Creating Change Together 1.0 An advocacy training manual for people with and without disabilities. Produced by Glenn Ashley and Melinda Haus-Johnson. Michigan Disability Rights Coalition United Cerebral Connections for Palsy of Michigan Community Leadership [email protected] [email protected] Page ii United Cerebral Connections for Palsy of Michigan Community Leadership [email protected] [email protected] Produced by: Connections for Community Leadership (CCL) Michigan Disability Rights Coalition 3498 East Lake Lansing Road, Suite 100 East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: (866) 532-2669 (toll free) Fax: (517) 333-2677 Email: [email protected] Website: www.copower.org/leader United Cerebral PPalsyalsy of Michigan (UCP) 470 Northwind Drive, Suite 102 East Lansing, MI 48823 Phone: (800) 828-2714 (toll free) Fax: (517) 203-1203 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ucpmichigan.org With funding from the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council What is United Cerebral Palsy of Michigan? UCP Michigan is a non-profit advocacy organization that works for the productivity, independence, and full citizenship of people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities. What is Connections for Community Leadership? CCL is a program that supports people with disabilities as they develop leadership skills and become leaders in their communities. What is Michigan Disability Rights Coalition? MDRC works to build opportunities for people with disabilities so they may live fully integrated lives within their chosen communities, now and in the future. Page iii United Cerebral Connections for Palsy of Michigan Community Leadership [email protected] [email protected] Copyright 2008 Important Copyright Information You are free to: • Share – to copy, distribute, and transmit the work. • Remix – to adapt the work. Under the following conditions: • You must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work). • If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under the same, similar, or compatible license. • For any reuse or distribution, you must make the license terms of this work clear to others. • Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder. • Nothing in this license impairs or restricts the author’s moral rights. Page iv United Cerebral Connections for Palsy of Michigan Community Leadership [email protected] [email protected] This manual includes adaptations from other sources, including the following: Green Mountain Self-Advocates & ARC of Vermont. (2003). Get on board and make a difference . Vermont. Hines, M. (1987). Don’t get mad: Get powerful! A manual for building advocacy skills . Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service, Inc. Lansing, Michigan. Kendall, J., Bobo. K., & Max, S. (1991). Organizing for social change: A manual for activists in the 1990s . Midwest Academy. Seven Locks Press. Washington. Meadours, J., Baskin, A., & Woods, E. (n.d.). Alabama people first officer’s handbook . State of Alabama Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. Montgomery, Alabama. Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health. (1994). From vision to action: A Citizens’ guidebook to grass roots advocacy . Lansing, Michigan. Oregon Developmental Disabilities Council. (n.d.) How to create inclusive boards: A Practical guide for board members . Oregon. Siler, Y.,& Solano, V. (1998). Getting There: A self-advocacy manual for consumers . Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service, Inc. and Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council. Lansing, Michigan. Statewide Independent Living Council. (n.d.). Every voice counts! A communications blueprint . Lansing, Michigan. Vermont Agency of Human Services. (2005). Making meetings accessible: How to enable real participation . Vermont Division of Disability and Aging Services. Waterbury, Vermont. Weisberg, Shelli. (n.d.). Activist skills building . American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan. Special thanks to: Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service, Inc. Midwest Academy Page v United Cerebral Connections for Palsy of Michigan Community Leadership [email protected] [email protected] Page vi United Cerebral Connections for Palsy of Michigan Community Leadership [email protected] [email protected] Table of Contents INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................. 1 Purpose of this Manual................................................................................................................. 1 Overview of this Manual .............................................................................................................. 1 ADVOCACY.................................................................................................................... 5 What is Advocacy?........................................................................................................................ 5 Types of Advocacy ........................................................................................................................ 5 Self-Advocacy............................................................................................................................. 5 Advocacy for Others................................................................................................................... 5 Group Advocacy......................................................................................................................... 6 Systems Advocacy...................................................................................................................... 6 Attitudes about Advocacy......................................................................................................... 10 RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES.............................................................................. 15 What are Rights? ........................................................................................................................ 15 Human Rights ........................................................................................................................... 15 Legal Rights.............................................................................................................................. 15 Agency Rights........................................................................................................................... 15 What is a Responsibility? ........................................................................................................... 16 Rights and Responsibility Activity ............................................................................................ 16 Can rights be taken away? ........................................................................................................ 17 Laws that Protect Your Rights .................................................................................................. 17 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.......................................................................... 17 Michigan Handicapper's Civil Rights Act ................................................................................ 17 The Open Meetings Act............................................................................................................ 17 The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)............................................................................ 18 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) ........................................................................................ 18 Education for All Handicapped Act.......................................................................................... 19 Michigan Mental Health Code.................................................................................................. 19 The Deaf Person’s Interpreter Act ............................................................................................ 19 BEING ASSERTIVE...................................................................................................... 23 What is Assertiveness? ............................................................................................................... 23 Aggressive: ............................................................................................................................... 24 Page vii United Cerebral Connections for Palsy of Michigan Community Leadership [email protected] [email protected] Passive: ..................................................................................................................................... 24 Understanding Assertiveness ..................................................................................................... 25 Relationship between self and others........................................................................................ 25 Listening Behaviors .................................................................................................................. 25 Motivations ............................................................................................................................... 26 Behaviors .................................................................................................................................