SelfAdvocacy and SelfDetermination Skills for TransitionAge Youth August

Self-Advocacy and Self-Determination Skills for Transition-Age Youth August 4, 2008

Self-Advocacy and Self. Determination Overview Ellen Condon

What is Self-Advocacy? Knowing what you need and being able to ask for it.

Asking for what you need… Asking your boss to explain the new task AND show it to you before she walks away Asking for someone to reach an item that you are unable to reach Asking someone to hold a door open if you are having trouble getting into a building Asking for a ride somewhere

What is Self-Adocacy? A way in which people speak up, voice their opinion, and take responsibility for being equal within society (People First of NH).

“All are Welcome” Although this is frequently stated, many times people with disabilities are unable to participate in: ◦ ◦ ◦ Education Social events Employment Health care Transportation National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN) & Kids as Self Advocates (KASA)

Asking for what you need Do you understand how your disability impacts you? Can you explain the impact to people you work with, who you need help from? Do you understand what things help you do a good job or to participate? Can you ask for these things from your boss? Coworker? Someone in the community?

Self-Determination A concept reflecting the belief that all individuals have the right to direct their own lives Attitudes and abilities required to act as the primary causal agent in one’s life and to make choices regarding one’s actions free from undue external influence or interference” (Wehmeyer, 1992)

Self-determination and Transition go hand in hand… 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. (Wehmeyer and Schwartz, 1997)

How do youth exercise selfdetermination? Make choices Direct your own IEP Ask for accommodations Learn to explain your strengths, interests and support needs Set goals

What can you do to become more self-determined? Take reasonable risks When an activity didn’t go the way you had planned, come up with ways to do something differently so you succeed next time Take pride in disability- learn about disability culture, learn about disability history, learn about successful people who have a similar disability to yours Learn and use leadership skills

How do adults support youth to be self-determined? Provide opportunities for youth to make choices Encourage assertiveness Encourage youth to set their own goals Allow youth to take risks and make mistakes but also facilitate the processing and learning from those mistakes

Supporting youth to become selfdetermined… Teach youth about their impact of disability and assist them to recognize their strengths, skills and support needs. Teach skills such as: asking for help, making choices, expressing an opinion, and sharing information. Encourage youth to speak up for themselves rather than relying on an adult to it (i. e. , don’t talk for them).

Anyone, regardless of impact of disability, can express opinions, communicate what works and doesn’t work for them, and have some choice and control in their day.

Supporting youth to become selfdetermined… Include self-determination goals in the IEP: ◦ “Student will introduce herself and describe her strengths, her impact of disability, and her support needs to a familiar teacher, a new teacher, and/or an employer using her portfolio…” ◦ “If needed, the student will also present documentation of her disability (for a medical appointment, for an interview with VR, DD, or college)” (PERC Self advocacy checklist)

Supporting youth to become selfdetermined… Student will request assistance from (a familiar person, acquaintance, someone in the community) to…. . Describe how the person can best assist you (“When you help me transfer from my chair to this seat, could one person place their hands under my arms and the other place their hands under my knees and lift together? ”)

People First Connie Lewis and Keough Duffy

People First – What is it? Worldwide self-governing, self-directing, selfadvocacy organization (17 chapters in Montana) People with disabilities helping each other take charge of their lives Teaches people with disabilities how to make decisions and choices that make them more independent Promotes rights, dignity, value, and full community inclusion

People First – What does it do? Advocates for people with disabilities’ rights Contributes to the community Members develop leadership skills Members achieve personal and service goals

People First – Who can join and how? People who have a developmental disability can join by… ◦ Completing an application or… ◦ Contacting their local chapter

People First – Youth involvement? Some chapters are inviting young people to join High School Kiwanis Key Clubs can lead to Aktion Clubs…which are sometimes People First chapters, too Great way to learn and practice leadership skills

People First – Kalispell Example Young people are welcomed into the Kalispell chapter Examples of activities: softball, fun trips, Big Wheels basketball, volunteer work… Examples of skills learned: sticking to it, asking for help, understanding and talking about teasing, always believing in yourself, respecting others, honesty… People First members are willing to present at schools

People First – For more information: Montana: http: //peoplefirstmt. ruralinstitute. umt. edu/index. asp Other States and Countries: http: //www. people 1. org/directory. htm#United%20 States

