Insights Into the 2025 Hill Day Experience

October 12, 2025
by Guest Author

Getting Involved

Hear from Guest Blogger Kyra Aligaen about her experience at Hill Day!

I went to the Hill to talk to my representatives about OT, and you can too! My Insights Into the 2025 Hill Day Experience.

As students and hopeful occupational therapy clinicians, it might not seem like we can move the needle much, if at all, when it comes to making change in our field. In all honesty, I used to be someone who thought so too.

It didn’t take long for me to be convinced of just how much power exists within my own voice. At the Chan Division, I am surrounded by countless leaders of the profession, including our very own American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) President Dr. Arameh Anvarizadeh and Occupational Therapy Association of California (OTAC) President Dr. Samia Rafeedie, who have inspired me to be an unapologetic advocate for the magic that is occupational therapy.

When the Chan Division Hill Day Leadership Award application came out at the end of August, there was no question that I would apply. Student Leadership Award recipients are allotted $500 by the Division to use on transportation and lodging costs in Washington DC. This is an incredible opportunity to focus your energy and efforts on the big day.

Twelve students from the Chan Division traveled to the nation’s capital for AOTA Hill Day. Based on our voting address (I am registered to vote in San Bernardino County), my peers and I were assigned groups and a series of meetings from about 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM to meet with our representatives or their staffers to discuss bills and policies that can support the profession and the people who receive OT care.

Some of you might be thinking, Kyra, I’m not a policy person, and I can’t talk about legislation. I’m here to say, don’t worry! Neither am I! AOTA sets up all Hill Day participants to be successful for all of their meetings. On the AOTA website, there is comprehensive and digestible information in the form of video and PDF summaries breaking down each of the bills you are responsible for as well as the explicit asks to make to your representatives.

If you are curious, you can take a look at the legislative issues we covered this 2025 Hill Day. One of the bills we talked about was the Medicare Home Health Accessibility Act (H.R. 2013). As it stands, occupational therapy services cannot be ordered as a stand-alone home health service under Medicare. This means that currently, occupational therapy cannot be ordered as a home health service without being referred to by nursing, physical therapy, or speech language pathology. This bill would allow OT to come into older adults’ homes without having to jump through other hoops just to reach their patients. As Dr. Rafeedie said in one of our meetings, “It’s like needing to see the optometrist but having to go through your dentist first.”

Every meeting, my peers, alongside our group’s designated OT, Dr. Hiral Khatri, divided and conquered our responsibilities in the brief time we were allotted to meet with representatives. Some of my peers were assigned to cover bills and others shared personal anecdotes about seeing occupational therapy’s impact. My primary role in each of the meetings was to provide a quick elevator pitch for what our profession entails. Some of you may know that this can be one of the hardest things to explain as OT students! My pitch for the day went along these lines, “Occupational therapists help individuals engage in meaningful occupations, so this is anything that a person needs to do, wants to do, and is expected to do. Some examples include helping individuals who had relearn self-care skills after a stroke, supporting those who have chronic conditions manage their medications or conserve energy,  or supporting children with disabilities engage in school-based classroom activities or social participation. While OTs can work in a diverse array of settings, ultimately our goal is to help individuals enhance their quality life.”

As time went on, we grew more confident about our spiel and even more excited to share about occupational therapy. As a resident of the Inland Empire, one of the most exciting parts of the day for me was getting to meet my very own Congressional Representative, Congressman Pete Aguilar of California’s 33rd District. We were informed earlier that morning that Congressman Aguilar would be finishing up voting in the House, close to when our meeting with him was slated. To see him, my peers and I were escorted by two of Congressman Aguilar’s kind staffers through the Capitol Hill underground tunnels to reach the House!

Spending a day on the Hill was nothing short of an amazing experience. AOTA reported that on Hill Day 2025, 29 states and Washington, DC were represented, 316 OT advocates participated, 173 congressional meetings were held, and there were 24 meetings with members of Congress (2 of which my group was able to participate in!) And it wasn’t all business! My peers and I met new friends from OT programs with students, faculty, and leaders across the country, brought together by our joint love of the profession and belief in our profession’s capabilities. After a long day of advocacy, we all celebrated by heading to a local pub together.

In DC, we were all at the heart of where change is, and can be made in this country. I saw the bustling people moving to and fro between offices and buildings across the Hill, and spoke with representatives and their staffers. It was just a glimpse into all the moving parts that it takes for this country to operate and for people to access the care and services they need. I got to play a small role in that process with the hopes that my brief visit to the Hill could cascade into greater change.

Taking the time to have one conversation with someone who can push your words, your stories, and your hopes forward could be the difference between a person receiving the care that can enhance their quality of life (what we as OTs are in the business of doing!!) — or not.

While I highly recommend that anyone participate in the Hill Day experience, traveling to Washington DC is not the only way to advocate for the profession. Joining and being active in your national and state associations is another way! If you’ve ever been excited to hear occupational therapy mentioned in a movie or TV show, your membership dues are what allow for that visibility of the profession. It is what gives OTs the platform and access to speak on issues that are important to us. You can also contact your representatives from anywhere! Follow AOTA for guidance on legislation and locate your representatives to voice your concerns to them about the needs of the profession by emailing or calling.

If that is still daunting to you, the biggest takeaway from my experience is this: At the end of the day, what legislators really want to hear from you is your why. Why did you choose to dedicate years of study to this profession? Why do you believe in it?

Hold onto your stories as you move throughout your studies and your career. When it comes to advocacy, that is your most unique superpower.

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