This post will touch on what disability advocacy is and isn't.

What Disability Advocacy Is

Promoting and protecting rights: Disability advocacy works to ensure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. 

Supporting self-advocacy: Advocates provide guidance and assistance to individuals with disabilities so that they learn to advocate for themselves and their needs. 

Raising awareness and promoing acceptance: Disability advocacy aims to raise awareness about issues faced by people with disabilities and works to change attitudes and policies in favour of people with disabilities. Raising awareness is a step towards acceptance and inclusion of people with disabilities.

Challenging discrimination: Advocates challenge unfair treatment, inequality and unlawful discrimination and they also promote inclusion, accessibility, engagement and participation for people with disabilities in all areas of society.

Working for systemic change: Disability advocacy aims to call for positive and necessary changes to policies, laws, legislations, regulations and practices that negatively impact people with disabilities and their overall quality of life.

Working with individuals and groups: Advocates work alongside individuals and groups to address their specific needs and concerns. 

Supporting access to services: Advocates provide support and assistance to individuals with disabilities to obtain and access the services and support they need. 

What Disability Advocacy Isn't

Not a replacement for self-advocacy: While advocates can support individuals, the ultimate goal is to empower people with disabilities to advocate for themselves. 

Not a charity: Disability advocacy is all about speaking up for the rights of people with disabilities and justice, it's neither simply providing assistance or a “hand out”.

Not limited to specific types of disabilities: Advocacy can and often does address the needs of people with any type of disability, including autism, acquired brain injury, neuro-developmental, physical, intellectual, sensory, and psychosocial disabilities as people in each of these disability groups have needs that are individual to them.

Not about pity or tokenism: Advocacy is not a “pity party” for people with disabilities, it's about recognizing the inherent worth and dignity of all individuals, regardless of their disability. 

Not about ignoring systemic issues: Disability advocacy often involves working to change policies and practices that end up causing unfair treatment, inequality and unlawful discrimination against people with disabilities. 

Not about being a “Helper, “Carer” or “Support Worker”: Disability advocacy is about working with people with disabilities, not for them. 

Not about being a "lone wolf": Advocacy is often more effective when done collectively, with a variety of people working together to achieve common goals to the benefit of the people with disabilities.

Not about ignoring the experiences of people with disabilities: Advocacy should absolutely always be informed by the lived experiences of people with disabilities and show respect for a person's lived experience at all times.

Not only focusing on individual cases: While individual advocacy is very important, it's also equally important to address larger systemic issues that affect various groups of people with disabilities. 

Not about being a "yes-person": Advocates often need to challenge the status quo and advocate for difficult changes. Being a “yes-person” will only be detrimental to themselves and the person they're advocating for.

Not a counselling or therapy service: Disability advocacy does not involve providing counselling or therapeutic services, emotional support, assistance or guidance, or addressing personal issues. 

Not making decisions for others: Advocates do not and should not make decisions on behalf of individuals with disabilities. An Advocate is only there to support individuals to make their own choices and decisions. 

Not case management: Advocates do not and should not manage the day-to-day needs or services of individuals with disabilities.

Not a replacement for legal representation: While advocates can support individuals in accessing legal services, they are usually not Lawyers, Barristers, etc and cannot provide legal advice or representation.