Making Advocacy Understandable

Making Advocacy Understandable. “Advocacy is not always heard, but your voice and your being there is most important.” By Jason Harris and Diana Mairose

Advocacy can be an everyday thing and can be very complex. In this piece, we explain advocacy and its core fundamentals in an everyday way for all to understand.

We all advocate in different ways. This can happen without us realizing it because it happens when we make a choice and tell someone or follow through. Choosing things like what to wear or where to eat, who you hang out with, or how you spend your money are all the ways you advocate in the everyday. This also means you don’t have to make the same choice all the time, or you can change your mind about what you like and don’t like.

Advocacy is something that happens every day and can happen in many other ways.  Advocacy could happen through big discussions, planning, and working with others.  Advocacy can be talking or speaking but can also be through art or writing or through technology such as video or AAC or storytelling. It could include sharing our personal stories for others to understand the importance of a specific advocacy subject like these two examples:  

• I worked with Coryville Library to start a graphic novel book club since I was interested in sharing my love of graphic novels with others and talking about the ideas within them. I had to reach out to all the different libraries and then ask them if they would help me do a graphic novel book club. Coryville said they would help me facilitate the groups and advise me on what books they could order.
• I was introduced to a concern that the money, resources, and assistance many people with disabilities get from a program called Medicaid may be decreased or cut out. This program helps many people pay for their visits to the dentist.  If cut, people would not be able to go to the dentist as much as they need to go. With the help of my Leadership teacher, I interviewed my friends about how the proposed dental cuts would impact their lives. I learned that Cincinnati does not have many clinics for people with complex disabilities. Dental offices and clinics are not accessible or do not have the equipment for people with mobility concerns. At the event, I read their stories to the people present. I did this so the government officials could see the person with whom I worked. Advocacy is not always heard, but your voice and your being there are most important.

Advocacy is about those things that are important to you.  It is about your style, where you like to hang out, how you choose to spend your money, or what issues you care about in your community or the world. One of the great things about doing advocacy is that you can connect with other people, whether they are folks you already know or new to you. You can get advice from people. None of us make decisions on our own. We ask our friends, family, or professionals for their advice. That does not mean others tell you what to do. But it is getting the opinions, thoughts, or experiences of others.  It’s so important to say “no” to things with which you disagree.  It is good for you and others to know when you are doing too much or do not want to do something. It can feel hard to say no, but it is truly okay to do so and to set boundaries.

This stuff is all a work in progress, and we are all at different places in terms of advocating for ourselves and the things we care about.  

Note: This article is part of a series that is a collaboration between HCDDS (Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services) ALIFE’s, (Advocacy, Life Course Planning, Inclusion & Family Engagement) Diana Mairose and Jason’s Connection’s, Jason Harris.