SELF-ADVOCACY

IS THE ABILITY TO ARTICULATE

ONE’S NEEDS & MAKE

I N FO R M E D
DECISIONS

ABOUT THE SUPPORT

NECESSARY TO MEET
THOSE NEEDS.
KNOWLEDGE
OF RIGHTS
LEADERSHIP
SKILLS
KNOWLEDGE
OF SELF
C O M M U N I C AT I O N
SKILLS

KNOWLEDGE LEADERSHIP KNOWLEDGE C O M M U N I C AT I O N

OF RIGHTS SKILLS OF SELF SKILLS

N E V E R T O O E A R LY
Self-advocacy is an ongoing endeavor and can
never be learned too early or too late in life.
Practicing self-advocacy is a critical element of
the self-advocacy developmental process.
Individuals who practice are better prepared
to self-advocate in the future.
BENEFITS OF SELF-ADVOCACY
For individuals with one or more disabilities, including
those who are deaf, increases in self-advocacy skills
contribute to increased quality of life, sense of agency,
and overall well-being. 1

N E V E R T O O E A R LY
HOW CAN SELF-ADVOCACY SKILLS BE
Self-advocacy is an ongoing endeavor and can
never be learned too early or too late in life.
?
BENEFITS OF SELF-ADVOCACY
For individuals with one or more disabilities, including
those who are deaf, increases in self-advocacy skills

FOSTERED IN DEAF INDIVIDUALS

Practicing self-advocacy is a critical element of contribute to increased quality of life, sense of agency,
the self-advocacy developmental process. and overall well-being. 1
Individuals who practice are better prepared
to self-advocate in the future.

RECOGNIZE & ADOPT

A T E A M E F F O RT

?
HOW CAN SELF-ADVOCACY SKILLS BE
Empowering deaf individuals to self-advocate is a collaborative effort that
involves the individual, parent, teachers, vocational rehabilitation counselors,
and other disability service providers. Working as a team better ensures that

FOSTERED IN DEAF INDIVIDUALS

the individual has a variety of opportunities to learn and practice essential
self-advocacy skills, in particular explaining one’s communication needs
and requesting accommodations.

S TA
R E RT
C O GTNHI Z
E EP&R O
ADCO
EPSTS E A R LY
A T E Aself-advocacy
Successful M E F F O RTis based on a strong foundation of positive
self-awareness
Empowering deaf andindividuals
self-determination. Whenisthese
to self-advocate fundamental
a collaborative effort that
self-advocacy skills are emphasized early in life, both at home counselors,
involves the individual, parent, teachers, vocational rehabilitation and
in school, thedisability
and other person service
is better situatedWorking
providers. to learnasand execute
a team betterthe skills that
ensures
associated withhas
the individual being an effective
a variety self-advocate.
of opportunities to learn and practice essential
self-advocacy skills, in particular explaining one’s communication needs
and requesting accommodations.

P R O M OT E T H E U N D E R S TA N D I N G
O FS TA
O NRT T HOEWPNR OHCEEASRSI N
E’S EAGRLO
LY S S
It isSuccessful self-advocacy
crucial that is based
deaf individuals on a strongtheir
understand foundation of positive
own hearing loss and
self-awareness and self-determination. When these fundamental
how it impacts communication in different environments. Knowing what
self-advocacy skills are emphasized early in life, both at home and
one’s own hearing loss means in various professional or personal contexts
in school, the person is better situated to learn and execute the skills
is the first step
associated toward
with being effectively
an effective explaining accommodation and
self-advocate.
communication needs, and offering creative solutions.

P R O M OT E T H E U N D E R S TA N D I N G
E NOCF OOUNREA
’ SGO
EWFNL EHXEIABRI ILNI T
G YLOTSOS
E X P LO R E W H AT “ F I T S ”
It is crucial that deaf individuals understand their own hearing loss and
how it impacts communication in different environments. Knowing what
Encouraging deaf youth to experiment and learn about accommodations
one’s own hearing loss means in various professional or personal contexts
that work best for them while they are young will increase their familiarity
is the first step toward effectively explaining accommodation and
with the range of accommodations and enhance their ability to request,
communication needs, and offering creative solutions.
obtain, and effectively utilize them.

ENCOURAGE FLEXIBILITY TO
P RE O
XPVLO
I DR
E ETW
OHOAT
L S “TFH
I TAT
S” HELP ONE IDENTIFY
& Encouraging
U N D E Rdeaf
S TA N toD experiment
youth T H E I RandLlearn
E Gabout
A L accommodations
RIGHTS
It isthat work best for them while they are young will increase their familiarity
important that deaf individuals learn and understand the laws related
with the range of accommodations and enhance their ability to request,
to accommodation. Individuals should recognize how these laws apply in a
obtain, and effectively utilize them.
variety of settings and be able to educate others about “equal access under
the law.”

P R O V I D E T O O L S T H AT H E L P O N E I D E N T I F Y
 It is important that deaf individuals learn and understand the laws related
to accommodation. Individuals should recognize how these laws apply in a
variety of settings and be able to educate others about “equal access under

WHAT ARE SOME WAYS THAT DEAF INDIVIDUALS

the law.”

