Contact Your Representative It’s important we advocate for legislation that benefits the alopecia areata community. To do so, we need to be in contact with our elected officials. This can be as simple as filling out a pre-written letter to your lawmakers, which is usually delivered electronically. You can also send letters “snail-mail” but due to security screening measures, it is often a long time before the letter will reach the legislator’s office. You can call your legislator’s offices, both in your home district and in Washington, and tell a staff person your concerns. However, you should keep in mind these staff people are very busy and will only have a very limited time to speak with you on the phone. It is much more advisable to schedule an in-person meeting which usually lasts about 20 minutes, giving you the chance to tell your story and make asks of the legislator that will better serve the alopecia areata community. Remember, they may never have heard of alopecia areata or met someone with the disease, so just meeting with them can be an educational opportunity. If you wish to learn more about how to go about meeting in person with your elected officials, and the issues and legislation for which we advocate, we encourage you to read about our Legislative Liaison and Legislative Mentor programs. The more our representatives hear from their communities about alopecia areata, the more serious they know it is and the more likely they will want to help. To learn more, contact Gary Sherwood at gary@naaf.org.
