Self Advocacy

Being able to express your needs and make decisions about your own life is important. To achieve this you must take action.

Advocacy is when an individual or group communicates their needs and rights. This can include taking action to:

• represent the rights and interests of yourself or someone else, or
• influence social, political, and economic systems to create change for a group of people

Being a self-advocate means speaking up for yourself and defending your rights.

Building an Advocacy Plan

To advocate for yourself you can build a plan. This allows you to take action in a thoughtful way. Follow these three steps to write your plan.

STEP 1 – Identify the problem​
You need to understand your aim before you can take action.

At this stage it is important to outline:

• the problem
• your goals​
• what information and resources you currently have

STEP 2 – Gather information

At this stage you will need to think about:

• What extra facts and information you need
• How you will gather information​
• Who are the decision makers you need to influence to solve the problem?
• Who can help you?

STEP 3 - Develop solutions

At this stage you will need to think about:

• Possible solutions to the problem
• What actions you need to take
• The barriers to these solutions
• What you want the decision makers to do

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Remember to consult with other people about possible options when building your plan, especially if others have faced a similar problem. It's in times like these that peer support groups and networks are really helpful as you can connect with people who have experienced similar situations and can offer advice.

You can learn more about peer support groups on the Peer Connect website.

This video below shows the benefits of developing your self-advocacy skills and the power of raising your voice about things that are important to you. Check it out:

Advocacy Skills

To put an advocacy plan in place you need advocacy skills.

Here are some advocacy tips and skills worth developing on your NDIS journey:

Stay focused and be persistent

• Find out if there is a regulation or rule relating to the decision you do not agree with
• Find out who has the power to make the change and contact that person
• Use your appeal rights
• Always get the name of the person you speak to
• Establish and nurture contacts within agencies
• Remember it takes time to develop advocacy skills so just keep swimming

Take notes and keep records

• Keep notes of all conversations (including who, when and what was discussed)
• Keep all letters and information received and sent
• Note dates of all events in your diary

It helps to have strategies and practices ready if you want to be an effective advocate when meeting someone in person, when on the phone and through writing.

In person:

• Prepare for meetings to reduce anxiety and be more effective. This can include thinking about what you want to learn and the result you want from the meeting
• When you schedule a meeting ask what you need to bring along
• Ask a friend or supporter to come to the meeting with you
• Be on time and use positive body language
• Take careful notes of what was said
• Follow up after your meeting, through a short letter or email, thanking them for their time

On the phone:

• Take the time to gather the information you need before your call
• Be assertive but not aggressive
• Do your research so you can clearly explain why you would like to appeal the decision they have made
• Ask to speak to someone with the ability to make a decision
• Ask for clarification if you don’t understand their point or instructions
• If you can’t get an outcome on the phone ask what the next step is

In writing:

The dot points above are also relevant to writing a letter or email. The letter below is a good example of a clear, well-structured letter. It clearly outlines the writer’s issue, the outcome they want, and requests a response. If you are writing, follow this template to make the letter clear and factual.

To: Ms Fredricka Pullet
Patient Services Manager
4C Bellamy Hospital
2203 Woodward Crescent
Blarney, BC
V7E 3B9

Following our telephone conversation of February 4, 2001, I wish to file the following complaints with your office. They are as follows:

1. On January 29, I was released from the hospital without sufficient notice to schedule home care for the next day.
2. Because there was no home care available, my husband had to miss a day of work to look after me, jeopardizing our income and his employment.

My desired resolution is:
1. Your office will institute a policy that patients such as me are not to be discharged until home care arrangements are in place.
2. A letter will be sent to my husband’s boss (his name and address are attached) to explain why he was unable to attend work that day.

I request that you acknowledge to me in writing your willingness to resolve the issue as I have indicated above.

Address: 34 Blossom Lane
Blarney, BC V7E 4B4
Phone: 604-575-2222

Formal Advocacy

If your advocacy efforts are not successful you may need to seek formal advocates to help you.

Learning to speak up and self advocate can take time. However, when you do find your voice the benefits can be great!

Watch Tim’s story below on how learning advocacy skills changed his life for the better.

Congratulations! You have completed Topic 4 – Safeguard Your Success. You have learnt about:

• Taking reasonable risk
• Safety and safeguards
• The importance of self advocacy when things don’t go to plan

Next up is Topic 5 – Feeling at Home. This one is all about finding strategies for bringing your vision of home to life! See you there!