What Is Advocacy?

Advocacy is the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal. 

The goal of advocacy for those with limited mobility is to use an extensive array of expressions, actions and activities to remove the barriers

that prevent them from fully integrating in the community.  

Effective advocacy increases your capacity to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

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You can advocate for yourself and/or you can advocate for others. 

An advocate is a person who argues for, recommends, or supports a cause or policy.

Advocacy supports an individual’s ability to effectively communicate and negotiate their own interests, desires, needs, and rights. 

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Advocacy is not the same as lobbying.

Lobbying is when you ask a decision maker to vote for or against a specific piece of legislation.

Lobbying is always advocacy, but advocacy is not always lobbying. 

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Advocacy is not the same as activism.

Advocacy activities are people-oriented. They revolve around acting on the behalf of people and represent the concerns of people.
Activism activities are action-oriented. They revolve around taking concerted steps to cause social and/or political change.

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Change takes time.  

The best advocates are flexible and resourceful.  They are persuasive, persistent and patient.

And they know that they have to be willing and able to compromise, negotiate, and collaborate.

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Everyone can do something. 

How can you help?

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