Lid trigger, activator...whatever broke off??? Help!!!?

The little plastic lever that is pushed down by the lid to activate the agitator in the washing machine came off...it seems there should me some simple method of permanently holding whatever it holds down...down as a fix or getting the piece and putting it back on myself...but first...how do I even get the top part of the washing machine open to see what that piece is??? The seam around the top/front leads one to believe it would flip open like a jack-in-the-box lid...but how??? It seems I remember a repair man having one open that way somewhere in my past. Thanks.