A Report on T National Advocacy Project of United Cerebral Palsy Associations, Inc
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DOCUMENT RESUME ED 132 780 EC 092 212 AUTHOR Dickman, Irving R., Comp. TITLE Thinking/Learning/Doing Advocacy: A Report on t National Advocacy Project of United Cerebral Palsy Associations, Inc. INSTITUTION United Cerebral Palsy Association, New York, N.Y. SPONS AGENCY Bureau of Education for the Handicapped (DHEW/OE), Washington, D.C.; National Inst. of Mental Health (DHEW), Rockville, Md.; Office of Human Development (DHEW), Washington, D.C. Office Of. Developmental Disabilities. PUB DATE 75 GRANT OEG-0-72-5314 NOTE 131p. AVAILABLE FROM United Cerebral Palsy Association, Inc., 66 East 34th Street, New York, N.Y. 10016 EDRS PRICE MF-$0.83 Plus Postage. HC Not Available from FORS. DESCRIPTORS *Child Advocacy; *Civil Liberties; Delivery Systems; *Demonstration Projects; Guidelines; *Handicapped; Legislation; Models; Ombudsmen; *Program Descriptions; Program Development IDENTIFIERS *Developmental Disabilities ABSTRACT Described is the National Advocacy Project of the United Cerebral Palsy Association involving demonstration projects and model programs advocating the.legal and humanrights of the person with a developmental disability and his family. Goals and objectives of the project are listed as follows: improving the effectiveness of agencies and services to disabled children and adults; involving community residents; training and educating professionals, community residents, and consumers in the advocacy approach; identifying and testing advocacy approaches leading to necessary legislation; self7evaluation of the effectiveness of each project model and its components; disseminating the results of the project; and promoting replication of successful models, components, and techniques. Descriptions of project model sites in New York State, San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, and Milwaukee; and replication sites in Greater Kansas City, Rhode Island, and Illinois are given. Problems and ways to involve consumers are discussed, and guidelines for program development are provided. Appendixes include advocacy model goals and objectives, copies of pamphlets, a list of legal issues, and a list of resdurce materials. (IM) ************************* *************************************** Documents acquired by ERIC include many informal unpublished * _materials not available from other sources. ERIC makes every effort - * to obtain the best copy available. Nevertheless, items of marginal* * reproducibility are often encountered and this affects the quality * * of the microfiche and.hardcopy reproductions ERIC makes available * * via the ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS) . EDRS is not * responsible for the quality of the original document. Reproductions * * supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original. ********************************************************************* * U S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION & WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION THIS 00CuMENT HAS BEEN REPRO- DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM THE PERSON OR DROANIZATION ORIGIN- ATING oT POINTS OF VIEW OR OpINIONS STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRE- SENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY thinking/learning/doing ADVOCACY a Report on the National Advocacy Project of Un_ted Cerebral Paky-Associations, Inc. Compiled by Irving R. Dickman The National Advocacy Project of United Cerebral Palsy Associations, Inc. was made possible by Grant #0EG 0-72-5314, provided jointly by three agencies of the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare: Bureau of Education for the Handicapped, Office of Education National Institute of MentM Health - Developmental Disabilities Office United Cerebral Palsy Associations, Inc. 66 East 34th Street New York, N.Y. 10016 Acknowledgement for assistance in preparing this interim reporton the LICP-A National Advocacy Project is herewith gratefully given to the National Advocacy AdvisoryCouncil and Project Staff. National Advocacy Advisory Council Margaret 0. Murray, Chairman Shawnee Mission, Kansas Max Addison Arlington, Texas Theodore Childs Brooklyn, New York Nina Eaton Lawrence, New York Mildred Erickson San Mateo, California Beverly Jackson Suffield, Connecticut Diana Kenderian Newark, New Jersey Michael Kindred Columbus, Ohio Richard Loux Wichita, Kansas Cairbre McC_ n Providence Rhode Island Barbara Nitkiewecz* Erie, Pennsylvania James O'Connor* Schnectady, New York Ruth Shook Bangor, Maine Eileen Smith New York, New York Mmgaret Theissen Milwaukee, Wisconsin Doris Weber Kansas CiN, Missouri Willie Warner Wilst n Bronx, New York *Members. 