.
“Policy is personal,” she said. “Every person has worth, and every person deserves not just to survive, but to thrive.”
The most valuable part of the seminar, Kubik said, was not the sessions or the handouts, but the time spent making meaningful connections with fellow advocates and policymakers.
“True change doesn’t happen when we only talk to people who agree with us,” she said. “It happens when we sit down, share stories and ask the hard questions. That’s the work. And it starts with showing up.”
Ariel Edwards (LMSW), is the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities’ (GCDD) new Program and Policy Specialist whose role focuses on policy research, project management, and initiatives that support Georgians with developmental disabilities. Ariel oversees GCDD’s inclusive post-secondary education (IPSE) programs and the Georgia Inclusive Post-Secondary Education Consortium (GAIPSEC). In this role, Ariel will also analyze policies to inform recommendations for systems change that includes working with GCDD’s public policy team and oversee the implementation of Georgia as a Model Employer (GAME) in partnership with the State ADA Coordinator’s Office.
Currently, GCDD is gathering information through focus groups involving families, self-advocates, and providers. These focus groups are crucial for identifying where resources and programming are needed most. 
The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) continues to seek public input for its 2027-2031 Five-Year Strategic Plan project. Information gathered from stakeholders across the state will help GCDD form a strategic plan to create systems change for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families. The final plan will guide projects that help the Council influence public policy at both state and federal levels, support capacity building through technical assistance and grants, facilitate discussions on creating change, and promote public awareness of the needs of the disability community.