|
March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The theme for this year's campaign is "A World of Opportunities," which focuses on removing obstacles and building a community where everyone can thrive.
Sometimes people with developmental disabilities (DD) have to work extra hard to have access to the same things as everyone else. For a person with DD to experience "a world of opportunities," they might have to speak up so they're not overlooked or so others don't assume what they want without asking first. People with DD might have to advocate for themselves.
When you engage in self-advocacy, you express your needs and make your choices known. You also help others understand that you are entitled to be treated with respect and dignity.
A few examples of self-advocacy could include:
- Letting your employer know what your needs are so you can be successful at work.
- Telling your elected officials, like legislators, how the decisions they make will affect you.
- Communicating your preferences to your personal care attendant so you can stay in control of your life.
Tools to help you advocate for yourself
Disability Rights Texas has resources to help you become a self-advocate so you can use your voice to let others know what you
want.
Our 10 Self-Advocacy Tips can help you strengthen your self-advocacy skills so you can clearly communicate your needs, have productive interactions with decision makers, and direct your own life.
In our How to Be Your Own Best Advocate video series, self-advocate Larissa Minner covers what self-advocacy is and how to use it. She also talks about things like how to be assertive but not aggressive and how to handle peoples' attitudes towards your disability.
| 
