Self-Advocacy/AmeriCorps

• REQUEST A PRESENTATION
• Self- Advocacy Application of Interest
• Self-Advocacy AmeriCorps Regional Teams
• Reflections on Americorps

The mission of AmeriCorps/Self-Advocacy is to assist individuals with developmental disabilities to become full and valued members of their communities. Through this project, individuals with developmental and other disabilities, work under the concept that, "Our Experience is the Best Teacher". With this in mind, teams of AmeriCorps members make presentations on a number of related topics to students, both with and without disabilities, teachers, people with disabilities interested in self-advocacy, staff of support service agencies, and members of the general community. The purpose of these presentations is to promote the importance of self-advocacy for people with disabilities, general awareness of disability related issues, and to teach about the important gifts that people with disabilities have to offer which can only be received through full community inclusion and participation of all individuals in their own community.

This program addresses the basic need and right of people with disabilities to: 1) be included in oil aspects of citizenship as full and contributing members of their communities; and 2) exercise as much control as possible over their own lives and destinies by taking charge of the development of the various supports services they may need. This will be accomplished through two basic educational efforts. The first effort is by teaching people with disabilities (school age students and adults) the basic skills of self-advocacy. This includes speaking up for yourself and others by developing an understanding of both the rights and responsibilities of citizenship and community participation. The second effort is providing disability awareness training for people without disabilities (teachers, students, staff of support organizations, members of civic groups and associations). This training will focus on reversing negative stereotypes and misconceptions that many people still have about people with disabilities, and more importantly, focusing on the abilities and gifts that people with disabilities offer their community.

Based on the premise that "Our Experience is the Best Teacher", all presentations are conducted by individuals with disabilities and are based on their experiences, dreams, hopes and abilities. Self-advocates have learned from years of experience that it is their voices, individually and collectively, that most effectively break down barriers and build bridges within their communities.

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