Why is Disability Advocacy Important?

People with disabilities will often face barriers in terms of inequality, unfair treatment and unlawful discrimination in a variety of settings throughout their lives therefore making inclusion, accessibility, engagement and participation in society unnecessarily painful and difficult.

A Disability Advocate will provide support and assistance to the person with a disability to address these issues and ensure that their clients have the same equal opportunities and rights as everyone else.

Who can be an advocate?

Almost anyone can be an Advocate and they can be individuals, family members, friends, or professional organizations who are dedicated to supporting, promoting and advocating for the rights of people with disabilities to ensure fair treatment, inclusion, equality, accessibility, engagement and participation in every part of society.

What is the Advocate’s Role?

Support: Advocates can provide support and assistance to people with disabilities understand their rights and assist them with asserting them. 

Representation: An Advocate can speak, act, or write on behalf of a person with disability when they are unable to do so themselves. 

Advocacy: An Advocate can speak up and call for systems change through campaigns and submissions directed at changing attitudes, law, and policy. 

Information and referrals: An Advocate can provide information and referrals to disability support services and support their client to obtain those services where necessary.

Navigating systems: An Advocate can assist people with disabilities navigate complex systems like the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and similar services.

Conflict resolution: An Advocate can either assist a person with a disability to effectively resolve disputes and address any and all forms of inequality, discrimination or unfair treatment that the person with a disability has faced but they cannot take on the responsibility of resolving disputes or conflicts between parties themselves.