As you advocate for change there may be times when you need to meet with people to educate them on being a person living with an ostomy or continent diversion and to persuade them to understand your cause or issue. Examples of some meetings may be:

• Meeting with your employer or health plan administrator to request that they add ostomy supply coverage to the medical insurance plan
• Meeting with your Federal legislators to discuss an advocacy priority that impacts people living with an ostomy such as why your ostomy supplies covered under Medicare should not be included in the Competitive Bidding Program
• Meeting with your Governor’s office to request a Proclamation for Ostomy Awareness Day

As suggested in the Be an Ostomy Champion toolkit, it is a good idea to leave behind materials to reinforce your message and make a bigger impact.

Below are some standard items that would be good to include in such a leave-behind package. The UOAA Flyer explains our organization and the population that we impact. The Ostomy Infographic is an easy to understand tool for educating people on what is an ostomy. Lastly, we can work with you to create a handout that tells your ostomy story. (We provide a sample story example here to help you visualize this handout.) Contact the UOAA Advocacy Manager if you would like to create a personalized handout.