What is the
Self Advocacy Movement?
Self Advocacy is a disability rights movement that started in the 1960’s.
A rights movement is when people around the world work together to:
- speak up about shared human rights issues
- take action and
- make change
The Self Advocacy movement is led by and for people with disability.
Self Advocates with disability say:
Nothing about us without us!
We should be in charge of decisions that affect our lives and our community.
Self Advocates put the word Self and Advocacy together to say:
Self Advocacy IS: Disability advocacy coming from the people it effects, the people with disability.
Self Advocacy IS: Groups of people with disability doing advocacy work to fight for equality and human rights issues.
Self Advocacy IS NOT: People without disability doing advocacy work for us.
Self Advocacy is for people with disability that are often spoken for by other people without disability.
For example:
- People with an intellectual disability
- People with an Acquired Brain Injury
- People with complex communications needs
Any person with disability can join the Self Advocacy Movement!
