The Ripple Effect: One Voice Inspires a Movement

It often starts with just one person. One individual willing to stand up and say, “This isn’t working for my family.” One parent who speaks from the heart about the impossible choices they face. One advocate who dares to step into a committee room where decisions are made.

That single voice can feel small, outnumbered, overlooked, or even dismissed. But what happens next is powerful. That voice creates a ripple.

When one person shares their truth, another finds the courage to raise their hand and say, “Me too.” When two voices come together, they echo louder. And when hundreds of families and self-advocates unite, they can no longer be ignored. That is how movements are built.

A Story We’ve Lived

This year, Arizona families proved the power of the ripple effect. What started as a handful of parents testifying about the importance of the Parents as Paid Caregivers (PPCG) program grew into a collective demand for action. The ripple spread further than anyone expected.

Families wrote emails that filled legislators’ inboxes. The media shined a spotlight on the issue, giving families’ stories a platform that reached far beyond the hearing rooms. The general public began to share in the outrage, realizing that without action, children with disabilities and their families would be left without critical support.

That ripple became a wave. By spring, Arizona not only secured gap funding for DDD services to stabilize families and providers in crisis, but the Parents as Paid Caregivers program was also written into state law. What began as a temporary program vulnerable to political shifts became a permanent commitment to families with disabilities.

Why Membership Matters

This victory is not the end of the story, it is the beginning. Movements only stay strong when they are nourished and organized. Membership in Raising Voices Coalition is how we keep the ripples moving outward. It is how we build a sustainable and unstoppable force that ensures every child, every caregiver, and every person with a disability has the dignity and support they deserve.

When you become a member, you are not just adding your name to a list. You are adding your voice to a movement that has already changed Arizona, and one that will continue to ripple out until real, lasting change is secured.

Because one person may start the ripple. But together, we are the wave.