CAN PRACTICE SELF-ADVOCACY SKILLS?

PARTICIPATE INTHAT DEAF INDIVIDUALS

WHAT ARE SOME WAYS
EDUCATION & VOCATIONAL
CAN PRACTICE SELF-ADVOCACY SKILLS?

PLANNING
PARTICIPATE IN
Individualized Education Planning (IEP) meetings are
EDUCATION & VOCATIONAL
an excellent opportunity for high school students to

PLANNING
showcase their self-advocacy skills. Individualized
Plan for Employment (IPE) meetings for individuals
utilizing state vocational rehabilitation services
afford adults a similar opportunity. The process of
articulating and justifying
Individualized one’s
Education choices(IEP)
Planning during an IEPare
meetings
or IPEanmeeting not only allows the individual to
excellent opportunity for high school students take ato
lead role in the development
showcase of a plan
their self-advocacy thatIndividualized
skills. is in sync
with their
Plan educational
for Employment and/or
(IPE)employment goals, but
meetings for individuals
utilizing state
also provides themvocational rehabilitation
the opportunity services
to practice the art
affordaccommodations.
of seeking adults a similar opportunity. The process of
articulating and justifying one’s choices during an IEP
or IPE meeting not only allows the individual to take a
lead role in the development of a plan that is in sync
with their educational and/or employment goals, but
also provides them the opportunity to practice the art
of seeking accommodations.

GAIN VOLUNTEER
& SCHOOL-SPONSORED
GAIN VOLUNTEER
WORK EXPERIENCES
& SCHOOL-SPONSORED
WORK EXPERIENCES
Requesting accommodations appropriately and reasonably is a vital skill
in successful self-advocacy. Participating in volunteer and school-sponsored
work experiences is an excellent venue for practicing this skill. These
Requesting
environments accommodations
allow individuals toappropriately
experimentand reasonably
with a varietyis of
a vital
skill in successful self-advocacy. Participating in volunteer
communication strategies in a range of settings, and to interact and school-
with
sponsored work experiences is an excellent venue for practicing
individuals who may be unfamiliar with hearing loss in a lower-stakes this setting.
skill. These environments allow individuals to experiment with a
variety of communication strategies in a range of settings, and to
interact with individuals who may be unfamiliar with hearing loss in
a lower-stakes setting.
 PARTICIPATE
PARTICIPATEININ
SOCIAL
SOCIALACTIVITIES
ACTIVITIES&&
FAMILY
FAMILYOUTINGS.
OUTINGS.
Social activities and family outings can be an overlooked
Social activities and family outings can be an overlooked
opportunity to develop self-advocacy skills. Family members
opportunity to develop self-advocacy skills. Family members
or friends with good intentions often act on behalf of the deaf
or friends with good intentions often act on behalf of the deaf
individual by requesting accommodations or speaking for
individual by requesting accommodations or speaking for them
them rather than allowing them to navigate communication
rather than allowing them to navigate communication options
options on their own. Encouraging and supporting the individual
on their own. Encouraging and supporting the individual to
to self-advocate for their own accommodations needs without
self-advocate for their own accommodation needs without
family assistance is critical.
family assistance is critical.

It Itisisimportant
importantthat
thatdeaf
deafindividuals
individualshave
havethe opportunity
the opportunitytoto
interact
interact
with role models who are deaf. Role models are able
with role models who are deaf. Role models are able to share to share their
their
own personal experiences with self-advocacy and offer
own personal experiences with self-advocacy and offer insight insight
into
intoeffective
effectiveself-advocacy
self-advocacy techniques.
techniques. The
Theimpact
impactofof
exposure
exposure toto
role
rolemodels
modelscannot
cannotbebeover-emphasized.
over-emphasized.

LEARN MORE:
LEARN MORE:
Deaf Self-Advocacy Training: deafselfadvocacy.org
Deaf Self-Advocacy Training: deafselfadvocacy.org

Additional resources on this subject may be available at: nationaldeafcenter.org/resources

Additional resources on this subject may be available at: nationaldeafcenter.org/resources

Additional resources on this subject may be available at: nationaldeafcenter.org

Additional resources on this subject may be available at: nationaldeafcenter.org

REFERENCES:
REFERENCES:
1
Schoffstall, S. & Cawthon, S. (2013). From Theory to Practice: Self-Advocacy Skill Development of
1
Schoffstall, S. & Cawthon, S. (2013). From Theory to Practice: Self-Advocacy Skill Development of
Students who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing who are Transitioning into Post-Secondary Settings.
Students who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing who are Transitioning into Post-Secondary Settings.
Literature review published by pepnet 2.
Literature review published by pepnet 2.

NDC
National Deaf Center
on Postsecondary Outcomes
This document was developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of
This document
Education,
Education,
represent
represent
assume endorsement
was developed under
OSEP #HD326D160001.
theOSEP
policy #HD326D160001.
of the U.S. Department
the policybyof the
thefederal
a grant
However, from thedoU.S.
the contents
However,
of Education,
U.S. Department
government.of
not Department
the contents
necessarily of
and youdo not necessarily
should not
Education, and you should not
www.nationaldeafcenter.org
assume endorsement by the federal governmentwww.nationaldeafcenter.org