CWA Blog Archive-How To Self-Advocate To Local Health Authorities

How To Self-Advocate To Local Health Authorities

Pdf Summary

This action-oriented guide, originally posted in July 2020 and updated that November, helps gym operators advocate to local health authorities for effective and reasonable reopening guidelines amid a wave of re-closures and changing rules. Its central premise is that while local health authorities have the best intentions and everyone wants to help end the pandemic, the people creating reopening policies often know very little about climbing or gym operations. Therefore it's operators' duty to communicate with task forces, health departments, and state representatives to make their needs and expertise known. The CWA positions itself as a support, but stresses that the voice of local business owners will matter most to local officials. The guide provides concrete steps. First, find out who your local health authorities are and how best to contact them, pointing US operators to usa.gov/state-health for state health department information and the NACCHO directory for smaller localities. Second, organize your community and your thoughts, emphasizing there is power in numbers, if you can work with other climbing gyms, you can amplify your collective voice. The throughline is that gym operators can and should actively shape the reopening policies affecting them by advocating directly to local health authorities, who typically lack knowledge of climbing operations.

Asset Caption

This guide helps operators advocate to local health authorities for reasonable reopening rules, since officials crafting policy often know little about gym operations. It urges operators to educate them, providing steps to identify and contact the right authorities and to organize collectively with other gyms, since there's power in numbers, for amplified impact.