My Proposal on Self-Advocacy for Students with Disabilities

The purpose of this post is to provide information about the importance of self-advocacy and how effective the strategies should be in empowering the capacity to engage in decision-making on their behalf. There are issues that impact the communication between disabled and able-bodied persons and the way institutions view their rights and privileges. Self-advocacy defines the process of learning to communicate with all people showing confidence and a sense of identity. I have highlighted a list of questions with background notes on each one—once you read through, you’ll see what it means to be a good advocate for yourself and methods that should be taught to solidify your personal responsibilities. My audience for this post is mainly people with disabilities and their caregivers.

What is Self-Advocacy?

Self-advocacy is the ability to tell people the things that are important to you and speak up for what you need and want.  Someone who advocates for change is responsible for encouraging their rights and it gives him/her the power to lead the life without feeling worthless about the things we can’t control.  Learning to self-advocate involves learning your rights and getting information about what you think is important. Because life is always challenging, self-advocacy plays a critical role in saying how we think and feel about the way things are done and being able to communicate our own choices and possibilities that shape our rights.  Everyone needs to speak up for themselves when something affects their life.  For example, imagine that you have a disability and you have difficulty doing laundry in your apartment; you should ask for help so the caregiver knows what to do for you.  It doesn’t mean your rights are necessarily denied if you don’t get the help you need; it could mean that the people around you don’t know the best way to support your needs because you haven’t expressed your specific and unique needs. The same thing extends to all areas of life, including the workplace. If there are any issues related to your workplace experience due to your disability, don’t be afraid to express your concerns with your employer and plan a meeting to explain your limitations and what sort of accommodations you need.  Being an effective advocate allows you to improve the quality of your life as well as making life choices to achieve the goals.

As children grow up, parents are obligated to manage activities and situations for them until they get out of high school to begin the journey to become independent. With regard to self-advocacy, it’s good to practice communicating your own thoughts and feelings about the things that others are supposed to be helping you with because parents will not always be there to assist you.  Being assertive rather than aggressive and making informed choices on your own behalf is essential.  The most important strategy of self-advocacy is for you to decide what to speak up for and carry out a plan on how you want to monitor the situation.  It takes a lot of practice as you learn to determine what is in your best interests, so don’t ever give up!

What are the Self-Advocacy Policies?

There are many people in the world who are ignored for having negative attitudes toward disabilities that pose discrimination and disrespect by their counterparts. The goal to protect human rights for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses is to implement policies that empower them to develop self-advocacy skills as a lifelong process. Having a disability doesn’t mean your life should be limited. Everyone should have the same human rights, regardless of a disability or illness. You have the right to be treated equally, the right to education, the right to employment opportunities and the right to safe housing.  The self-advocacy movement began in the 1960’s by a group of individuals with intellectual disabilities that became a huge influence on the whole world.  Many self-advocates also have the skills to support the rights of other people with disabilities to help them enrich their lives.  A useful tool to strengthen the skills is to learn about the laws that protect your rights to deepen the understanding of accessibility based on services and public buildings.  The Americans with Disabilities Act, for example, is the most significant influence on disability rights because it prohibits discrimination against disabled communities in the United States.  The movement worked to eliminate the negative stereotypes on disability or chronic illness in order to treat them with kindness and respect and equal rights.  The fight for accessible transportation, housing, and public facilities with wheelchair ramps and elevators has made a positive change in the way society represents the general population regardless of a disability.  Following the passage of the ADA, individuals with many types of disabilities were finally able to travel around the country, attend school with able bodied students, participate in adaptive sports and theatre, and have job opportunities with better access to support services and assistive technology.  The policies also encourage parents to teach their children how to develop self-advocacy skills preparing them for their transition to adulthood. 

All people deserve the same rights to function in society, but there are still cases where some are denied the services and supports they need. Therefore, it’s important for those people to learn the law and how to appeal if they don’t receive enough support to live independently.  It’s important to always remember that you can do whatever you want as long as you have the skills to advocate on your own. Unfortunately, you will need to take charge for everything when you live independently because your friends and family may not be around all the time to assist you. You should demand your rights when they aren’t given to you. The Americans with Disabilities Act provides the requirements that all institutions must accept and follow. Rejection of these rights means violating the law. Many states have organizations that serve people with disabilities, providing information on services and advocacy to support their goals.

