What is Self Advocacy?
Self-Advocacy is defined as "the act of speaking up for oneself and one's interests." Our mission statement is “giving a voice to every individual with a developmental disability” because we want to empower and encourage self-advocacy for everyone, with an emphasis on individuality, recognizing that each person has unique needs that must be met.
3 Steps to Self-Advocacy
These three steps to Self-Advocacy are vital for individuals with developmental disabilities to express their rights, needs, desires, and more.​​
​1. KNOWING YOUR NEEDS
Individuals with developmental disabilities must be aware of and understand their needs, desires, and human rights. It is equally important that the needs, desires, and rights are understood by parents/caregivers, family members, direct support staff, and other key individuals who have an impact on their future.​​
2. SUPPORTING YOUR NEEDS
Whether a person is in special education, a day program, employed, or engaged in other meaningful activities, what matters most is that they receive the support they need to succeed and feel empowered in every part of their life. We believe each individual deserves the chance to grow, contribute, and live with dignity — and the right support makes that possible.
3. COMMUNICATION
When an individual’s rights may be at risk, it is vital that a person with a developmental disability can express their needs, their rights, and how those rights may have been violated to a parent or caregiver, a family member, support staff, or other trusted people in their life. If an individual requires assistive technology or other tools to communicate, they must have access to alternative communication methods and the necessary technological support. Every person deserves to have their voice heard clearly and safely, without any barriers.
