Self-Advocacy

How can I fight this or prevent this?

Self-advocacy is the ability to speak and act on behalf of oneself or a cause, which involves understanding your needs, communicating them clearly, and making your own decisions and choices. Advocacy can be an action taken to influence and create individual, social, and global change or to educate peers and the public at large with self-awareness of what you want and need and how to communicate it effectively. 

At Summit, we offer self-advocacy assistance in navigating government programs; understanding and securing civil rights under disability laws; and a wide range of other situations requiring support and problem solving assistance in order to build and maintain self-empowerment, and live independently.

In a country where we have to fight for our civil rights, self-advocacy is a necessary skill for independent living. We have rights must use our voices to ensure representation, develop confidence, and empower our peers. Effective communication allows us to tell others what we need to access our communities. Being a self-advocate means speaking up for yourself and defending your rights. Self-advocacy can be any of the following:

• Assessing your needs
• Asking for what you need
• Assertive communication
• Fighting for individual accommodations
• Building self-esteem
• Developing strong relationships
• Understanding your rights and responsibilities

For advocacy assistance or more information, please contact your local Summit office.