What Are Self-Advocacy Skills?

The process of developing self-advocacy skills should begin for students who are still attending high school— this will encourage them to achieve confidence in transition to successful lives. These skills are necessary for persons with disabilities to help them better understand their needs, plan for the future, and increase the level of independence. When you are learning how to speak up for yourself, many of us would assume that you are aware of your rights and accomplishments throughout your academic journey. It is important to have creativity and a positive attitude to make yourself an effective self-advocate. Parents and teachers should let students learn to make decisions for themselves, especially during their high school years. Knowing how to get what you need is a key to self-advocacy as the ability to communicate the needs to others. It is important to note that not all educational institutions and employment facilities provide modifications without some sort of pressure. That is why you need to learn about your goals, strengths, and weaknesses to emphasize the need for accommodations.  I have found that most teachers are open to guidance on their disabled students and want to help enhance their academic performance. Having a good student/teacher relationship makes it easier to get help and it allows them time to modify assignments. Being an effective self-advocate usually means you are the expert on your differences, and you are the one who can educate others on what you need to be successful. You must always know yourself, but you also must be polite and clear about what you are standing up for. The process is key to helping students with disabilities prepare for the real-world experience. Skill-building is essential to be taught in special education to set their goals for success. Learning to ask for accommodations should be the main priority for individuals with specific disabilities so they can be provided with access to resources such as post-secondary education, employment opportunities, housing, etc. Students should participate in IEP meetings with the special educators to discover options for college and job training that fit their needs. Summer colleges and internship programs are helpful ways to develop self-determination skills and offer support in transition planning. Some people with learning disabilities require adult involvement in making choices for them since they may not even be capable of knowing their rights.

Why is Self-Advocacy so Important?

The more you know what you need, the better you are able to speak up for yourself.  This skill is important to learn how to decide what you need help with and what is possible. This will improve the personal responsibility to figure out what you need to accomplish life goals.  Helping others know and understand your needs will form healthy relationships so they can help you become successful and competent in life. College requires students with special needs to reach a greater level of self-advocacy starting early in high school.  It also builds self-sufficiency as a vital aspect of maturity achievement. Learning to self-advocate in school provides an opportunity to ask for accommodations and become independent in social situations. Most schools have good teachers and staff who want to help students be successful, but sometimes they don’t truly know how unless they explain that their needs are important to them.  Parents who teach children how to speak up for themselves promote independence that increases during adolescence and emerging adulthood.  By learning to self-advocate with family, friends, and colleagues, you must be able to take action to make sure your needs are met in a respectful manner. Remember that people are not “mind readers” and they can’t anticipate what you need without being asked for help— so it’s important to be confident about how you’re going to speak up for yourself and the kind of help you need is given. Try saying it out loud with a clear voice... that way people will always pay attention to what you’re asking for. It doesn’t mean they don’t care about you; they just don’t know how to help. The best strategy to help you become an effective advocate would be something called “rhetoric.” It makes communication more powerful and fluid. Being rhetorically persuasive about your needs helps the listener to understand exactly what you’re trying to say; the power of knowledge about your needs stimulates fluency and it can pour information into someone else’s mind. Your needs shouldn’t be ignored or withdrawn; at some point there’s no reason to not communicate them.  Although it may seem intimidating at first, probably because you are shy or unsure what to say to someone. Trust yourself and be honest when asking for anything you believe is important, whether you’re a student or employee wanting to do better at using the skills to overcome the obstacles. It’s a good time to be kind and have as much patience as possible. Be confident and optimistic when asking people questions. Don’t let someone make decisions about your needs on your behalf—that could make you less able to speak up for yourself in the long run. Learning to understand your specific needs is hard, but it will prepare you for the rest of your life as you move out of the family home to live on your own.