Deaf, DeafBlind & Hard of Hearing Civic Engagement Day is an opportunity to:

• Hear directly from legislators and policy leaders 
• Learn about current public policy developments
• Engage with community members and advocates
• Strengthen our impact through our participation

Can't make the full day? That's OK! You can choose which session(s) to attend based on your schedule. 

When

Monday, March 9, 2026 at scheduled times

Agenda

9:30 – 10:30 am, Legislative Panel
Moderated by Alicia Lane. Panelists are Senator Jim Abeler, Rep. Liz Reyer, Rep. Kim Hicks, Rep. Patricia Mueller, and possibly one more legislator. Audience questions are encouraged. 

10:45 – 11:45 am, Public Policy Update
Presented by Alicia Lane. Audience questions are encouraged. 

12:15 – 1:15 pm, Civic Engagement Hour
Remarks by Dr. Darlene Zangara, invited policymakers, and community members. This includes, but is not limited to, Senator Scott Dibble, Elise Knopf, Samantha Porter, and Mark Daly, and a video provided by Secretary of State Steve Simon.  

1:30 – 2:30 pm, What Is Civic Engagement?
Facilitated by Jessalyn Akerman-Frank. Presented by Outreach & Civic Engagement Specialists: Jer Loudenback, Kathy Manlapas, Kim Wassenaar, Kyle Laughery, Kyle Littlepage, Pamela Burry, and Patrick Vellia.

Accessibility

ASL interpreters and CART will be provided.

How to register

We will have one link for all day. Attendees can join the parts that they want to attend. Register at the link: Civic Engagement Day registration

Answering teacher questions

We’ve received several inquiries from teachers asking if this would be a good activity for their students. The answer is a resounding yes—this is a meaningful opportunity for students to increase their understanding of civic engagement. We would love to have you and your students to join us.