Advocacy - Other Useful Links
Advocacy for People with Mental/Intellectual Disabilities
Disability Rights Advocacy
Education and Training
Legal Resources
Working with the Media
Advocacy for People with Mental and Intellectual Disabilities
American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Washington, DC, USA, promotes progressive policies, sound research, effective practices, and universal human rights for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. More information is available at: http://www.aamr.org/.
The Association for Mental Health Alternatives (AMHA), Syracuse, New York, USA, is guided by the principles of choice, empowerment, self-determination, and unity of purpose. It is a human rights organization that advocates for self-help, and alternatives to established mental health systems. More information is available at: http://www.stopshrinks.org/kmhac/g_ebert.htm.
Association for Real Change (ARC), Chesterfield/Derbyshire, United Kingdom, is a membership organization supporting providers of services to people with an intellectual disability. More information is available at: http://www.arcuk.org.uk/.
The ARC, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA, is committed to promoting and improving supports and services for all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It focuses on helping families ensure that any person with a disability is afforded the rights, duties, responsibilities, and full participation of a citizen in their community. More information is available at: http://www.thearc.org/.
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, Washington, DC, USA, protects and advances the rights of adults and children with mental health problems and intellectual disabilities. Their advocacy is based on the principle that every individual is entitled to choice and dignity. The Center has links to disability and advocacy organizations. More information is available at: http://www.bazelon.org/.
British Institute of Learning Disabilities, Kidderminster, United Kingdom, is a not-for-profit organization that aims to improve the quality of life of people with a learning disability. More information is available at: http://www.bild.org.uk/.
The Campaign for Mental Health Reform, Alexandria, Virginia, USA, is a collaboration of 16 leading national mental health advocacy organizations, campaigning to make mental health a national priority, and to encourage that early access, recovery, and quality in mental health services become integral to the mental health system. More information is available at: http://www.mhreform.org/.
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 an intellectual disability and may last many years. 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 services so that people with disabilities can make decisions about their own care, make an impact on services they use and influence other decisions that affect their own lives. More information is available at: http://www.cloverleaf-advocacy.co.uk/.
The Council on Developmental Disabilities, Louisville, Kentucky, USA, advocates for children and adults who have intellectual disabilities to be included, empowered, and valued in the community. The Council promotes the development of a wide array of services that help people with intellectual disabilities to live successfully, and contribute to the community. More information is available at: http://www.councilonmr.org/.
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/.
Down´s Syndrome Association (DAS), Teddington, United Kingdom, champions the rights of people with Down's syndrome. It focuses on all aspects of living successfully with Down's syndrome. It provides information and support for people with Down's syndrome, their families, and caregivers, and serves as a resource for interested professionals. More information is available at: http://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/.
Enable, Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, is a charity run by and for people with an intellectual disability and their families. It campaigns for a better life for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, and supports them and their families to participate, work, and live in their local communities. More information is available at: http://www.enable.org.uk/.
The European Federation of Associations of Families of People with Mental Illness, Leuven, Belgium, aims to achieve continuous improvement of mental health throughout Europe, addressing quality of care and welfare for people with mental illness and support for their families and friends. More information is available at: http://www.eufami.org/.
Equip for Equality, Chicago, Illinois, USA, is a statewide, cross-disability, comprehensive advocacy organization providing self-advocacy assistance, legal services, and disability rights education while also engaging in public policy and legal advocacy. It also conducts abuse investigations and other oversight activities. More information is available at: http://www.equipforequality.org/.
The European Network on Independent Living (ENIL), Stockholm, Sweden, is an umbrella organization dedicated to promoting independent living for persons with disabilities, and the general public in Europe. It promotes a society that does not marginalize people with disabilities through inaccessible infrastructure, discriminatory attitudes, or "special" (stigmatizing) solutions. More information is available at: http://www.independentliving.org/docs2/.
Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA, helps children with mental health needs and their families achieve a better quality of life. It helps policy-makers, agencies, and providers become more effective in delivering services and supports that foster healthy emotional development for all children. More information is available at: http://www.ffcmh.org/.
The Global Online Directory Of Mental Health Patient/Service User, Family Member/Caregiver Support Groups, And Mental Health Advocacy And Awareness Organizations is a resource from the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) that helps individuals locate and connect with mental health patient/service user and family member/caregiver support groups and organizations, and with non-governmental mental health advocacy and information/awareness organizations around the world. The aim of the Directory is to stimulate international awareness of the great importance of advocacy to improve mental health care and combat stigma. More that 3,000 such organizations are included in this first edition of the Directory, and are arranged by country and area of interest. More information is available at: http://web.memberclicks.com/mc/page.do?sitePageId=68476&orgId=wfmh.
The Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Network (the Developmental Disabilities Council, the Advocacy Center and the Human Development Center), Alexandria, Louisiana, USA, aims to ensure that all individuals with disabilities benefit from the supports and opportunities in their communities in order to achieve quality of life in conformance with their wishes. More information is available at: http://www.laddc.org/.
Mencap, London, United Kingdom, is a charity working with people with a learning disability, and their families and caregivers. Advocacy is an important part of its work. More information is available at: http://www.mencap.org.uk/.
Mental Disability Advocacy Center (MDAC), Budapest, Hungary, is an international NGO that promotes and protects the human rights of people with mental disabilities in Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and Mongolia. More information is available at: http://www.mdac.info/.
Mental Disability Rights International (MDRI), Washington, DC, USA, promotes international supervision of the rights of people with mental disabilities. MDRI trains and supports advocates, and assists governments to promote community integration and human rights enforcement for people with mental disabilities. More information is available at: http://www.mdri.org/.
The Mental Health Advocacy Coalition, Cleveland, Ohio, USA, fosters education and awareness of mental health issues, while advocating for public policies and strategies that provide an effective, well-funded national mental health system that serves those in need. More information is available at: http://www.mentalhealthadvocacy.org/.
Mental Health Alliance, London, United Kingdom, is a coalition of 75 organizations working together to secure better mental health legislation to ensure that the Government´s proposals for reform of mental health legislation are both fair and workable. More information is available at: http://www.mentalhealthalliance.org.uk/.
Mental Health America (formerly known as the National Mental Health Association), Alexandria, Virginia, USA, is dedicated to helping all people live mentally healthier lives. It represents a growing movement of Americans who promote mental wellness for the health and well-being of the nation, everyday and in times of crisis. More information is available at: http://www.nmha.org/.
The Mental Health Foundation, London, United Kingdom, helps people survive, recover from, and prevent mental health problems. The organization undertakes research, develops services, designs training sessions, and raises public awareness in connection with mental health problems. More information is available at: http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/welcome.
Mind, London and Cardiff, United Kingdom, is a mental health charity, which works to create a better life for everyone with experience of mental distress. Its activities include advancing the views, needs, and ambitions of people with mental health problems; challenging discrimination and promoting inclusion; influencing policy through campaigning and education; and inspiring the development of quality services which reflect expressed need and diversity. More information is available at: http://www.mind.org.uk/.
The National Autistic Society, London, United Kingdom, champions the rights and interests of all people with autism, and ensures that they and their families receive quality of services appropriate to their needs. More information is available at: http://www.nas.org.uk/.
National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), Arlington, Virginia, USA, is dedicated to improving the lives of children and adults living with serious mental illnesses and supporting their families. NAMI has affiliates in every state and in over 1100 local communities across the United States. More information is available at: http://www.nami.org/.
National Association for Rights Protection and Advocacy (NAPRA), Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA, works to protect the rights and enhance the dignity of people with mental health disabilities, and people in recovery. More information is available at: http://www.narpa.org/.
National Association of Protection and Advocacy Systems (NAPAS), Washington, DC, USA, brings together a network of state agencies protecting the rights of people with mental illness or developmental disabilities. More information is available at: http://www.napas.org/.
The Personal Advocacy Trust, Wellington, New Zealand, was formed by parents concerned about the welfare of their intellectually disabled child after they pass away. In exchange for a fee, the Personal Advocacy Trust provides a trained, supervised advocate for the rest of the child's life after the parents are unable to care for him or her. Advocates visit regularly and speak up, with and for, the person with a disability. Advocates act when the individual's rights are not being respected as well as on a wide range of issues including housing, health care and financial matters. More information is available at: http://www.nzord.org.nz/support_groups/personal_advocacy_trust.
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. The organization, along with its affiliates, works to create personal networks and to ensure a safe and secure future. More information is available at: http://www.plan.ca/.
Respond, London, United Kingdom, challenges vulnerability and sexual abuse in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities. The organization has a useful help site. More information is available at: http://www.respond.org.uk/.
Rethink, London, United Kingdom, works and campaigns to help everyone affected by severe mental illness develop a better quality of life. More information is available at: http://www.rethink.org/.