What Self-Advocacy Is to Me Isaac Baldry

Choices Û Û Û Û Learn to make choices for yourself Identify your needs and wants Share information with someone you trust Practice what you want to communicate Speak for yourself; find your voice Don’t give up if people don’t listen the first time Celebrate accomplishments

Barriers to Assertiveness/Self-Advocacy üFeeling quiet and too shy to speak üFeeling frustrated and ready to explode üFeeling like I don’t know what to do üFeeling afraid of saying the wrong thing üNot knowing how someone else will react

Barriers to Assertiveness/Self-Advocacy ü Having too many thoughts and feelings at the same time ü Wanting to be nice to everybody ü Not wanting to cause a problem ü Not wanting to draw attention to myself ü Thinking ü Not that no one will understand me liking the other person enough to try

Figure out what your barriers are, then come up with a plan to overcome it! What stops you from being your own advocate?

ADAPT as Opportunity Presentation by Dustin Hankinson

What or Who is ADAPT? ADAPT. Okay, you’re thinking. It’s an acronym (a whole bunch of letters tossed together to make long titles and names short) but what does it mean? Exactly what I asked when I heard of it. Well, ADAPT really isn’t an acronym anymore. After archaeologically digging, I discovered ADAPT’s original meaning: American Disabled for Accessible Public Transit. ADAPT began in Denver in 1983 as a series of protests about the lack of accessible buses in the city. They did this by blocking buses around the US to demonstrate what lack of access meant. ADAPT’S logo: a symbol of freedom.

A History of ADAPT • • • 1983 – ADAPT founded in Denver by Wade Blank, a nursing home administrator, and friends 1983 -1990 – Worked on guaranteed access to public transit for PWDs 1990 – Celebrated as a major player in the development and passage of the ADA 1990 onward – ADAPT takes up the fight for attendant services across the Country 2000 – MICASSA (currently known as the Community Choice Act) introduced in Congress 2000 -present – ADAPT emphasizes the implementation of the Olmstead Decision in States and pushes for Money Follows the Person policies Wade Blank, Founder of ADAPT.

So, what does ADAPT do? ADAPT uses “civil disobedience and similar non- violent direct action tactics to achieve its goals. ” Quote from ADAPT. org ADAPT has a role of fighting for equality and justice for PWDs. They meet with officials, research policies and create awareness of the disability rights movement. The primary tools of ADAPT, however, are the National Actions they hold. These are protests held in major cities to meet with a certain person or group to advance the disability rights agenda. Okay, occasionally people at actions get arrested, but, for those who go, they consider it the most bonding experience they’ve ever had. The most interesting people show up at ADAPT National Actions. (Tennessee, 2006)

How to Join the Resistance The following is directly from ADAPT. org: “ADAPT is like no other organization of which you may be a member. From the national to the local level, ADAPT has an informal structure. There are no money dues, no membership cards. How do you join? To become involved with ADAPT you must have an active interest in the issue of changing the long term care system, getting people attendant services in the community and getting folks out of nursing homes and other institutions…The national organization is made up of local groups and individuals who want to be part of ADAPT and are willing to fight for accessibility and community-based attendant services. Groups cover cities, states, regions but there are many lone warriors out there too…Then, as soon as you can, come to one of our national actions (held in the spring and fall). Once you come to an action, all the pieces will start to fall into place. ” To explore ADAPT, please go to ADAPT. org.

Other Ideas Kim Brown and Ellen Condon

Other Ways to Advocate/Self-Advocate Join advocacy/activism groups Volunteer Write letters Serve on committees/task forces/commissions/boards

Other Ways to Advocate/Self-Advocate Give testimony Run for office Talk to legislators and other lawmakers Vote!!!

Legislative Advocacy “Communicating about the importance of a policy issue or law to people who are in a position to change it” Be organized Know your stake holders Know your opposition Be clear on your message Know what you want as an outcome National Consortium on Leadership and Disability/Youth

On-the-Ground Advocacy Organizing in order to make a change… What if a public school doesn’t have an accessible doorway? Or the football stadium has no accessible seating? Attend IEP meetings to support other young people with disabilities

Other Ways to Advocate/Self-Advocate Kathie Snow’s “How? Is the Question” handout “Resources” handout Other ideas?

Questions? ? ?