Self-advocacy is a key that opens the door to so many amazing opportunities - by Arta Giles, JMCC Youth Advisor

July 17, 2024

Are you a teen or adult moving on to bigger steps in your lifetime? Have you heard of self-advocacy but aren’t sure where to begin? Don’t worry, in this article, I will talk a little bit about my tips and tricks, that I first used when I started advocating for myself! Let me start by telling you a basic, definition of what self-advocacy is. "
Self-advocacy is the ability to speak up for yourself. It's the ability to identify your needs, communicate them clearly, and help others understand how they can support you." Self-advocacy is beneficial in all areas of life.

My tips

• Start small: I encourage you to start by thinking of some very simple ways that you can self-advocate. I start self-advocating in areas that you already feel comfortable with such as School or work. I would also suggest that this person is someone that you’re comfortable with this could be your teacher or your supervisor.
• Know your rights and limitations: This is a big one, no matter who you’re speaking with. Know what feels right for you and understand your limits. Most of the time when I am advocating for something, it is because I know myself best, and something is limiting me, or making it extremely difficult for me to complete the task. This is why it’s important to understand yourself, so that you know the appropriate way to move forward.
• Write down the pros and cons of a particular consequence: Write down the particular pros and cons of a particular situation that you are advocating for. This will help you make a decision because you won’t know what side you were on, and it will make it easier to advocate for yourself. This is a good strategy to use for a particularly hard decisions.
• Start taking phone calls and answering emails independently: This is just one simple thing you can do to advocate for yourself. Often times when we have virtual doctors appointments and the doctor will want to hear from us, not just our parents. This is often because we know our bodies best. We can tell you how we’re feeling inside, not our moms and dads! This also applies to in person appointments obviously, but if you can take today to start advocating for yourself!

Examples of questions to ask yourself when self-advocating:

• What is the main thing I would like to achieve?
• What are three reasons why I want to achieve this goal?
• What are three reasons achieving this particular goal will help improve my every day life style?
• How will my life be affected if I do not achieve this goal?

Conclusion
As you can see, self advocacy, is a huge part of a persons life. We can choose to do it in a variety of different ways, whatever suits the individual themselves. I encourage you to use this information to find what might work best for your situation.

Helpful Links:

• The three parts of self-advocacy for people with disabilities- Article  Click here to read!
• Guide: Advisory 101: Please click here to read more. 
• JMCC’s Youth Advisors Speak Up about Self Advocacy and Overcoming Barriers

 

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