Self-Advocacy Project
Posted by: CQL on 12/29/2006
Filed under: Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council In Collaboration with Speaking for Ourselves
The Situation
The Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council established a goal in its 2002-2004 State Plan to conduct a statewide survey to learn about the state of self-advocacy in the Commonwealth. The project was funded with the purpose of gathering information and making recommendations to help the Developmental Disabilities Council improve the support for self-advocacy efforts in Pennsylvania.
Speaking for Ourselves – Pennsylvania’s self-advocacy organization – and CQL were selected to form a partnership to complete the project.
What CQL Did
CQL and Speaking for Ourselves collaborated over a two-year period on this project. Together, we:
- Hosted a statewide meeting of stakeholder organizations representing varied aspects of self-advocacy
- Developed a survey process that focused on connections to others, empowerment and control, and support for self-advocacy efforts
- Trained self-advocates in using the survey instrument and conducting interviews
- Conducted interviews with self-advocates across the state
- Delivered a final report with data analysis and recommendations to the Developmental Disabilities Council
Based upon the findings of the research report, the Developmental Disabilities Council set a priority in its next funding cycle to provide technical assistance to support self-advocacy efforts in Pennsylvania and to identify and encourage support of self advocates in Pennsylvania and the expansion and development of their efforts statewide.