Self-Advocacy is About:
“…independent groups of people with disabilities working together for
justice by helping each other take charge of their lives and to fight
against discrimination. As a verb, self-advocacy is about
advocating – lawyering– for oneself; instead of someone else (like an
advocate) speaking for the individual. As a noun, it generally describes
the grassroots, civil rights movement of self-advocacy including its
associations and groups.
The movement stresses the need for people with developmental
disabilities to learn decision making skills and reinforces the need for
understanding responsible choice in order to become more independent. The
way people with disabilities learn about advocating for themselves is by
supporting each other and helping each other to gain confidence to speak
out for what they believe in”. (1)
The Wishes and Dreams Self-Advocacy Group is
one of the self-advocacy groups associated with Crystal Run Village,
Inc. It was established in November of 1998 and is
comprised of people
living in Orange County who are receiving services from the agency. There
are 20 members; people from the community are encouraged to join.
The group typically meets the last Wednesday of each month. Elected
officers (who are self-advocates elected by their peers) and advisors meet
to discuss and plan the agenda’s for the meetings which are conducted by
the officers. The objective of the meetings is for the members to learn
how to advocate for themselves and to help others. This is accomplished by
inviting other self-advocates and professionals to come and speak with
about ways and opportunities to advocate. Goals for Wishes and Dreams
include educating new staff, educating themselves and other people with
disabilities about their civil rights, fundraising.
Members attend local, state organized and national conferences where
they meet new friends and learn new skills for understanding and spreading
the word about the meaning of self-advocacy and for understanding
individual and group responsibility to themselves, the people important to
them and society as a whole.
1
Information provided by People First in Oregon, attributed to be the first
self-advocacy movement in the United States.
