Why Self-Advocacy Matters When You Leave School

By: The Center for Self Advocacy

Today we will review

How becoming an adult gives you more choices and more responsibility

Disability laws and how they change when you become an adult

How self-advocacy skills fit into many things that you will have to do after school

How self-determination will give you a better quality of life

Part I: When you become an adult, you gain more control and responsibility

Running a House Deciding where we want to live Picking out items for our house Doing chores in our house Paying our bills Deciding what we want to do in our house Organizing our house the way we want to Making mistakes and learning from our mistakes

Transportation Taking public transportation

on our own Figuring out the routes of

public transportation Figuring out how much

transportation costs Learning how to drive a car Going to and from places

freely Going on trips or traveling Making mistakes and learning

from our mistakes

Finding and Keeping a Job Deciding what career path we want to follow Getting skills we need for the jobs we want Filling out our own resume and application Going to job interviews on our own Traveling to and from work in the way we want Doing our job as independently as possible Earning a good paycheck Budgeting our own money (taxes, bills, etc.) Learning from our mistakes

Developing our own social relationships Meeting new people Calling new people or emailing them Doing activities we enjoy with friends of ours Interacting with people around us in ways that make us comfortable Dating people and doing things we agree on that we enjoy, including being intimate Marrying people and starting families Making mistakes and learning from our mistakes

Part II: Disability Laws and the IDEA and Section 504 now vs. the ADA and Section 504 later

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ) and Section 504 now Public schools or schools that receive money from the federal government must provide students with disabilities:

A Free and Appropriate Public Education A least restrictive environment

IDEA requires that schools have a Individualized Education Program (IEP), while Section 504 is a civil rights law that provides some protections and accommodations without an IEP, but with a documented plan.

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)

Is a law that bans discrimination against individuals with disabilities and grants them equal opportunity and access in:Title I: EmploymentTitle II: Public Services and TransportationTitle III: Public PlacesTitle IV: Telecommunications

Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act after high school

This law states that any program that receives money from federal government must give individuals with disabilities equal opportunity and equal access to: JobsServicesBuildings

Disability Laws are also different

In school, you are covered by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or Section 504. Teachers, teams, staff and adults are mainly responsible for making sure that the law is followed.

Once you become an adult, you are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

You are responsible for making sure that you get the accommodations that you need.

You are responsible for starting the process when it comes to making sure you get your rights.

Example #1: ADA on the Job

Requesting Accommodations – The Interactive Process by the Job Accommodation Network1) The employee must ask for an

accommodation from their supervisor. Don’t be afraid. Everyone needs some help to be good at their job. All you are doing is asking for what you need to do your job well. Employers also have a legal obligation to help you.

Requesting Accommodations – The Interactive Process by the Job Accommodation Network2) The employer then gathers

information about what you need. This might mean talking with you, but will also involve trying to find out what the limitation is and how to solve it. They will then look at the accomodationthat is needed and choose the best option.

Requesting Accommodations – The Interactive Process by the Job Accommodation Network3) The employer will then implement the accommodation and monitor it. They will communicate with various people such as people from Human Resources. They will also check on the efectiveness and make sure necessary equipment is maintained. THEY WILL ALSO BE TALKING WITH YOU, SO YOU NEED TO LET THEM KNOW HOW THINGS ARE GOING!

Example #2: ADA in postsecondary education

Section 504 and ADA after high school

If you are a student with a disability, you are entitled to receive accommodations, such as audio-taped textbook, sign language interpreter, or tutoring. Equal access and opportunity means making the changes that YOU need to get the same jobs, services, and transportation as everyone else. But remember…YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ARRANGING THE SERVICES NOW!

Post-secondary Schools MAY NOT…

Admit only a certain number of students with disabilities.Ask if an applicant has a disability before admitted.Exclude a student from a class just because of their disability.Counsel a student toward a more restrictive career because of their disability.

