Supporting people to advocate for themselves

Working in the disability sector, we play a strong role in promoting people advocating for themselves, and practically supporting our clients to do this.

You might ask how? And the answer would vary greatly depending on the client. However, there are some fundamental principles that generally apply.

For a start, all advocacy relies on communication, and we often play a role in empowering our clients to find their voice, however they communicate.

We can support them to build their communication skills regularly, whether they are speaking or non-speaking. We do this in a variety of ways. For instance, there’s some amazing uses of alternative communication techniques, and technology, that help people to communicate for themselves. One really cool example is the emerging use of technology that allows non-speaking people to control a device, using bioelectric signals or spatial movements (such as the NeuroNode), in order to communicate more. This can allow someone to write letters or speak up for themselves more.

Sometimes we also get opportunities to support our clients in building their confidence for speaking up for what they believe and need.

When people are empowered to advocate for themselves effectively, it urges people around them to collaborate and solve problems creatively - and incredible things can happen!

This might look like directly reminding them they can do this and workshopping how to in different contexts so they can practise. It might look like providing a safe space for them to practise asserting themselves or putting in place boundaries. In some cases, it might involve things like seeking out opportunities for them to voice their needs and beliefs more directly.

For example, one of my clients is an avid vegan, and we are making plans to attend a peaceful protest together. Engaging with these types of issues can help clients feel their voices are valued, and help them build the practical skills needed to make themselves heard in other contexts.

Often these same opportunities to make one’s voice heard are also a great way to engage in interests and connect with others, helping to form connections with other people and a sense of purpose. There are few things more powerful in building someone’s confidence and self-advocacy skills than having a strong sense of meaning and community.

When people are empowered to advocate for themselves effectively, it urges people around them to collaborate and solve problems creatively - and incredible things can happen! The difference in seeing someone able to live their life how they choose can be astonishing.

Everyone deserves 'choice and control' in their life, and advocacy is a key part of making that happen.

I recently worked with a client who was advocating for himself in wanting a change in his allied health team. Through the incredible work of his dedicated team of InLife assistants and behaviour practitioners supporting him over the years to build his communication skills and sense of agency, he was able to communicate what he needed to everyone involved in his supports really clearly. This spurred the rest of his care team to collaborate and work together; the necessary changes happened and he now tells his team regularly how glad he is that this need was heard and responded to.

Everyone deserves 'choice and control' in their life, and advocacy is a key part of making that happen.

Even when someone has strong self-advocacy skills, and very often along the way, there are tons of opportunities for us to advocate on behalf of the people we work with as well. I’ll speak more on this in my next article.