Why is self-advocacy for people with disabilities so challenging, and how can that be fixed?
If you're anything like me, you sometimes struggle to voice your needs for various reasons. You might be convinced that your needs are somehow less important than others, you don't want to be a "burden" to others, or you have tried in the past and experienced negative results.
Oftentimes, people with disabilities fail to advocate their needs because they struggle with understanding what those needs actually are, and due to this lack of insight, are unable to communicate effectively. The emphasis here is on the content and clarity of the message; it's equally important to know what the problem is and how clear you are with your communication.
So, you struggle with self-advocacy... is there anything that you can do to get better at it? Yes!
Self-advocacy Defined
Self-advocacy is communicating a need or concern to another person in whatever method that works best for you. Whether speaking up to a professor about difficulties with a specific topic in class, applying for accommodations in a job or educational institution, or voicing your needs to a parent or friend, you are your best advocate!
Speaking up helps to foster a sense of confidence when it comes to facing challenges.
It helps bolster resiliency as it is a hallmark of resilience.
Self-advocacy Works Best When You Know Yourself: Defining Your Needs
Self-advocacy requires a working self-understanding: your values, strengths and weaknesses, your needs, and your rights. Acknowledging your strengths AND weaknesses can be a powerful bit of personal insight; it allows you to highlight what you are good at and plan for areas where you might struggle.
Additionally, a strong sense of strengths and weaknesses can better inform realistic goals and motivate a person when setbacks arise.
Goals are "easier" to attain when they are driven by genuine interest and motivation, not just as a means-to-an-end task (e.g., completing homework to avoid a consequence).
Your values reflect who you are, inform your goals, and necessitate support when needed.
Communication is a Two-way Street: Content and Clarity
Content and clarity are the two foundational aspects of communication. What specifically do you want to address, and how clear is your messaging? Remember, the person you are talking to is not a mind-reader, so if you are experiencing a breakdown in conversation, it might be that you are not making sense or your ideas are disorganized.
Based on my years of experience working in higher education, when a student struggles with advocating their needs to me, it is often due to poorly constructed ideas or a communication style that is difficult to understand.
If communication is in a verbal format, be cognizant of your tone, body language, and speaking fluency.
If communication is in a written format, proofread before sharing and keep your wording as concise as possible.
At times, the person advocating their needs is doing so in a rushed manner or is coming from a place of frustration, and this can impair the overall quality of what is communicated or how it is conveyed. Try to be mindful that the goal of advocacy is to voice a need and to get that need met; persistence is necessary, but so is a professional demeanor.
For instance, if you are applying for accommodations, the person you are working with is inherently on your side, so approach them with an emphasis on being collaborative.
If you experience a lag in progress, demonstrate persistence by maintaining an open line of communication and accountability (on both sides).
Check out all of my content here!
Self-Advocacy in Context
Context plays an important role in self-understanding and proactively advocating one's own needs. Think of it as the goodness of fit when applying to a job or educational institution. In essence, you are becoming a small but important part of a larger environment; it's important that you feel a sense of connection.
Does this new environment match your values, goals, and interests?
What opportunities are available that are mutually beneficial for you and the job/school?
What does support look like, and who will I need to connect with when I need help?
It's been my observation that students with disabilities are more prone to suffering in silence when they have a high degree of unmet needs and lack a comprehensive plan when support is needed. This is, again, why preplanning and research into a new environment is crucial; the support is there, but it is up to you to know when and how to access it.
Networking helps to cultivate a list of available resources and use a referral system when setbacks happen.
Being an advocate can mean advocating for yourself and others. This may also help alleviate anxieties about speaking up for yourself when you are helping to champion someone else's cause.
It becomes easier to develop self-knowledge and determination when you feel part of something beyond yourself, so join or lead groups within your institution.
This also connects with being an advocate for others!
Check out the companion video I made here on this topic!
Repetition and Repertoire: Self-advocacy Strategies and Tips for Your Everday Life
Finding your voice means actually using your voice. Each day, you are presented with opportunities to speak up and learn from your experiences. Develop repetition and a repertoire.
Repetition means building automaticity and fluency in your communication approach; your confidence will grow when you become more accustomed to speaking up!
Draft and redraft your ideas, seek outside feedback and focus on the specific problem.
Repertoire is the cultivation of developing and implementing various strategies when you face setbacks, lack motivation, or struggle to nail down your ideas before communicating.
Novel solutions to presenting problems and creative thinking when conventional approaches aren't working.
As mentioned before, how well you understand yourself will impact how well you advocate for yourself. If you struggle with self-awareness, start by outlining your values, interests, strengths, and weaknesses.
Identify your needs and what is non-negotiable to you. This line is often values-based and should not be encroached upon by another person or organization.
Get comfortable speaking up by using your voice often. If you need help finding this comfort, speaking up for someone else in need can jumpstart your confidence in helping yourself and may help you find new ideas.
Seek and accept feedback from others. When you recognize that feedback can be a powerful tool, you open yourself up to higher levels of self-awareness. Sometimes, our tendencies can be a blindspot that hinders growth.
Why Self-advocacy Matters!
Part of your overall development as a person stems from the desire to become a more autonomous person who is constantly learning and cultivating new ways to combat setbacks in an effort to make progress. Self-advocacy forces you to get to know yourself better, be determined and use grit, problem-solve and make decisions, and be your own agent of change.
Self-advocacy skills help a person to empower themselves; resiliency and support networks can play an important factor in your overall success when facing hardships. The transition from high school will come with a lot of new challenges that will require critical thinking, self-awareness, and determination; you are working toward autonomy as a young adult.
Part of growth also comes with awareness of other people and differing perspectives. It also means learning how to incorporate outside feedback to help you refine your skills and approach situations from a position of openness and goal-oriented thinking. Sometimes, your values will be tested, but through these experiences, you will learn more about what matters to you and how to act on these values.
If you or your child is struggling with self-advocacy or postsecondary planning, contact me! pch.edconsultant@gmail.com or visit my website to see how I can help. Virtual sessions are available.
Conclusion
Self-advocacy is an invaluable skill comprised of self-knowledge, self-determination, strategies, openness, and experience. How you approach situations will impact your overall effectiveness in communicating your needs; often, there are various ways to solve a problem, and developing an eclectic toolkit will help you when setbacks happen.
Know your message and keep it clear -- focus specifically on the problem and know your non-negotiables. Evaluate beforehand the environment you wish to join (job or school) and determine if it lines up with your values, provides the support you need, and if your involvement is mutually beneficial for you and that institution.
You have rights and protections as a person with a disability, and it will be up to you to communicate these needs. Additionally, if you see someone else struggling with their own needs, you may also have an opportunity to champion their cause.
Let me know in the comments your experiences and what you have learned from self-advocacy!
Respectfully,
Dustin.
Courage
Hello
How to sell your disability when you’re looking to work in the field with other people with disabilities? Creating new opportunities of self disclosure while promoting your values that match the institution language?
Nice work I need some team members with your skills 👍😊
I am mentally ill, and speaking up for myself has been a challenge for me in life, especially with work . The article was insightful as to how to create better content, and how to perfect my delivery method.