Advocacy And Campaigning for Deafblind Issues (Philippine School for the Deaf Experience)

Yolanda T. Capulong, Ed. D.

Introduction

The word ADVOCACY suggests an organized effort, of “coming together to work for a common vision and for change based on shared values”. If efforts are well planned, it can bring about change in policies, regulations or implementation. The process of using information strategically can change course of action that will affect the lives of disadvantaged people. It is claimed that successful advocacy happens most often in mature democracies where political institutions are receptive to civil societies. The situation allows the process that involves the coordinated efforts of people to change policies, practices, ideas and values that perpetuate inequality, intolerance and exclusion.

Advocating for individuals with special needs seem to be a must for people working in this field. Somebody must take the cudgels for this marginalized sector of society, who most often can’t speak for themselves. Their issues are unknown to the bigger society but needs are vast that can be properly addressed if only individuals concerned can be tapped and effort orchestrated.

Therefore, the importance of some basic knowledge in advocacy is a must. Whether the initiatives are in a small-scale basis, it would be a great help if the approach is done with guiding principles to ensure that set goals are met. This paper will present Advocacy from the point of view of an administrator as a linking agent for change. This is a position of authority where empowerment includes influencing a lot of individuals to ensure the delivery of service to individuals with special needs despite constraints brought about by being in a developing country.

Considerations

There are considerations and basic guidelines one may follow in influencing people to advocate on certain concerns. Always in mind is that sustainable development and new forms of local and international cooperation that constitute major challenges that will surely affect planning and formulating of policies.

In effecting change, basic should be the awareness of educators of tensions which are old and new. These are challenges that are global and local, universal and individual, tradition and modernity, long and short term, need for competition and concern for equality of opportunity, expansion of knowledge and human beings capacity to assimilate it and tension between spiritual and the material. How do all these tensions affect our policies for the deafblind? Another consideration is research. This provides us data, well formulated arguments, alternative proposals and even background information of people concerned to analyze “games” in the system thus know how to fight for issues.

The most important consideration is awareness of limitations. The legal basis of actions and a thorough knowledge of the bureaucracy and political climate will lead to successful endeavors.

1 Administrator As The Advocate

A school manager is a captive advocator. He has no other option but to initiate, coordinate or influence individuals or groups to meet the challenges and address issues. He has an understanding of problems in the classroom level and its relation to the bigger environment. As an instructional leader and administrative manager he is involved in the change process from beginning to end. His role ranges from legal aspects of the concern and providing necessary material resources (service loads, travel authorization, funds etc.)

“ Change begins with a problem or a need that somebody really cares about, a recognition that something is wrong, that something requires change. This recognition must be accompanied by a sense of urgency, a feeling that advocacy must be taken either now or soon”. In 1990 a parent walked-in, inquired if there is a program for her girl who is deafblind. The administration said none and explained that the Philippine School for the Deaf, (PSD) a national special school with 800 students only accepts children who have hearing impairment as disability. Although the school did not accept that child, the concern was marked as a priority and ADVOCACY starts from this incident for the deafblind program of the school.

Developing Relationship

A program has concerns to be addressed. Basic are class A Faculty, excellent Facilities and well managed Finances. These 3 Fs are the targets of advocacy initiatives toward realization of the program needs. The administrator to do all these become the linking agent whose role is to develop relationships. Havelock enumerated four Relate tasks to be fully effective 1) to understand the social system and how it works 2) to understand the relationships between yourself and that social system 3) to do whatever you can to improve how members of the social system work with one another 4) improve your own relationship with the system and co- members. These relate tasks can be used to control internal and external forces which push a system to effect change.

Internal Forces - A school context in itself is a complex entity with different levels and a bureaucracy. It has pressures coming from parents, students, teaching and non-teaching personnel. In the Philippines, a school system has a district, then a division, regional and national offices. Cementing relationships takes into consideration the knowledge of the legal basis and the social mores of the system. While Filipino administrators have authority, it was only during the passage of the Basic Education Act of 2001 (RA No. 9155) which recognizes very clearly the crucial role which the school head plays. Arguments why the deafblind program should be in school for the deaf was done so convincingly and modification of the curriculum was not a problem.

Realizing that there are many concerns of the administrators inside the school, Covey’s Proactive Focus comes in very handy. It shows us that there are many things within our Circle of Concern but there will always be things we don’t have any influence or control of. Advocacy should be better started with the Circle of Influence until that Center enlarges and covers a lot of that Circle of Concern. Following this principle is a system of advocating derived from reality and not just by theories and images.

