NDAC Terms of Membership – Group Members

The National Down Syndrome Advocacy Coalition (“NDAC”) is a member service of the National Down Syndrome Congress (“NDSC”). NDAC is a grassroots advocacy service that is designed to educate individuals with Down syndrome, their family members and other allies about policy issues and give them the tools they need to effectively engage with their legislators and other policy makers to effect policy change.

Types of NDAC Membership

NDAC is comprised of two types of members: Members and Group Members.  NDAC Members are advocates of all abilities and levels of advocacy experience. NDAC Group Members are current NDSC Affiliate Program subscribers who have opted to join the NDAC program.  Other disability-specific and cross-disability organizations, statewide coalitions or other groups may sign up to become an NDAC Group Member.

Membership Details for Group Members

NDAC Group Members are existing groups, organizations, or coalitions that can be local, statewide or national, and may be Down-syndrome specific, other disability-specific, cross-disability or other.  NDAC Group Membership is free. Groups will designate one contact person to be the official NDAC Group Member Representative to NDAC. All members of each NDAC Group are invited to also become NDAC Members.  To apply for NDAC Group Membership, CLICK HERE.

NDSC expects all NDAC Members and Group Member Representatives to be courteous, professional and respectful to each other, legislators and their staffs, and the broader community in all communications, whether on social media, calls, in-person meetings or otherwise and to act in a bipartisan manner when advocating. NDSC can, in its discretion, remove an NDAC Member or Group Member Representative from NDAC by providing written notice if NDSC staff does not believe that that particular member is following these guidelines or representing NDAC in a courteous, professional and respectful manner.

Relationship Between NDSC and NDAC Group Members

NDAC Group Members have no legal relationship with NDSC by virtue of their membership in NDAC. This category of membership is primarily for informational purposes to educate NDAC Group Members about policy issues and to expand the reach of NDAC’S outreach and advocacy efforts through collaboration with other groups.  NDAC Group Members are not obligated to undertake any advocacy activities on behalf of NDAC, though NDAC will provide them with templates and resources should they choose to push out certain information and messages to their group’s membership.

NDAC will not communicate directly with members of the NDAC Group Members unless they are also NDAC Members, the NDAC Group Member Representative or their group is an Affiliate of NDSC. Members of an NDAC Group Member organization will not be considered individual NDAC Members unless they affirmatively sign up to become NDAC Members. NDSC shall not have access to membership lists and contact information of NDAC Group Members.

Any advocacy actions undertaken by NDSC, the NDSC Policy & Advocacy Team, NDAC or any other NDAC Group Members will not automatically include NDAC Group Members, and should not be construed to imply support from the NDAC Group Members. Public positions taken by NDSC shall not be automatically imputed to the NDAC Group Members and vice-versa, and the names of NDAC Group Members will not be signed onto policy letters by NDSC, unless specifically requested to do so by an NDAC Group Member.

A referral to a particular NDAC Group Member by NDSC does not constitute an endorsement of that Group Member.

Volunteer Status and Term

NDAC Members and Group Member Representatives are all volunteers who will not receive financial or in-kind compensation for their advocacy efforts. The term of NDAC membership is indefinite, though all NDAC Members must continue to be members in good standing of NDSC. NDAC Members may resign from NDAC at any time and for any reason by providing written notice to Jawanda Mast at jawanda@ndsccenter.org

NDAC Facebook Group

All NDAC Members and the NDAC Group Member Representative may join NDAC’s closed Facebook group. The administrators of this group are NDSC’s Policy Team staff, and this group will be the main mode of communication with NDAC Members. The NDAC Facebook group will discuss policy issues and strategize about advocacy efforts. Please do not share any content from the Facebook group with anyone outside of the group, unless it is specifically stated as content you may share. All public Action Alerts can be shared openly, as the content will be listed on our website.

Policy & Advocacy Training for NDAC Members

The NDSC Policy & Advocacy Team will provide training opportunities and resources for all NDAC Members. These include: quarterly business calls to provide legislative updates, webinars, training opportunities, workshops and a meet-up at the annual NDSC Convention.

NDSC would like to thank all NDAC Members and Group Members for their interest and volunteer advocacy efforts. Joining our voices together through NDAC will make us all stronger in advocating for the rights and opportunities for people with Down syndrome.