Quality Mall, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, believes in the empowerment and support for all people with intellectual disabilities to realize their own vision of their lives. More information is available at: http://www.qualitymall.org/directory/dept1.asp?deptid=4.
United Response, London, United Kingdom, supports people with intellectual disabilities or mental health needs. It works ensure that they have the things they want or need in their lives. More information is available at: http://www.unitedresponse.org.uk/.
Values Into Action (VIA), London, United Kingdom, works to promote the right of people with intellectual disabilities to become citizens with full access to the opportunities of ordinary community life; and to promote the development of policies, services and public attitudes which will achieve that aim. It campaigns with people who have intellectual disabilities to eradicate discrimination against them and to ensure that their rights as human beings are respected. More information is available at: http://www.viauk.org/selfdetermination.htm.
World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry, Odense, Denmark, is dedicated to promoting the human rights, self-determination, and dignity of all users and survivors of psychiatric treatment throughout the world. More information is available at: http://www.wnusp.net/.
The World Federation for Mental Health, Springfield, Virginia, USA, aims to promote, among all people and nations, the highest possible level of mental health in its broadest biological, medical, educational, and social aspects. More information is available at: http://www.wfmh.org/.
YoungMinds, London, United Kingdom, promotes the mental health of babies, children, and young people. It promotes the importance of children's mental health; of recognizing when a child is troubled; and of providing adequate and timely support. The organization lobbies the government, the media, and decision-makers for changes and improvements in services for children and young people. More information is available at: http://www.youngminds.org.uk/.
Disability Rights Advocacy
Action for Community Living, Victoria, Australia, is committed to improving the quality and range of opportunities that enable people with disabilities to live well in the community. More information is available at: http://www.advocacyhouse.org/.
Action on Disability and Development (ADD), London, United Kingdom, is an international development agency, supporting organizations of disabled people as they campaign for their rightful inclusion in society. ADD was established in 1985 in recognition of the fact that disabled people, especially disabled women and children, are among the poorest, most disadvantaged, and socially excluded. More information is available at: http://www.add.org.uk/.
The Arizona Center for Disability Law, Tucson, Arizona, USA, advocates for the legal rights of persons with disabilities to be free from abuse, neglect, and discrimination, and to have access to education, health care, housing, jobs, and other services in order to maximize independence and achieve equality. More information is available at: http://www.acdl.com/default.htm.
The Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps (TASH), Washington, DC, USA, is an international association promoting inclusive communities through research, education, and advocacy. TASH members are people with disabilities, fellow citizens, advocates, and professionals working together. More information is available at: http://www.tash.org/.
The Center for Human Policy at Syracuse University, Rochester, NY, USA, is a policy, research, and advocacy organization that works to strengthen and uphold the rights of individuals with disabilities in the United States. The Center is also involved in international work. More information is available at: http://thechp.syr.edu/index.html.
The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities, Washington, DC, USA, is a coalition of approximately 100 national disability organizations working together to advocate for national public policy that ensures the self-determination, independence, empowerment, integration, and inclusion of children and adults with disabilities in all aspects of society. More information is available at: http://www.c-c-d.org/.
The Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc. (COPAA), Towson, Maryland, USA, is an independent, non-profit 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 Advocacy Service - Hunter (DASH), Hunter, Australia, believes that people with a disability should have the same rights as other citizens, and works to ensure that people with a disability obtain these rights in practice by advocating with and for them. More information is available at:http://www.da.org.au/.
Disability Advocacy Training and Technical Assistance (Dat2a), Takoma Park, Maryland, USA, provides a wide variety of training and technical assistance to consumer-run or consumer-responsive organizations. More information is available at: http://www.aboutus.org/Dat2a.org/.
Disabled Peoples International, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, is a network of national organizations or assemblies of disabled people, established to promote human rights of disabled people though full participation, equalization of opportunity, and development. More information is available at: http://www.dpi.org/.
Disabilities Rights Advocacy Group, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, aims to empower people with disabilities, and to create awareness among the general public. The organization encourages and monitors the private sector to upgrade building facilities to make them accessible and user-friendlier for people with disabilities. More information is available at: http://www.draginc.com/
Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Berkeley, California, USA, founded in 1979, is a national civil rights law and policy center directed by individuals with disabilities, and parents who have children with disabilities. More information is available at: http://www.dredf.org/.
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/.
Handicap International, Brussels, Belgium, is an international organization working alongside people with disabilities, whatever the context, offering them assistance, and supporting them in their efforts to become self-reliant. More information is available at: http://www.handicap-international.org/.