Post-secondary Schools MAY NOT…

Colleges and universities MAY NOT discriminate in the admitting or learning process of students with disabilities.

Part III: Self-advocacy is an important part of going to school, getting a job and even getting services

One of the most important self-advocacy skills is setting goals

Mother Jones’ Recipe for SuccessDreamDecidePlanTimeline

Personal EffortObstaclesResourcesSupport

Planning for Action StepsWhat does it mean to have a dream?What does it mean to make a decision?What does it mean to make a plan?What is a timeline?What does it mean to make a personal

effort to accomplish something?What is an obstacle?What are resources and support?

Getting a job requires setting and meeting goals as well as good communication

When getting a job, you need to know… What kind of job you actually want Where to go for help How to initiate any meetings with the Department

of Vocational Rehabilitation or even employers How to seek out and complete application forms How to complete a resume in order to show your

skills to employers How to give a confident interview where you

explain to employers why you are a good fit for the job

Disclosure of a Disability Remember, you don’t have to tell the person who is interviewing you about your disability. It is YOUR choice. They cannot ask you questions about your disability. It is illegal. However, if you think they will notice it or you want to talk about it, TALK ABOUT YOUR SKILLS THAT WILL HELP YOU DO THE JOB FIRST! Then, you can talk about what accommodations you will need to do the job. Remember, the accommodations have to be made under the law. Remember, they might not have personal experience, so taking initiative and talking about your skills and needs will help them feel more comfortable.

Setting goals and knowing yourself is a large part of postsecondary education

A word of advice before moving onto colleges… You need to make sure that you pick the school that is right for you. Visit the school. Talk to the people in the program you want to take and ask them questions. Student Loans ARE NOT FREE MONEY. They require you to pay them back with interest, which means you will pay more money than you are getting. Be very careful when you take out loans for education, or you could end up in a lot of debt that is hard to get out of. Remember, you are the one responsible for obtaining the services you need. You need to contact the school, find out about the special services department and arrange for the services. Carefully read any documents or have someone with you who can help you understand them BEFORE signing them.

In the adult service system, you MUST know yourself well.

What is the “SIS” The SIS is the supports intensity scale. They do

the interview once you qualify for Developmental Disability Services.

A trained interviewer will ask you and your interdisciplinary team (IDT) what you need to live independently.

They will use the interview to find where you need support.

“The SIS”

The SIS is used to find the supports you need to live independently.

The interviewer will ask about:Home and communityEducation and workHealth and safetySocial activities

Example Questions from the SIS

Do you live by yourself?Do people help you do your

grocery shopping?Do people help you clean your

house?

Part IV: Self-determination gives you more control over your life

Self-Determination means…YOU are the boss of your own life.YOU make decisions about your life, and plan your own future.YOU make choices and have the final say over things.YOU control how money is spent to get the supports you need.

Self-Determination means… YOU can choose to be as involved in your community as you want, and you can get the support you need to make it happen. YOU take responsibility for the decisions you make.Self-determination gives you freedom, control, support, and responsibility.

Self-Determination means… When you’re the boss of your own life, you have control of big and small choices. Some choices are easy, and some choices are hard, but you can get help to make decisions if you need it. People like moms, dads, friends, or staff, can tell you what they think, or give you advice, but it is YOURlife.

You are the boss of your own life.

Self-Determination means…

When you are the boss of your own life, you have control of a lot of things.

When you are in control, you take responsibility for what you do.

You are responsible for all the choices you make.

You are responsible for the small choices, and the big choices.

Self-determination means…

Here are some examples of what people who are the boss of their own lives must be responsible for:

Staying healthy and safe.Living within their monthly budget.Making the right choices for their life.Learning from their own mistakes. We can

learn to make better choices next time.

Are there any questions?

The New Mexico Center for Self-Advocacy625 Silver Av. SW Suite 100

Albuquerque, NM 87102

The Center for Self Advocacy is a part of the Developmental Disabilities

Planning Council

Thank you for your time