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Empowering Effective Self-Advocacy! - 2020 Conference€¦ · Empowering Effective Self-Advocacy!...
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Empowering Effective Self-Advocacy! Emily Holmes, Emerging Leaders Northwest Ryley Newport, Oregon Self-Advocacy Coalition and Oregon Council on Development Disabilities
Transcript of Empowering Effective Self-Advocacy! - 2020 Conference€¦ · Empowering Effective Self-Advocacy!...
Empowering Effective
Self-Advocacy!
Emily Holmes, Emerging Leaders Northwest
Ryley Newport, Oregon Self-Advocacy Coalition and
Oregon Council on Development Disabilities
Main Points
• What is Self-Advocacy?
• Self-Advocacy and Transition
• Empowering Self-Advocates
• Oregon Self-Advocacy Coalition
• Activity Challenge
What is Self-Advocacy?
Self-advocacy is when people
ask for what they need so they
can control their lives and be
independent.
What is Self-Advocacy? • History of self-advocacy in Oregon.
o 1974 – First self-advocacy group started in Salem, OR, called People First, made up of individuals who lived at Fairview Training Center.
o 1974 – People First of Portland is founded.
o 1975 – People First of Eugene is founded.
o 1998 – Self Advocates as Leaders (SAAL) is founded.
o 2000 – Fairview Training Center closed.
o 2002 – Project Vote begins.
o 2005 – Respectful language bill (HB 3047) passed.
o 2010 – Oregon Self Advocacy Coalition is founded.
• Self-advocacy today, where are we? o Almost 20 self-advocacy groups meet on a regular basis.
o Programs developed and running: Oregon Network and Partners in Policymaking
o First state to close all institutions!
o Challenges: Youth involvement, working together, respecting differences, and money.
• What are self-advocacy skills?
o Speaking up when you does not understand the information.
o Learning about and understanding your disabilities.
o Asking for help and educating people about your needs.
o Taking the initiative.
o Accommodating yourself.
o Talking about and education people about your disabilities.
o Learning to handle difficult disability specific situations.
What is Self-Advocacy?
Self-Advocacy and Transition
• How does self-advocacy fit into transition?
o Self-advocacy is an area of transition like employment or
transportation.
o Transition is a time to prepare for, learn, and practice self-
advocacy skills.
o Self-advocacy affects all parts of life for ones entire life, it keeps
coming up so preparation is necessary.
o Self-advocates as mentors to the next generation and leaders for
the next generation.
Self-Advocacy in Life
• Areas of Life and Examples of Self-Advocacy
1) Employment, interning, and volunteering
• Asking for accommodations at work
2) Education
• Explaining your disability to a teacher
3) Where one lives or housing
• Learning what your rights are under the Fair Housing Act
4) Healthcare
• Speaking up when you do not understand the doctor
5) Healthy living
• Asking for support with making good food choices
6) Involvement in the community
• Involvement with a community group or social club
7) Money or finances
• Asking for support keeping bills organized and paid on time
8) Relationships
• Initiating a conversation with your parents about transition.
9) Transportation
• Asking the transit manager if you can practice getting on and off the bus in your wheelchair
10) Faith
• Reminding the church staff about providing written documents in alternative formats
Empowering Self-Advocates
• What causes empowerment?
o Attitude – Liking who you are
o Self-Confidence – Believing you can do it
o Self-Determination – The power to make the belief happen
• How do you empower other self-advocates?
o Have high expectations for each other
o Mentoring – Using your life as an example
o Connect to local self-advocacy groups
o Do presentations on effective self-advocacy
Oregon Self-Advocacy Coalition
• Our mission is to engage communities in advocating for the rights of people with developmental disabilities.
• Goals:
o OSAC has two primary goals for 2015: employment and health care advocacy.
• What we do:
o Represent at the state level
o Provide support to member groups
o Hold quarterly meetings in Salem
• Our mission is to engage communities in advocating for the rights of people with developmental disabilities.
• Goals:
o OSAC has two primary goals for 2015: employment and health care advocacy.
• What we do:
o Represent at the state level
o Provide support to member groups
o Hold quarterly meetings in Salem
OSAC Healthcare
• OSAC believes that people with intellectual and
developmental disabilities should have access to good
quality, affordable health care services. We have two
areas to improve on:
1. Health care providers need to provide quality services to people
with developmental disabilities; and
2. The health care system in Oregon needs to meet the needs of
people with developmental disabilities.
OSAC Employment
• “Our goal is to educate, inspire and encourage people
with intellectual and developmental disabilities to
succeed in their employment goals. Our vision is that all
people with disabilities get jobs in the community.”
(OSAC Employment Committee, June 2014)
OSAC Self-Advocacy Groups
o Advocates in Motion (AIM) (Portland)
o Autism Self-Advocacy Network (Portland)
o Emerging Leaders Northwest – Portland Chapter
o Emerging Leaders Northwest – Salem Chapter
o High Desert Self Advocates (Bend)
o Hollywood Dreams (Coos Bay)
o ODDANG (Portland)
o People First of Eugene
o Self Advocates of Linn County (Albany)
o Self Advocates Taking Action (Portland)
o SPARC – Columbia County
o SPARC – Josephine County
o SPARC – Linn and Benton Counties
o SPARC – Marion and Polk Counties
o Victory Nation (Mt. Angel)
o Washington County Self Advocates (Beaverton)
Activity Challenge!
1. Break into groups.
2. Read the goal given to your group.
3. Identify the skills of each individual in the group.
4. Designate tasks for group members based on skills.
5. Share with the larger audience.
Contact Information
Emily Holmes, Emerging Leaders Northwest,
Ryley Newport, Oregon Self-Advocacy Coalition and
Oregon Council on Development Disabilities,
