What is the definition of Self-Advocacy?

Self-Advocacy means speaking up for yourself about the rights and responsibilities in your life. People who speak up for themselves are called “Self-Advocates” and having once learned how to speak up for themselves can assist others to do so as well.

The process of becoming a Self-Advocate allows the individual to educate themselves on issues that are of importance to them. For example, if a person finds that they will need to ride a bus to work, but finds that the service does not run when they need it, can work with others to make changes to the service. First, they probably will need to find out more about the problem, such as:

1. Are other people being affected?

2. Are there other options?

3. Who are the best people to contact in the organization, in order to make a difference?

Once a person educates himself or herself on an issue, they might then seek out others that are being affected, and try to develop a strategy for improving the service for others. Self-Advocates use many ideas to capture the attention of officials or other powers that be. Some use petitions, gaining the signatures of others to express their dissatisfaction. Others will host meetings, so that others can express their opinions. There is no right or wrong way to organize others, but the importance is how the group comes to the decision together. The POWER is in the group working together to make a difference in people’s lives.

For people with developmental disabilities, Self-Advocacy is an international movement, which focuses on many different issues. Organizations such as People First, The Arc, and many other community-based organizations are creating avenues for people to take more control over their lives.

The impact of these groups has been far-reaching, on an individual and global basis, and continues to this day. There are chapters of People First throughout the United States, as well as in New Mexico, working on the many issues that affect people’s lives on a daily basis, making a change, making a difference!