Advocate

Advocating for individuals with disabilities is an important part of supporting our clients. We also encourage friends, families and supporters to take time to join the advocacy process and spread the word to increase awareness about the issues and needs faced by individuals with disabilities. There are several effective ways to advocate. The most powerful way to advocate is to share your story, whether you or your friend or family member is directly affected or you are a community supporter.

When telling your story, we suggest you mention the following information:

• Your issue
• How this issue affects you
• How having proper supports could change your life (or the life of a
  friend or family member)
• What your (or their) struggles without these supports are
• Why you want to share this experience with your government official
• What you hope to see change in the future

A list of Illinois government officials and representatives can be found at the Illinois General Assembly website.