The self-advocacy / self-help movement is generally described as a grassroots movement of people with developmental disabilities who have organized to stand up and speak for themselves. Goals of self-advocates include the advancement of personal rights, increased access to meaningful life activities as well as gaining recognition as valuable and contributing citizens of their communities. As the movement continues to grow, individuals are working to define the movement through discussion, journal articles, video tapes, and films.
All People First chapters are different. The goals and structure of each chapter is based on the individual members and how they define self-advocacy. Some common client understandings are:
- Learning to speak assertively for ourselves.
- Learning to make decisions and solve problems on our own.
- Learning, practicing and implementing the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
- Contributing to the community where we live.
- Showing others that we can do things by ourselves.
- Helping others to become self-advocates.
- Having the same opportunities and participating in educational, work and social activities just like everyone else.
Every self-advocacy group has a slightly different focus. Some groups emphasize the “self-help” aspect of the group. The group process is seen as an avenue to increase the individual members’ self respect, self-confidence, self-esteem, ability to share feelings, and coping mechanisms.
These groups may take the form of a rap session about common concerns and struggles. The only clear structure to the group may be an expressed norm of helping and supporting group members.
Some groups may have more specific goals such as group education, fund raising, recreation, conference participation and political activism. To accomplish these goals, the group tends to take a more structured format which may include formalized group rules, standard agenda items, the election of officers, membership dues, voting procedures, etc.
Regardless of the focus of a particular self-advocacy group, there are some basic processes common to all successful groups. These are:
- An atmosphere of peer support contributing to an increase in the self-confidence of the members through sharing feelings, experiences, and coping mechanisms.
- A group process that continues to increase the self-direction, self-determination, and self-assertion of the members.
- A process of achieving common goals (social, recreational, political, etc.)
