Standing Up for Others
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
Be the Change You Want to See
Self-advocacy, or speaking up for yourself, is so important. It empowers you to have your needs met and make your own decisions. But for many people with disabilities, this is only the beginning.
What is systems advocacy?
Like self-advocacy, which means making your own decisions and speaking up for yourself, systems advocacy means that many people and groups are working together to speak up for and create policy changes that help wider groups of people with disabilities. This may involve government leaders and agencies, companies, nonprofit organizations, and others
Who can provide systems advocacy?
It depends on the problems that need to be solved and who is best able to provide those solutions.
For example, if you’d like to see a law or public service created or improved, your local or state government agencies are most able to make these changes. So you might begin by starting a letter-writing campaign to local politicians, creating a petition, or contacting the Nevada Disability Advocacy and Law Center (NDALC), a statewide nonprofit that provides free legal services for people with disabilities. All these options can help start to create this change.
On the other hand, a change to a school policy should be addressed with your local school board or school administrators. You could attend a public school board meeting or call the school principal to request assistance.
We’re sure you can think of concerns you’d like to see addressed
Perhaps you’re interested in getting more accessible transportation, receiving services in a timely fashion, receiving the help and education you need in your IEP, and more.
NNCIL can help you find people and organizations who help with systems advocacy.
