Supporting Self Advocacy
Supporting others to feel safe and confident to advocate for themselves.
Self advocates feel safe and empowered to disclose their disability, as a way to share aspects of their life, access support, or to support others. Explore this resource as a first step to supporting clients to build self advocacy skills and becoming an ally to the disability community and ambassador for inclusion.
What you will learn:
Click below to find the answers
Why is Self-Advocacy important in the disability community?
Self-advocacy fosters empowerment over ones life and everyday choices. It is especially important in the disability community because people with disability are often considered unable to participate. However, when a person with disability is aware of their own needs or the obstacles that are in their way and feels comfortable voicing this, it provides them with the access they need to take their place in participating fully in the family, community and society.
What does a self-advocate need to know about themselves?
The three parts of self-advocacy
1. Know yourself:
Who are you? What are you gifts? What interests you? What brings you joy? What challenges you? Where do you struggle? What is your place in the family? Community? Society?
3. Knowing how to get what you need:
Who, what, when, where, how? Whether it’s at home, school, work or through the various support organizations, a self-advocate has figured out how to get what they need. They will also be a part of the solution, and guide the process.
2. Know your needs:
What do you need to thrive? Physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually? What are you missing? What is blocking you? What do you need to consider and plan for?
Importance of SELF-ADVOCACY:
Self advocacy fosters empowerment and the motivation. By having the power to speak up for ones needs, voicing their concerns and understanding their responsibilities, this ensures that the help they’re seeking and or receiving is tailored specifically for them and their lifestyles. This allows people to move forward on their path, motivated and empowered.
How to be an Ally to a Self Advocate
1. Be Adaptable:
If a method or situation needs to be changed to better fit a person’s needs, be open to the change, an inclusive environment is flexible and adaptable, embracing diversity
2. Listen & Learn:
Listening and learning how a person with a disability feels in any given situation and understanding their preferred methods for doing things, will give you insight into the best way to approach various situations with them.
3. Work together to find alternate solutions:
Disability is not one solution fits all. If another solution needs to be found to accommodate a person’s needs or address their barriers, be open and willing to find another solution and work with