International Disability Alliance is a coalition of eight international disability rights organizations, among them Inclusion International and the World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry. The goals of the IDA are to encourage disability rights organizations to collaborate, to strengthen existing international disability rights networks, to collaborate on strategies and positions, to lobby the United Nations on disability issues, and to encourage the involvement of people with disabilities in world politics. More information is available at: http://www.internationaldisabilityalliance.org/.
The Law, Health Policy and Disability Center at the University of Iowa College of Law, Iowa City, Iowa, USA, is focused on improving the quality of life for people with disabilities. The Center concentrates on public policy, and its impact on persons with disabilities, with an emphasis on employment, self-determination, and self-sufficiency. More information is available at: http://disability.law.uiowa.edu/.
The Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association of NSW (MDAA), Harris Park, Australia, aims to promote, protect, and secure the rights and interests of people with disabilities from a non-English speaking background (NESB), and their families and caregivers. It is the only advocacy service in NSW available specifically for people with disabilities from a NESB. More information is available at: http://www.mdaa.org.au/.
The National Disability Advocacy Program (NDAP), Canberra, Australia, assists people with disabilities to overcome barriers (such as physical access, discriminatory attitudes, abuse, and neglect) that impact their daily lives so as to facilitate their full participation in the community. More information is available at: http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/about/news/2009/Pages/NationalDisabilityAdvocacyProgram.aspx.
The National Disability Rights Network (NDRN), Washington, DC, USA, is a non-profit membership organization for the federally mandated Protection and Advocacy (P&A) Systems and Client Assistance Programs (CAP) for individuals with disabilities. Collectively, the network is the largest provider of legal advocacy services for people with disabilities in the United States. Through training and technical assistance, legal support, and advocacy, it works to create a society in which people with disabilities are afforded equality of opportunity, and are able to fully participate by exercising choice and self-determination. More information is available at: http://www.ndrn.org/.
Rehabilitation International, New York, New York, USA, is a global and diverse network of persons with disabilities, NGOs, government agencies, service providers, and advocates who work together to advance the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities worldwide. More information is available at: http://www.riglobal.org/
Youth Disability Advocacy Service (YDAS), Victoria, Australia, works alongside young people with disabilities between the ages of 12 and 25 to raise awareness of their rights, and to support them in achieving what they want. More information is available at: http://www.ydas.org/.
Education and Training
Association for Progressive Communications (APC), Melville, South Africa, is an international network of civil society organizations dedicated to empowering and supporting groups and individuals working for peace, human rights, development, and protection of the environment, through the strategic use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), including the internet. It has produced a number of short training units, complete with handouts and presentations on advocacy: what advocacy is, stakeholder mapping, defining the issue, researching the issue, the campaign vision, and more. More information is available at: http://www.apc.org/.
Health Advocacy Program at Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, New York, USA, offers the nation's only master´s degree in this growing field. More information is available at: http://www.slc.edu/health-advocacy/.
Human Rights Education Associates (HREA), Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, is an international NGO that supports human rights education; the training of activists and professionals; the development of educational materials and programming; and community-building through on-line technologies. HREA is dedicated to quality education and training that promotes understanding, attitudes, and actions to protect human rights, and fosters the development of peaceable, free, and just communities. It offers training courses on: human rights advocacy, human rights monitoring, and human rights litigation. More information is available at: http://www.hrea.org/.
INTRAC, Oxford, United Kingdom, is a non-profit organization working in the international development and relief sector. It supports civil society organizations around the world by helping explore policy issues, and by strengthening management and organizational effectiveness. More information about the organization is available at: http://www.intrac.org/.
Just Associates (JASS), Washington, DC, USA, is a network of justice activists, scholars, and educators in 13 countries worldwide committed to increasing women's voice, visibility, and collective organizational power to advance a more just, equitable, and sustainable world. It pioneers advocacy and human rights training, strategies, action research, and accessible how-to materials. JASS programs aim to expand grassroots empowerment and public engagement; strengthen activists' and organizations' political and strategic capacities; and build bridges and alliances. More information is available at: http://www.justassociates.org/.
People´s Movement for Human Rights Education (disability site), New York, New York, USA, is a non-profit, international service organization that works with its affiliates to develop and advance pedagogies for human rights education relevant to people´s daily lives. More information is available at: http://www.pdhre.org/rights/disabled.html.
