Leanna George wanted to believe the school knew what was best for her daughter, Serenity. She knew her daughter, who has a moderate to severe intellectual disability, autism and is non-verbal would need special accommodations while attending class. She just never thought that accommodation would put her daughter in mechanical restraints meant for children who have physical disabilities and need to be positioned in chairs that allow for extra support. The chair, however, kept Serenity immobilized. "Basically it was a glorified high chair that kept her in one location and used for her inappropriately," said Leanna.

Now 13 years old and in eighth grade, Serenity has gained a lot of knowledge – as has Leanna. After Leanna filed a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights, the school district was found to be out of procedural compliance involving 18 students and mechanical restraints. This small advancement helped Leanna realize she needed to strengthen her advocacy skills to protect Serenity's rights as well as the rights of others who could not speak for themselves.

That's when Leanna found Partners in Policymaking. Partners in Policymaking (PIP) is a nationally replicated, forward-thinking, cutting-edge leadership and disability advocacy training program for parents of school-aged children with developmental disabilities and adults with developmental disabilities that is funded by the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD).

Leanna undertook the eight, two-day training sessions in Raleigh, NC from February through September in 2012. Her husband, Jim, took the training in 2014. Together they advocate not only for their daughter Serenity but also for their 10-year-old son Caleb, who has mild Autism and AD/HD. "Partners in Policymaking gives you system information and then teaches you how to navigate the system. It also provides you with a network of support within the system to help you move forward," explains Leanna. "So many decisions are being made about people with disabilities without input from people with disabilities or their parents, especially here in North Carolina. I learned there were many places where I could participate and have an active voice."

One of those places she uses her voice is as a member appointed to the Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC). Leanna is serving the remaining two years of a three year term she recently filled on this non-partisan legislative branch agency that serves as an independent source of information on Medicaid and CHIP. Leanna and her fellow MACPAC members meet in Washington D.C. and provide policy and data analysis and make recommendations to Congress, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the states on a wide array of issues affecting Medicaid and CHIP. "I look at what is being discussed from the perspective of the recipient and then present how it affects the recipient's ability to access and obtain necessary services," explains Leanna. Her son is served by CHIP so the issue is of great importance to her family. MACPAC meets 6 times a year in public session.

PIP gave Leanna the knowledge and confidence to keep pushing on issues impacting the largest minority group in American, people with disabilities. "My mother always said the worst anyone can do is tell you no," she says. "One of our PIP speakers explained that 'no' is a temporary instability of someone needing more information to say yes," she adds and that propels her forward to getting to the answers she seeks on behalf of her children.

"We're all in this together. These children are people first. They need to be treated with respect," Leanna says. Now living in Benson, NC, she shares her message throughout her community and in school systems. She adds her voice with her committee and advisory council work and she promotes inclusion within organizations like the Cub Scouts where she is den mother to a troop of Webelos (fourth and fifth grade Cub Scouts), including her son and several other boys, three of whom have some intellectual disabilities or AD/HD.

"I can't imagine not having either one of my kids. Partners in Policymaking helped me learn how to work collaboratively to get the best results for not only my children, but for all people with disabilities," says Leanna.