Your voice matters. Use it.
This module is about advocacy — which means speaking up for yourself and for others, and making sure your voice is heard. Advocacy happens in many ways. It can be about the small, everyday choices in your life, or about making big changes in your community.
No matter the size, advocacy is about knowing that your voice matters. When you speak up, you are showing leadership and helping to make life better for yourself and others.
Here’s a video from self-advocates exploring the world of rights and advocacy.
Day-to-Day Self-Advocacy
Self-advocacy is speaking up for yourself in everyday life. It might feel small, but it is powerful.
- Saying what food you want to eat, or what you want to wear.
- Asking questions if you don’t understand something.
- Telling staff when something feels unfair or doesn’t work for you.
- Letting people know about your goals, dreams, and ideas.
These are all ways of saying: “This is my life, and I have the right to make choices.”
We hope this website has given you ideas and confidence to speak up more often. If you want to keep learning, you can join an in-person rights training from Abilities Manitoba. These trainings are a safe place to practice self-advocacy, meet other people, and build the courage to keep speaking up.
Advocacy can be as simple as speaking up for yourself in everyday life. That might mean saying what you want for dinner, asking questions about your support, or telling someone when something doesn’t feel right. We hope this website has given you ideas and confidence to speak up more often. Check out their events calendar for upcoming training.
Advocacy in Your Agency
Advocacy doesn’t stop at daily choices — it can also happen in your agency. Many organizations have a Self-Advocate Committee. This is a group of people supported by the agency who meet to share their ideas, concerns, and leadership. The committee gives advice to staff and leaders, and helps make sure rights are respected.
Joining your Self-Advocate Committee is a great way to be heard and to connect with others. If your agency doesn’t have one yet, you can ask leaders to support starting one. Committees work best when people supported are given real respect, real resources, and a real seat at the table.
Systemic Advocacy
The third type of advocacy is systemic advocacy. This means working together with others to make change at a bigger level — in your community, your province, or even across Canada.
There are many ways to do this:
1
Join a People First chapter. People First is a movement of people with disabilities speaking up for their rights. Local chapters meet regularly to share ideas and lead projects.
2
Take part in campaigns like Disability Matters Vote. This campaign helps people learn about their voting rights and speak up during elections so politicians listen to the voices of people with disabilities.
3
Connect with other advocacy groups. Sometimes advocacy is about joining rallies, writing letters, or meeting with leaders to share your perspective.
Systemic advocacy shows that people with disabilities are leaders in shaping society. We created a video about the impact of staff turnover; this is an example of advocacy.
Resources
These tools and links can help you keep learning about your rights and responsibilities. They are made for people with disabilities and the people who support them.
Sources
A Message from Rachele…
After taking rights training I was able to talk to many different people like staff and friends. I was able to stand up for myself and talk about my rights, and get the things I need.
Resources
These tools and links can help you keep learning about your rights and responsibilities. They are made for people with disabilities and the people who support them.
Sources
The Challenge!
Take a few minutes to write down the one thing you learned most from this website and these modules.
- What stood out to you the most?
- What do you want to remember and use in your life?
- How will you use your voice as a leader?
Writing it down will help you hold on to what you’ve learned and remind you to use it in the future.
Resources
These tools and links can help you keep learning about your rights and responsibilities. They are made for people with disabilities and the people who support them.
Sources
Final Thoughts
You are a leader. Every time you speak up — whether it’s choosing what you want for lunch, asking a question in a meeting, or joining a campaign — you are showing leadership.
Advocacy is not only about making change in systems. It’s also about showing the world that your voice matters. You have knowledge, experience, and wisdom that no one else has. When you speak, you help shape a better future for yourself and for everyone.
Resources
These tools and links can help you keep learning about your rights and responsibilities. They are made for people with disabilities and the people who support them.
Sources
Keep learning: next module
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Completed
Rights and Responsibilities
What is a Right? What is a Law? Who’s in the Driver Seat of Your Life?
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Completed
Choice
What is Choice? And How Do We Build Our Decision-Making Muscles?
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4
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1
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3
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Completed
History
History of People with Disabilities.
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6
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1
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9
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Completed
The Law
There’s no such thing as disability rights. It’s all about human rights.
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5
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2
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4
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Completed
Free from Abuse, Neglect and Mistreatment
You have the right to be safe.
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Completed
Choosing Services
Learn how support funding works in Manitoba and how to choose what’s right for you.
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Completed
Rights Restrictions and Due Process
Your rights come first. Restrictions are the last resort.
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Completed
Speaking Up and Being Heard
Your voice matters. Use it.
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Completed
Supporting Authentic Leadership
When people with disabilities lead, everyone wins.