News
Big Issues in our Lives: Self-Advocate Voices on Global Disability Issues
- Inclusive participation & citizenship
Inclusion International has developed new resources on the big issues that matter to self-advocates.
They share our network’s big messages, share quotes from self-advocates around the world, and share calls from self-advocates for what needs to change.
These resources cover 11 important topics, including employment, education, and the right to decide.
They also cover other big issues that are part of the conversation at the Global Disability Summit, like health care, aging, climate change, and social protection.
Each resource explains why the topic is important, and shares what self-advocates want governments and organisations to do to include and support them.
Why did we make these resources?
Inclusion International created these tools because self-advocates were not involved in the Global Disability Inclusion Report.
Even though all of the big issues in the report affect self-advocates and their families, our voices were not part of this important report that governments and organisations will read.
We received support from UNICEF and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to talk to self-advocates about the big issues, and then to create resources to share what self-advocates think about the topics – including what they want to see change.
These resources make sure that the voices of self-advocates are not missing from the conversation at the Global Disability Summit.
It also makes sure that everyone understands what these big issues mean to our network.
The tools are written to be easy to understand. This makes it easy for self-advocacy groups can use them in their work.
It also to make sure that governments and others can understand the big messages from self-advocates clearly.
How can self-advocates use them?
These big issues are important to self-advocates because they impact our lives.
The self-advocacy groups in the Inclusion International network are already doing work on these topics in their countries.
Having resources on these topics:
- Gives self-advocacy groups one clear message that all of the groups in our network can use in their countries,
- Gives them tools to share with others to communicate their messages, and
- Gives ideas for what governments and others can do to help make the lives of people with intellectual disabilities better.
By using these resources, self-advocates can help people understand these important issues, and share our network’s call for change.
How did we make these guides?
We worked with a reference group of self-advocates who helped develop these resources.
The big topics that the resources would be about came from the Global Disability Inclusion Report.
Self-advocacy groups in different countries did focus groups on different issues to share ideas for what should go in the resources.
Then the self-advocates who were part of the reference group carefully reviewed each issue, and shared their own ideas for what should be in the tools.
Self-advocates approved the designs, and the final versions of the resources.
The group did an excellent job because we are experts in advocating for ourselves and our peers. Our input made sure that the resources are practical and relevant to the needs of self-advocates.
Mark Mapemba, self-advocate from Malawi
Upcoming Webinar
Self-advocates in our network are planning a webinar to share these resources with our self-advocacy network around the world.
The webinar will have time to talk about how self-advocates can use the tools, and time to ask questions about the resources.
We are excited to have you join us for a conversation about how these resources can make the world of self-advocacy groups stronger, and you can share how your self-advocacy group will use these resources!
We will share information about the upcoming webinar soon – stay tuned to our events listing for details!