AOTA Hill Day essentials

AOTA's Hill Day brings occupational therapy into the spotlight on Capitol Hill through meetings with legislators and/or their staff. It is usually held in the month of September.

AOTA is currently planning our 2022 advocacy events, while monitoring the changing environment to determine what the best format will be. Please check back with us for further updates.

Registration for a traditional Hill Day is done online using the secure link on the AOTA website. When registration opens, advocates can register on the main Hill Day page. Advocates will choose a briefing time, either 8:00 am to 9:00 am or 9:30 am to 10:30 am. If you have any questions, e-mail us at hillday@aota.org.

None. AOTA will arrange all Congressional meetings for you, with the one Representative and two Senators from your state. Those appointment times will be provided to you by e-mail prior to Hill Day, along with the names of all those who are attending the same meeting.

AOTA will schedule meetings between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm ET. We work to ensure there is sufficient time between appointments for advocates to get from one meeting to the next.

You should expect each of your meetings to last around 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the availability of staff or the Member of Congress. It will take you approximately 20 to 30 minutes to travel between the Senate office buildings and the House office buildings. Therefore, we work to ensure there is 1 hour between Senate and House meetings to give advocates enough travel time.

Business attire is appropriate. However, be sure to wear comfortable shoes because you will be doing a lot of walking outside and on marble floors.

Only attend meetings for which you are registered. AOTA will schedule you to visit with the Congressional offices that represent the area where you are registered to vote. For this reason, please provide us with the address at which you are registered to vote; if it is different from the address on your registration confirmation, please contact us with a correction at hillday@aota.org.

It is often difficult to get an appointment with your actual Representative and Senators, so AOTA will make the appointments with the staff when needed. Congressional staff play a very important role in determining the direction of legislation and providing information and input to the Member of Congress regarding their area of interest. Congressional staff do the majority of gathering information, taking meetings with many special interest groups, and listening to constituents who have an interest in their particular issue. Because Members of Congress rely heavily on their staff for input, meeting with them is an opportunity that should not be missed. Typical Congressional staff we meet with include the Health Legislative Assistant and the Education Legislative Assistant, depending on the issue.

You are responsible for arranging all of your travel, including travel or transportation into Washington, DC, on the morning of Capitol Hill Day. Briefing Information, including location, will be shared with you beforehand, and you are responsible for getting to that location on your own. Information about arranging travel, lodging, and transportation within DC (including Metro, taxi cabs, buses, and shuttles), navigating the Capitol Hill building complex, and accessibility within the building complex will be available on the AOTA Hill Day webpage.

Yes. AOTA staff will prepare a folder that will include a brief overview of occupational therapy and specific issue fact sheets that are relevant to issues or legislation being addressed. Contact information for AOTA's Federal Affairs department staff is also be included, along with other pertinent materials. These materials will also be available on the webpage as they become available.

AOTA provides all the necessary and pertinent information in the folders that will be left with Congressional staff. You may include your own materials; however, everything you discuss should be relevant to occupational therapy, as you are representing AOTA. Personal matters should not be discussed in these meetings.

The most important message to get across in your meetings is for the Member of Congress or their staff to understand what occupational therapy is and how it benefits consumers (their constituents), communities, districts, states, and society as a whole. Other issues related to occupational therapy to be familiar with can be found on the Legislative Action Center. The specific issues you discuss will depend on what legislative issues AOTA is working on at the time of the Hill Day event.

AOTA staff will provide you with information beforehand in e-mails and on the AOTA website, including handouts and talking points. We will also provide you with information packets on the day of the event. If you have a specific interest in any issues related to occupational therapy, feel free to discuss those in your meetings. Remember, our priority for the day is to educate legislators about the value of occupational therapy.

Becoming comfortable with what you want to discuss before your meetings is important. We will provide a tutorial with details about the logistics of the meetings and what to expect before the actual Hill Day, and we will cover the status of the legislative issues on site during the Hill Day briefing. You can focus on scheduling travel and lodging arrangements, and on familiarizing yourself with the issues found at the Legislative Action Center.

• Register for Hill Day after registration opens.
• Visit the AOTA Hill Day webpage for information on making travel, lodging, and local transportation arrangements for your trip to Washington, DC.
• Make and confirm your travel arrangements to get to Hill Day.
• Be sure to complete all assignments prior to Hill Day. After you register, we will send you information on how to prepare for the day. This will include what to expect, how to conduct your visits, and background materials and talking points for the legislative issues for the day.
• Visit our Contact Policymakers page to learn more about your Members of Congress' interests and their positions on AOTA issues, as well as current legislation supported by AOTA. Find out more about which issues are currently in the spotlight by visiting our Advocacy Issues page.

• Dress appropriately (business attire) with comfortable shoes.
• Arrive at the morning briefing room 15 minutes before the briefing begins, so you have time to pick up your materials and get a seat.
• Attend all of your Congressional meetings. If you are unable to attend any of your scheduled meetings, please let us know so we can notify the office.
• Provide the staff and/or legislators with the Congressional information packet provided by AOTA.

• Go online to fill out your Congressional Visit Feedback Form. Indicate any follow-up necessary for each meeting you attend. If you meet as a group, only one person needs to complete and submit the form.
• Write the Congressional office an e-mail thanking them for their time, asking if they have any additional questions, and reiterating that you would appreciate their support on the issues discussed. Be sure to provide them with the contact information for AOTA Federal Affairs staff.
• Share your experience on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or your favorite social media platform (#OTHillDay).
• Remain involved and aware of the issues, and stay in contact with your Senators’ and Representatives' offices to continue to build a relationship with them.