Advocacy - Best Practices
Citizen Advocacy, Louisville, Kentucky, USA, provides services to individuals with intellectual disabilities. The program matches a volunteer advocate with a person with an intellectual disability. The relationships are developed around the needs and desires of the person with a disability. More information is available at: http://www.councilonmr.org/ca.htm.
Cloverleaf Advocacy, Dewsbury, United Kingdom, believes that people with any form of disability or mental health problem are equal members of society, and that everybody has the right to plan their own life, to be listened to, to be taken seriously, and to be respected. Cloverleaf Advocacy challenges discrimination and advocates for full participation and user involvement in services so that people with disabilities can make decisions about their own care, make an impact on the services they use, and influence other decisions that affect their lives. More information is available at: http://www.cloverleaf-advocacy.co.uk/
The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc. (COPAA), Towson, Maryland, USA, is an independent, nonprofit organization of attorneys, special education advocates, and parents committed to securing high-quality educational services for children with disabilities. COPAA's mission is to be a national voice for special education rights, and to promote excellence in advocacy. More information is available at: http://www.copaa.net/.
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Berkeley, California, USA, founded in 1979, is a leading national civil rights law and policy center directed by individuals with disabilities, and parents who have children with disabilities. Its Legal Advocacy Program advocates for clients and represents them in court, serves as co-counsel, and files amicus curiae briefs in appellate courts and the U.S. Supreme Court in high impact disability rights cases. It selects cases and issues that have the potential to affect large groups of people with disabilities in order to achieve law reform. More information is available at: http://www.dredf.org/programs/legal_advocacy.shtml.
Dorset People First, Dorchester, United Kingdom, is an organization led by people with intellectual disabilities who support each other to "speak up and lead change." Its projects include The Forum, Total Communication, Just Say, Citizenship, Person Centred Planning, training and project development. More information is available at: http://www.dorsetpeoplefirst.co.uk/.
Ethnic Disability Advocacy Centre (EDAC), Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia, was established in 1995 to advocate for, and empower people with a disability from non-English speaking backgrounds. EDAC aims to safeguard the rights of ethnic people with disabilities and their families, helping them access services they need, such as lawyers, healthcare, education, childcare, employment, and transport. EDAC also lobbies government and mainstream organizations on cultural diversity and disability issues. More information is available at: http://www.edac.org.au/.
Health Advocacy Program at Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, New York, USA, offers the nation's first, and, to date, only, master´s degree in this field. In addition to the theory and practice of advocacy, the program includes course work in physiology, history, law, and related fields. Students also receive on-site training in a variety of settings. Health Advocacy graduates work in direct care as patient representatives, ombudsmen, educators, and health advisers. More information is available at: http://www.slc.edu/health-advocacy.
The Nevada Disability Advocacy and Law Center (NDALC), Reno/Sparks, Nevada, USA, a private, nonprofit organization that serves as Nevada's federally-mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) system for the human, legal, and service rights of individuals with disabilities. Services provided by NDALC, free of charge to eligible persons, include: information and referral; education and training; negotiation or mediation; investigation of reported or suspected abuse or neglect; legal counsel, technical assistance, and litigation services; and technical assistance on policy, administration, and legislative developments. More information is available at: http://www.ndalc.org/.
Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network (PLAN), Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is a non-profit organization created by and for families who have a relative with a disability. PLAN's work enhances the quality of life and security of individuals with disabilities by building a safety net of programs and personal networks that will continue after the death of their parents, as well as withstand changes in government-funded support services. The organization works along with its affiliates to ensure a safe and secure future for people with disabilities. More information is available at: http://www.plan.ca/.