2 Circle of

Circle of Influence

Concern

External Forces -Influences coming from the outside most often are unwanted. It is the ability of the administrator to use outside influences and verbalize to them the school needs that should be recognized. The school no matter how small is in a way connected to a bigger system directly and indirectly. There will always be people in the community who have the mission to help improve the plight of children with special needs. One can always find out the most important people around and also their vital information like their sentiments for the disabled, social service record or ways on how they can be lured to advocacy efforts.

Government also influence organizations because government policy obliged people to follow. The knowledge on the type of government and how the national government policies affect local policy is necessary. Advocacy campaign does not necessarily require going to the seat of national government and getting the top official to be involved directly in concerns. It is enough that one understands the policy making in the levels of government and the sources of formal and informal authority. Equally important is the knowledge of policies to be confident on the arguments needed. PSD allowed a non-government organization of and for the disabled a space inside the campus. While the former concentrates its work on school age children’s concern, the latter focuses its effort on out of school youth and adults with disabilities. Sharing the same place allows verbalizing of each other’s concerns and those to advocate. This organization managed to make the necessary connections to the city council in charge of local legislation. The first resolution seem too basic and simple which states “creating the City of Pasay as a friendly city with a Heart for the Disabled” brought together the transport, business and church group to the different activities for the disabled. Both PSD and the NGO include active participation of its members in Advocacy activities.

Linkages and allies also surface through linking for a common cause. It can come from government and non-government organizations. Coalitions are developed for the members to advocate common issues. Members groups share common concerns that make possible cooperative endeavors. PSD managed to be in the working committee of the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP) the governments arm for disability related concerns, the first president of the Federation of Agencies for the Deaf, member of the Board of the Philippine Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, and other organizations.

3 Building Resources

The concerns of individuals who are deafblind are reasons to advocate. These concerns can be financial, human, intellectual and natural resources. Oftentimes, organizations seek these resources to secure their own tools to do the job. While sourcing and doing advocacy efforts, the education of the public on the basic concept of the matter as well as the complexity of some issues are also made known to them.

Foremost in the development of any program is the need for financial resources. In a school set – up, this is needed for personal services, capital and equipment outlay, and maintenance and operating expenses. Teacher’s incentives and other programs are supported from grants and oftentimes from FUND RAISING.

There are many technique and strategies offered for fund raising. Here is a set of strategies proven to be useful: 1) shape a need into a proposal 2.) build awareness of money resources 3.) match the need to known resource pools 4.) parade the proposal and 5.) involve the hard money gatekeepers.

PSD has also some techniques proven to be useful:1.) keep an updated needs list 2.) know your donors 3.) nurture relationship with donors 4.) create opportunities for goodwill 5.) master the art of timing 6.) master the art of showing appreciation 7.) keep abreast with technology 8.)develop writing skills 9.) master the art of asking. 10.) get into more modern fund raising activities.

The donation by a bank of a school building for the special programs in school including the deafblind was facilitated because of the visit of Princess Anne (UK). The result of the ocular inspection before the visit found the school ideal with conditions matching the criteria of the group. It was not difficult convincing the princess of the needs being patroness of the deafblind in UK, and after seeing the initiatives of the school regarding children who are deafblind.

CONCLUSION

Admittedly, advocacy is a shared responsibility which needs shared passion of those involved. The trick is to have a lead person who has the technical know how and a personality that would steer the group to productive exercises. While it is true that the deafblind are the ideal persons to advocate for themselves, going towards this realization starts from families and the school preparing and guiding them towards empowerment. All they need are opportunities to discover their abilities to reach their full potential.

4 References

Alicias, Ma. Dolores G. et al. (2003) Handbook on Advocacy Strategies and Techniques Development, Institute for Popular Democracy, Q.C. Philippines

Covey, Stephen R (1990) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Simon and Schuster Inc., NY

Havelock, Ronald G. (2004) Guiding Change in Special Education, Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, CA.

Paul, James L. et al. (1997) Special Education Practice, Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, Pacific Groove CA

Conference Proceedings of the International Conference on Teacher Education. Directors Development and Delivery, January 9 – 11, 2001, Manila Hotel, Philippines

Republic Act No. 9155, Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001

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