Transcript Enhancing Advocacy: The new People On the Go Ken Capone

 Leisure
clubs began in Sweden in the late
1960s.
 In 1974 a group of people with disabilities
from Oregon attended a conference in
Canada and returned home to form a self
advocacy group.
 The group called themselves People First.
 National
group – Self Advocates Becoming
Empowered formed in 1991
 Over 800 statewide and local self advocacy
organizations across the country.
 STAND Together – first local group began in
1985
 People On the Go of Maryland began in 1989
 Having
control over your own life
 Expressing
your likes and dislikes
 Is
about people being able to stand up for
themselves
 Means you are able to speak up for what you
need and want and tell people about your
thoughts and feelings
 Help
people speak up about what is
important to us.
 Bring people together to advocate for
common issues
 Self
advocates can accomplish more when we
are in a big groups rather then doing things
alone. Change comes when groups of people
advocate for the same issue. This is why it is
important for people with disabilities to join
self advocacy groups.
 It
is important to remember that we are
accountable for our own actions when we
advocate.
 It is important for everyone in the group to
agree on how they are going to advocate and
what the message will be.
 Because
it gives you confidence in your
abilities.
 Because it helps you decide what issues are
important to you
 Because it makes you think about what you
want in life and set goals
 When
you want to be listened to
 When you want to be heard
 At medical appointments
 When you are in your IP meeting
 And MANY more places
 Where
you work
 Where you live
 Where you play
 And at the Legislature
 Speaks-Up
about what they are thinking
 Speaks-Up about how they are feeling
 Speaks-Up about what they believe in
 Speaks-Up on the issues they consider
important
 Makes
important decisions in their life
 Takes responsibility for their decisions
 Advocates for change
 We
have seen as a state a decreased amount
of young adults who are involved formally
with self-advocacy.
 We all know there is power in numbers so
where are the youth and why aren’t they
involved?
 Good self-advocacy skills are necessary to
find and maintain employment and live in
the community as independently as possible.
 Students
who scored higher on the selfdetermination scale were more likely to be
employed, earn more per hour, have their
own bank account, and live on their own.
 Make
choices.
 Direct their own I E P meeting.
 Ask for accommodations.
 Set Goals.
 Believe
that you can accomplish anything.
Set goals for what you want to do and make
a plan to achieve those goals.
 Find a mentor. Seek out someone you can
completely confide in who will support you in
the development of your leadership skills.
 Be a mentor to younger students with
disabilities. Help them to develop their
leadership skills by sharing your experiences
and connecting them with available
opportunities.
5. Participate in youth leadership conferences.
Take advantage of leadership workshops that
involve both youth and parents, since parents
can be a valuable resource for supporting
leadership skills. Help organize conferences and
other youth leadership projects.
 Create a peer support network. Connect with
other youth leaders with disabilities, including
those in different communities. You can share
experiences (what you did, what worked for you,
etc.) and learn from one another. Form a council
of older youth with disabilities to serve as a
resource for younger youth with disabilities.