1972-74 National Advocacy Project Staff Ernest Weinrich Project Pirector UCPA Marie L. Moore National Advocacy Coordina or UCPA Robert F. Hansen Advocacy Coordinator UCP of San Mateo County and UCP of Santa Clara County, California Lynn McMiIlen Advocacy Coordinator (1972-1975) UCP of New York State Libby Wickes Advocacy Coordinator UCP of New York State Neal D. Clement Advocacy Coordinator (1972-1974) UCP of Southeastern Wisconsin Geor eann Chaffee Advocacy Coordinator UCP of Greater Kansas City Teresa K. Smith Advocacy Coordinator UCP of Rhode Island Todd B. Eberle Advocacy Coordinator UCP of Illinois Special thank you to Melvin R. Ladsori. Jr. Coordinator, Child Advocacy Program Bureau of Education for the Handicapped Washington, D C. 20202 TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD 7 GLOSSARY OF TERMS 9 I.INTRODUCTION A Way To Think 11 Why A Dernonstration Project? = 13 LICPA's Role 15 IL THE PROJECT MODEL SITES New York State 17 San Mateo-Santa Clara Counties 20 Milwaukee 27 III. THE REPLICATION SITES Flow To Replicate An Advocacy Model 1 Greater Kansas City 32 Rhode Island 36 Illinois 37 IV. LESSONSLARGE AND SMALL Speaking of Impacts 39 The Advocacy Approach To "Cases" 42 LawsThe Advocate's Concern 47 Why Systems Analysis? 49 The Advocate's Support Systems 5 Local Advocacy Advisory Council (LAAC) 53 The Advocate's "Professional Style" 55 V. INVOLVING CONSUMERS Consumers At Decision Making Levels ........ ............. ... 59 How To Involve Consumers 61 PICSA Case In Point How Do You Get Consumers "Ready"? 67 VI. ADVOCACY AND UCPA How to Begin: Some Guidelines 70 "Inevitable and Desirable". .. 73 APPENDICES: A.Z 77 6 6 FOREWORD In a search for needed services, United Cerebral Palsy Associations, Inc. was conceived out of compassion for children with cerebral palsy and their families some 25 yeaes ago. By coordinating the efforts of volunteers and professional people, UCPA moved rapidly on to establishing a competence in demonstrating that those needed services could be developed. And, with the advent of "advocacy", we now have an enlightened point of view based on fact and skill. We have now learned that the key to improving our effectiveness in assuring that services are there at the time of need is advocacythe component Of service that makes the other systems work and enhances all of our other agency roles. We have learned that advocacy does not just happen without a planned effort. Advocacy provides an opportunity to lead the way in changing attitudes and myths about children and adults who are disabled, as well as to improve the effectiveness of agencies serving the disabled and to develop new resources of service through a planned effort. To learn how to be an advocate or change agent takes skill We find out what people with developmental disabilities and their families need by encouraging their participation in all planning efforts. We design the strategies to bring this participation about. We establish a trust relationship, we identify barriers to the service delivery system, and move on to impact positively on the destinies Of persons with cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities utilizing their input. The UCP National Advocacy Project described in this report has shown that if we are committed to truly changing the systems to be more responsive to the needs of persons with developmental disabilities, we can develop the necessary skills. It has been my &reat good fortune to have worked, and struggled, with many really concerned and dedicated people in the development of this project. My gratitude goes to the funding agencies that had faith in our capabilities, to our sensitive and capable National Project staff, to those who have been an integral part of the National Advocacy Advisory Council, and to our imaginative Project Model Site staff. Also to all of the many consumers and other volunteers who have given so much of their time and effort to enable us to prove that goals can be reached when we share a positive commitment to equality for all persons with developmental disabilities and have the determination to overcome the barriers surrounding their lives. I trust those who read this booklet will share the excitement of advocacy as we see it. Margaret O. Murray, Chairman National Advocacy Advisory Council, UCPA, Inc. 7 7 What's The Word A GLOSSARY OF TIEFIVAS Advocacy: The act or process of defending or maintaining a cause; the act or process of supporting a cause. United Cerebral Palsy Associations, Inc., defines Advocacy as ensuring to persons who are disabled their rights to appropriate services. CaseAdvocacy;Defending, maintaining or supporting the cause of one person; defending the rights of one person. Class Advocacy:Defending, maintaining or supporting a cause on behalf of all persons having an identical problem or need. Change Agent(s):A person or group of persons working to bring about desired change in laws, policies, practices or procedures so that the rights or entitlernents of a person are insured. Consumer: One who