Wrightslaw Special Education Law and Advocacy is an extensive online resource on special education law, education law, and advocacy for children with disabilities, useful for parents, educators, advocates, and attorneys. More information is available at: http://www.wrightslaw.com/.
American Bar Association's (ABA) Commission on Mental and Physical Disability, Washington, DC, USA, promotes the ABA's commitment to justice and the rule of law for persons with mental, physical and sensory disabilities, and their full and equal participation in the legal profession. The Commission consists of 15 members appointed by the ABA President-Elect. More information is available at: http://www.abanet.org/disability.
American Bar Association´s (ABA) Standing Commission on Pro Bono and Public Service, Washington, DC, USA, is the national source of information, resources, and assistance to support, facilitate, and expand the delivery of pro bono legal assistance. The Standing Committee and its project, the Center for Pro Bono encourages lawyers to do pro bono work. Its programs, projects and services assist pro bono programs, advocates and policymakers address the legal needs of the poor. More information is available at: http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/probono.
The Disability Rights Education and Defence Fund´s Legal Advocacy Program, Berkeley, California, USA, 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.
DiscriminationAttorney.Com maintained by the Law Offices of David H. Greenberg, Beverly Hills, California, USA, is an online employment law guide for both non-lawyers and lawyers. The website has sections on nearly every area of employment law, including disability discrimination. More information is available at: http://www.discriminationattorney.com/.
Interights, London, United Kingdom, aims to enforce human rights legal protection, strengthen human rights jurisprudence and mechanisms, and promote the effective use of law to protect human rights. It supports lawyers, judges, NGOs and clients. For more information, please visit the following link: http://www.interights.org/.
The Law Project for Psychiatric Rights, Anchorage, Arkansas, USA. Their mission is to bring fairness and reason to the administration of the mental health system, particularly unwarranted court-ordered psychiatric drugging and electro convulsive therapy (ECT). It promotes and implements a strategic litigation campaign in support of psychiatric rights. More information is available at: http://www.psychrights.org/.
The National Health Law Program (NHeLP), Los Angeles, California, USA, is a public interest law firm that seeks to improve health care for America's working and unemployed poor, minorities, the elderly, and people with disabilities. NHeLP supports legal services programs, community-based organizations, private lawyers, providers, and individuals who work to preserve a health care safety net for the millions of uninsured or underinsured low-income people. More information is available at: http://www.healthlaw.org/.
Working with the Media
Free Speech TV, aims to expose the public to perspectives excluded from the corporate-owned media, FSTV empowers citizens to fight injustices, to revitalize democracy, and to build a more compassionate world. More information is available at: http://www.freespeech.org/.
The Human Rights Project, New York, New York, USA, is a national library project created to increase the public's awareness of human rights issues through the medium of documentary films. More information is available at: http://www.humanrightsproject.org/content.php?sec=about
Insight, France/United Kingdom, pioneers the use of Participatory Video as a tool for empowering individuals and communities. Insight's Participatory Video methods aim to value local knowledge, build bridges between communities and decision-makers, and enable people to develop greater control over their own development and the decisions affecting their lives. More information is available at: http://www.insightshare.org/.
KanalB, Berlin, Germany, is a political video activist project that reports on events that are systematically excluded from mainstream media. It is run by a small Berlin-based group, as well as a Viennese group that edits the pages, produce the editions, organize the distribution, and support the infrastructure. More information is available at: http://kanalb.org/index.php?Vlang=eng.
Media Education, United Kingdom, is a website for teachers, students, and anyone interested in media and moving image education in primary, secondary and informal education. It also aims to help people learn to develop the skills to use the media effectively in order to communicate their own ideas. More information is available at: http://www.mediaed.org.uk/.
Ouch! London, United Kingdom, is a BBC website with information that reflects the lives and experiences of disabled people. It has regular columns, features, quizzes, a monthly podcast, blogs, and a community message board. Most contributors are people with disabilities. More information is available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ouch/.
Transitions Online (TOL), Prague, Czech Republic, is an online publication featuring articles and opinion pieces on various contemporary issues, including human rights and democratic reforms. It often covers disability, including intellectual disability and mental health issues. For more information, please visit the following link: http://www.tol.cz/.
WITNESS, New York, New York, USA, uses video to open the eyes of the world to human rights abuses. By partnering with local organizations around the globe, WITNESS empowers human rights defenders to use video to highlight those most affected by human rights violations, and to transform personal stories of abuse into tools of justice. More information is available at: http://www.witness.org/.