What is Advocacy?
It is a process of helping families and individuals to find their own authority and power to create change. We believe in giving them the tools and the information to advocate for what they know to be right.
Our primary goal as advocates is to elevate the voice of families of children with disabilities. This means more than empowering them to speak out on their own behalf. It means more than staunchly replaying their words. It is about welcoming people into the decision-making process by ensuring that their voices are heard and honoured in the decisions that are made about their lives.
As an advocate, LACL ensures that:
- where people have their own voice, we make sure they are heard
- where people have difficulty speaking, we are there to support them
- where people have no voice, we speak for them
We can advocate for you by:
- writing letters
- holding meetings
- organizing public events
- working with the media
- reminding services of their mandate
- letting you know what your rights are
- helping you excersise your rights
- doing whatever we can to raise awareness and create change
In all cases, we will:
- listen closely to find out what you need
- provide you with tools, resources and information to empower you
- be a voice for change
Crisis Support
Sometimes individuals or families experience a crisis which arises merely from the fact that they – or their child – have a disability. These crises can happen at any stage in life and can take on many forms too numerous to mention.
Here are two possible examples of crises and how we can support you.
Scenario #1
A school tells that your child with a disability is not permitted to be included in the same neighbourhood school as her/his siblings.How we can support:
- help you strategize
- write letters
- find legal council
- attend meetings with you at the school
Scenario #2
You are a person with a disability and have just been told you can’t live where you want to live, even though you have the resources to do so. You know that you are being denied access simply because you have a disability.How we can support:
- speak with the landlord on your behalf
- write letters
- find legal council
- empower you with self-advocacy tools
In all cases, we will:
- listen closely to find out what you need
- provide you with tools, resources and information to empower you
- be a voice for change
If you are experiencing a crisis, LACL can help.