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Learn to Advocate for Yourself
Knowing how to advocate for what you need is an important part of disability management. In fact, advocacy is central to independent living. The general term advocacy is concerned with getting what you need and with access to general rights enjoyed by all Americans. People with disabilities often have to advocate for everything they need from getting an education to health care and insurance, accessibility, places to live, and transportation.
There are different types of advocacy that might be useful to you: 1) personal self- advocacy; 2) group or class advocacy; and 3) legal or case advocacy.
Personal advocacy involves being an active participant in your own self-advocacy, knowing how to approach an issue to get some resolution and who to contact. You will develop your own personal style to advocate for your needs. Each time you advocate for what you need, you will build your skills. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or to make phone calls. If you are having difficulties getting what you need, try to make a good case so your need can be reconsidered. For more information click HERE.
You can also work with others to get your needs met. Group or class advocacy consists of individuals or groups acting on behalf of constituencies with a similar problem. They use lobbying, public interest litigation, and public relations campaigns to address their needs and issues. Class advocacy involves 1) legislative advocacy in which representatives of consumer organizations use the legislative process to mandate change and secure rights; 2) community organization advocacy in which consumer groups, statewide planning groups, and the disabled work for increased cooperation between agencies; and 3) consumer action advocacy in which independent organizations and consumer committees act as pressure groups to effect change.
Legal or case advocacy usually involves representation of one individual by another, a lawyer or ombudsman, for example. Civil rights and the consumer movements have been combined into a kind of class advocacy. A legal advocate may be connected to an agency or case manager advocate who is a member of a public or private agency.
If you need assistance, here are a few resources to help you get started:
Independent
Living Centers (ILC’s)
ILC’s are run by and for people with disabilities. They provide
a variety of services. Their core services are advocacy (both individual
and systems), information and referral, peer counseling, and independent
living skills training. They help with housing, referrals to get
a personal care assistant, or to apply for benefits.
Directory of ILCs
ILRU (Independent Living Research Utilization) Directory of Centers for Independent Living and Statewide Independent Living Councils
Protection
and Advocacy (PAI)
Protection and Advocacy programs are a federally mandated system
in each state that provides protection of the rights of persons
with disabilities through legally based advocacy. Generally, staff
work in a partnership with people with disabilities to protect,
advocate for, and advance their human, legal, and service rights.
They work to ensure full access to educational programs, financial
entitlements, health care, accessible housing, and employment opportunities.
Protection
and Advocacy (PAI)
100 Howe Avenue, Suite 185N
Sacramento, CA 95825
800-776-5746 (Voice/TTY)
http://www.pai-ca.org
State Protection and Advocacy Systems
The
Patient Advocate
The Patient Advocate in the Department of Managed Health Care helps
Californians enrolled in HMO’s understand and exercise their
health care rights and responsibilities. If you have a problem with
your HMO, contact this department. Every HMO is required to have
a complaint process. The HMO Help Center can help you resolve problems
with your health plan, including issues about medical care, prescriptions,
preventive testing, and mental health services. They will also assist
you with questions regarding the complaint process.
Department
of Managed Health Care
California HMO Help Center
980 Ninth Street, Suite 500
Sacramento, CA 95814
HMO Help Line: 888-HMO-2219
877-688-9891 (TDD)
http://www.opa.ca.gov
California
Consumer Health Care Council (CCHCC)
CCHCC is a non-profit grassroots organization concerned with protecting
the interests of health care consumers throughout California. They
work to promote quality, affordability, and accessibility to health
care. They serve all population groups including the uninsured,
the under insured, and traditional underserved groups.
CCHCC
P.O. Box 590307
San Francisco, CA 94159-0307
510-419-0757
888-CAL-COUNCIL
http://www.bapd.org/gca-il-1.html
Disability
Rights Advocates
Disability Rights Advocates is a national and international organization
dedicated to
protecting and advancing the civil rights of people with disabilities.
They mainly work with systemic violations of federal and state disability
rights law rather than with isolated incidents.
Disability Rights Advocates
449 15th Street, Suite 303
Oakland, CA 94612-2821
510-451-8644
510-451-8716 (TTY)
