Your answers

Question 1 of 3

What are your favourite ways to communicate?

Your answer

Question 2 of 3

When have you been an advocate for yourself or others?

Your answer

Question 3 of 3

When do you need to speak up in your life? What do you want to say?

Your answer

What else you need to know about speaking up and advocacy

Ways to communicate

Communicating is how you tell other people what you want and need. There are lots of different ways to communicate like talking, writing, drawing, sign language or a communication board.Communicating is important so that other people know what you want and need.

In this 3 minute video disabled young people talk about how they like to communicate.

The most common ways to communicate are speaking and writing, but you can choose any way that works best for you.

As you have seen in the videos so far, Lisa uses a device to communicate.

Lisa, who is a wheelchair user and uses a communication device

Here are some other ways to communicate:

Reading, writing or typing

Blogs, notes, emails, texts or stories 

A close up of a device Description automatically generated

Talking or speaking

Conversations, phone calls or voice recordings  

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Auslan

Australian sign language

Illustration of hands doing an Auslan sign for 'u'

Devices, aids or interpreters

Speech-to-text, text-to-speech, communication board or apps 

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Moving your body, hands or face

Acting or dancing

Illustration of a face with one eye closed and their tongue out

Images, pictures or visuals

Drawing, photographs, emojis or GIFs

A close up of a logo Description automatically generated 

Your rights

The United Nations created the Convention of the Rights of People with Disabilities or CRPD to protect disabled people. 

The A United Nations agreement between countries to keep disabled people safe and make sure they are treated fairly.CRPD makes sure that disabled people have the same opportunities as everyone else.

For example, you have the right to:  

  • Get an education  

  • Have a job where you feel safe and valued 

  • Have housing

In this 2 minute video by DARU disabled people talk about their rights.

What is advocacy?

Speaking up for yourself and others.Advocacy means speaking up for yourself and others. 

When you speak up for yourself and your rights this is called self-advocacy. You can also speak up for other people. 

Being an advocate is important. It helps you make sure your choices and rights are respected and you are being treated fairly. 

Speaking up also helps others understand what you want and need. 

There is no right or wrong way to be an advocate. You can choose a way that works best for you. 

In this 4 minute video disabled young people talk about speaking up for themselves and others.

When do you need to advocate for yourself?

Sometimes disabled young people have to advocate for themselves when they are being treated unfairly or their needs are not being met. 

You may need to speak up when you are with your friends, at school or at home. You can speak up about any issue that is important to you. 

You will need to advocate for yourself during your NDIS planning meeting and other important meetings. 

How to be an advocate

Just like communication, there are lots of ways to be an advocate. Disabled young people speak up in many different ways including: 

  • Speaking at a meeting 

  • Sending an email 

  • Commenting on social media 

  • Talking to friends and family 

  • Joining a group 

  • Making a complaint 

 A person sitting on a table Description automatically generated 

When you know that you will need to advocate for yourself it is a good idea to prepare. Think about the way you would like to communicate your message. 

For example, answering the questions in this program is helping you plan what you want to share at your NDIS planning meeting. Doing that will help you speak up so you get the right supports. That is self-advocacy.

Speaking up during your NDIS planning meeting

During your NDIS planning meeting you need to be able to share what your goals are and what supports you need. 

You can ask for things that help you communicate to be in your NDIS plan. For example, if you are Deaf you can get money to pay for Auslan interpreters.

If you want to learn more about speaking up and advocating for yourself when you get NDIS support click the link below.

This link has more detailed and Hard to understand.complexinformation.

Who can help you speak up?

Sometimes you might need help to speak up.

Anyone you trust can help you speak up including:  

  • Friends 

  • Family 

  • Teachers 

  • Advocates

A professional advocate is someone whose job it is to advocate for other people.

Click here to learn more about getting support from an advocate.