Power of the Constituent Campaign

By Lindee Alvarez

What is Power of the Constituent (POTC)?

The Power of the Constituent Campaign is a national Student Academy of Audiology (SAA) advocacy campaign (formerly National Day at Your State Capitol) geared toward spreading awareness of audiology and legislation changes that affect the profession. The POTC Campaign encourages students to go to their state capitol and talk to state legislators about federal and state legislation that impacts the profession of audiology in their state.

How do you plan a POTC event in your state?

In order to make a POTC event a reality in your state, planning must begin early! If you plan to fundraise, your state audiology conference is a great place to do so, as audiologists love to support students. As the 2022-2023 National SAA Texas State Ambassador, I was in charge of coordinating the bake sale at the Texas Academy of Audiology (TAA) conference. Students donated baked goods and anyone who made a purchase at the bake sale was informed that proceeds earned were going toward funding student advocacy efforts. In Texas, this conference always takes place in the fall, which is a great time to start planning for a POTC event during the legislative season in the spring. SAA chapters can visit the national SAA’s Program Ideas Bank webpage for fundraising ideas.

Do students need to coordinate with people outside their school?

Yes, students should work with an audiologist who is passionate about advocacy and who is well-informed about audiology legislation in your state. That person might already work at your university, but if they do not, they are likely someone involved in statewide audiology advocacy. If you are having trouble finding your point of contact, turn to the national SAA as we try to keep the most up-to-date information on state contacts for advocacy. Your state contact will also help set up meetings with legislators. You will want to try and meet with legislators from the districts in which you reside or your school resides. If you are unsure who your state legislators are you can find out by using this link.

Who can participate in a POTC event?

Audiology students and audiologists can participate; get your whole SAA chapter involved. If you want a large student turnout, start planning in the fall so you can make this a reality in the spring. We have five programs in Texas and this year, we had students from three different programs participate.

How do we make sure we’re prepared to talk to our legislators?

First, know who your legislators are and find out a little bit about them before you meet them. Second, have an agenda set ahead of time and meet with everyone participating in the POTC event at least a week prior. In Texas, the audiologist who planned this year’s POTC event was extremely knowledgeable about audiology legislation in the state. He knew which bills were close to being passed and which bills had not yet gained traction. Students were asked to read up on all those bills ahead of time and know which ones they wanted to talk about during the limited time they had with their legislators.

Throughout the year the TAA sends out legislative updates via email with information about audiology legislation. States differ in the ways they disseminate this information so it might take some research to find this information.

Is planning a POTC event worth all the hassle?

The short answer is YES! By being involved in the planning process I learned so much about audiology, as well as legislative issues, in my state that I did not previously know. Although I am not a Texas native I took the time to research my current legislators. Throughout this process, I learned the Texas legislative session takes place every two years and runs for approximately 140 days, which is why it was crucial to have a POTC event this year.

Still unsure? Below is what two students had to say about their experience:

“Advocacy is important for our profession because we’re advocating for a cause we’re supportive of and for our patients that we see each and every day. This fuels our passion to ensure that our patients are not only taken care of, but are cared for, in every aspect. Advocacy is not just a one day, once a year plan, but a critical aspect to our career.”

Jacqueline Petescia

“Many audiologists and audiology students went to Austin to speak to state representatives about bills that are currently being voted on in the House and Senate, specifically surrounding newborn hearing screening protocols and insurance policies. I really enjoyed educating others about our field and advocating for our patients!”

Karlee Doak