18 Fox Focus | Policy
Parkinson’ s Policy Forum Elevates Community Voices on Capitol Hill
By Brenna Callahan
IN SEPTEMBER, 275 community members from 45 states united in Washington, D. C., for two powerful days of advocacy in the halls of Congress. People with Parkinson’ s, care partners, family members, researchers and clinicians rallied together to encourage the House and Senate to understand and act on what matters most to the Parkinson’ s community.
This event— the first in-person advocacy day since 2019— was hosted by MJFF in collaboration with the American Parkinson Disease Association( APDA), the Lewy Body Dementia Association, the Parkinson’ s Foundation and the Parkinson’ s & Movement Disorder Alliance.
Before meeting with U. S. senators and representatives on Capitol Hill, Forum
attendees received advocacy training and inspiration through remarks from speakers including Lonnie Ali. Lonnie shared advice from her perspective as a longtime advocate and care partner to her late husband, Muhammad Ali, who lived with Parkinson’ s and was active in advocacy himself, having testified before Congress with Michael J. Fox in 2002.
During meetings, advocates lobbied for increased research funding at federal agencies including the National Institutes of Health( NIH), implementation of the National Parkinson’ s Project and a ban on paraquat, the Parkinson’ s-linked herbicide. Earlier this year, MJFF, APDA and the Parkinson’ s Foundation released a joint statement urging strong investment in the NIH, a call to action reinforced by advocates during the Forum.
Are you inspired to take action? Our next Parkinson’ s Policy Forum is March 16 – 18, 2026. If you’ re not already an advocate, become one today at michaeljfox. org / advocacy.