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SELF-ADVOCACY AND THE DISABLED
LEARNER
What is Self-Advocacy?
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The use of knowledge of the nature of one’s disability, and of the kinds
of
teaching strategies, tools, and services which best help one compensate
-
The ability to effectively communicate, convey, negotiate, or assert one’s
own interests, desires, needs, and rights
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The ability to explain both talents and needed compensatory strategies,
clearly
and frankly, to others
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The ability to communicate with others to acquire information and recruit
help
in meeting personal needs and goals
When is Self-Advocacy Used?
- To protect one’s rights or to address unfair, discriminatory, or abusive
treatment
to move toward fair, equal, and humane treatment
- To gain eligibility for services, change the amount, or increase the
quality of services to better meet the needs of an individual
- To remove barriers which prevent full access to full participation in
community
life
The Importance of Self-Advocacy:
- The opportunities for self-advocacy proliferate as students with disabilities
enter college. Students ought to be encouraged to take part in as many of
these
opportunities for demonstrating their independence as possible. Learning
self-advocacy skills is a “win-win” proposition for college students with
disabilities.
- The students, parents, and professional faculty and staff win when
students
learn to negotiate effectively to have their needs met.
- Students with
disabilities
benefit most from developing self- advocacy skills for the realities of a
post-secondary setting and the world beyond.
Tips for Effective Self-Advocacy:
- Learn all you can about your disability, needs, strengths, and weaknesses
- Know and understand your rights and responsibilities
- Ask questions whenever you need clarification, and continue to do so until
your
questions are satisfactorily answered
- Keep written record of all communication regarding your education
- Know what resources are available and use them
- Let people know that you intend to resolve issues
- Praise and thank people when appropriate
- Explain your problem clearly and simply without too much emotion or detail
Self-Advocacy Styles:
Every advocate has a “style”. This style will develop over time, based
upon
experience and personality. It might be a part of your personality to avoid
face-to-face conflicts, or to give in on a point just to avoid ill feelings.
Despite this, based upon your experience, you will come up with techniques
by which you can still be an effective self-advocate. For example, you may
find that you can say what you need in the form of a letter, and this is your preferred approach to advocacy.
There is no “ideal style” There are styles which are more effective in
particular circumstances. With experience, you will find the techniques which
complement your personality, and help you define your style, and your role
as an advocate.
Three Self-Advocacy Myths:
1) It’s better to avoid the label “learning disabled” because such a
label is
ultimately damaging to the student’s self-esteem
FALSE!
Few would argue that students benefit from being labeled. However, for
college students there are distinct advantages to "owning" the diagnosis
of a learning disability. Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973, college students have rights that are guarantees to any individual
that is substantially limited with a disability. For example, some
students with significant attention difficulties may learn best with
minimal outside distraction. So a student with a diagnosed attention
deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may need to take an exam in a
separate room, free from distracting visual and auditory stimuli, in
order to effectively demonstrate what she or he is learning. If students
have not faced their disability to some degree, they most likely do not
know their rights as a disabled person, or what specific accommodations
are tailored to their specific needs.
2) A grade point average is the major measuring tool of effective
self-advocacy
FALSE!
It is true that higher grades will lead to more options for students
considering professions that require graduate schooling. However, a
grade point average is not the only factor that determines whether or
not a student has been an effective self-advocate. If by the definition
of self-advocacy we include: showing how one is learning, being more
self-aware, becoming competent and confident, affiliating with others,
and contributing to the well-being of others, this yardstick measure
falls short of what the academic aspect of college can offer. Examples
abound of students with disabilities who have mastered getting high
grades but are left isolated and miserable in the process, ultimately
hurting their development towards healthy, functional independence. If
independence is the key ingredient for success in the world of work, it
may not be true that the better one's grades, the more effective the
worker. Social skills coupled with competence in one's field are the
skills necessary to succeed in the workplace.
3) When students encounter a very difficult academic situation, it’s
best to let
their parents take over
FALSE!
This could not be further from the truth! While parents had to be
strong
advocates in many instances during their son's or daughter's prior
school years, in college it is the students' responsibility to act on
their own behalf. College affords students the opportunity to learn to
problem solve, to draw on their own resources of independence and to
seek the assistance of support staff, if needed. For the student who may
not think they can get what they need, the disability support services
office has professionals trained to facilitate a student's self-advocacy
needs while respecting their dignity and need to make choices. Too many
well-meaning parents have "chosen" a major for their son or daughter,
directed them as to which support services they need and have told
tutors or professors how their daughter or son should be taught.
Further, excessive parent involvement can engender resentment among
college professors and support staff, especially those who do not
directly work with students with disabilities. They may perceive such
involvement as overprotective or meddling.
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