Consultation and Influence

Disability Awareness in Action
Resource Kit No. 2

Download the Consultation and Influence Kit as a PDF file (143 KB)

Part One. Influence



1. Why Influence is Important

"Equalisation of opportunities means the process through which the general system of society, such as the physical and cultural environment, housing and transportation, social and health services, educational and work opportunities, cultural and social life, including sports and recreational facilities, are made accessible to all" (WPA/12)

Dreams Alone Don't Change the World

Imagine a world without stairs or prejudice; a world where braille, tape and sign language are as common as written and spoken words.

Imagine a world where everyone has a home, an education, a job and enough food to eat; a world where the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all people are respected and protected.

Unfortunately, though our dreams may be vivid and our hopes strong, dreams alone don't change the world. As disabled people, we need to be active if we want our dreams to come true. To break down the barriers of intolerance and ignorance, we must join together, so that our message - of human rights and human suffering - is heard all over the world.

About this Kit

"to promote...the realisation of the goals of 'full participation' of disabled persons in social life and development, and of 'equality'...opportunities equal to those of the whole population and an equal share in the improvement in living conditions resulting from social and economic development." (WPA/1)

This resource kit aims to help organisations of disabled people and their direct representatives in their work:

• to gain opportunities equal to those of non-disabled people
• to make sure that disabled people can participate fully in community life

The size and nature of your organisation, the kind of community you live in and the administrative structures of your country will affect how you work for change. Not everything in the kit will be relevant to everyone, but we hope that at least some of it is useful to you.

Part One includes general information about influence - who to contact and how to approach them. You need to decide the most appropriate way of using this material.

Part Two contains extracts from some of the main international and regional human rights documents and details of laws and policies in a few countries.

Part Three lists addresses and publications and defines some difficult words.

Remember: as a disabled person, you are the disability expert. Your experience and knowledge are of great value. Your views are important.

Influence

"Member states should establish direct contacts with organ is actions of disabled people and provide channels for them to influence government policies and decisions in all areas that concern them." (WPA/93)

As disabled people, we particularly need to make contact with anyone who has the power to make decisions which affect our lives. Terms like "public official", "influential person" and "policy-maker" are used in this resource kit. This could be a village elder, the head teacher of the local school, a political representative, the local radio producer or the boss of a big company.

Influence can also mean raising awareness of the skills, needs and rights of disabled people among the community.

Example

In Malawi, a radio programme on disability allows listeners to telephone with questions for a panel of disabled people. Many long-held and harmful myths and stereotypes are shattered. "Are all disabled people bad-tempered?", was one question not so long ago! Answering a simple question like this can be the start of real attitude change.

In many countries, the focus is on getting to know an influential individual and his or her family. The Queen of Jordan, for example, has a strong interest in disabled people's issues and this provides a good opportunity to give disability a high profile.

In some countries, influence by grassroots organisations has become a formal political process, concentrating mostly on politicians.

What is most appropriate in your country, district or village?

Speaking Up

"As disabled people have equal rights, they also have equal obligations. It is their duty to take part in the building of society." (WPA/26)

Policy-makers can only act on what they know. We need to tell them about ourselves and the issues that concern us; remind them frequently of who we are and what we have a right to expect.

Many of the people we need to influence are very powerful and this can be frightening. But if we want change, we have to speak up about our needs and give our own solutions to problems.

Most disabled people have been told for years that our lives are of little value; some of us have come to believe it. But the truth is that we have rights like everybody else and we have the right to tell the world about ourselves.

The experiences of disabled people should be considered in decisions about policies and services at every level; we should be consulted. Most policy-makers and high-ranking people aren't disabled themselves. There will be more disabled officials in the future, but there are also other ways of having influence. We can offer our skills and experience to law and policy-makers.



2. What is Influence?

"The rights of persons with disabilities to participate in their societies can be achieved primarily through political and social action." (WPA/6O)

Social and Political Change

Society won't change on its own. It only changes when large sections of society want change. As disabled people, we want our influence to bring about social change, to allow us full and equal participation. We know best what our needs are and our contribution to the process of change will make it more effective.

Social change can happen in two ways:

• through changes in the attitudes and behaviour of individuals
• through changes in laws, policies and services

To change attitudes and behaviour, people need to know about us, our needs and what we have to offer our community, our society, our world.

To change society's formal structures, we need to make sure that law and policy-makers, as well as service-providers, know not only about our needs but also our ideas for solving problems.

Awareness: Changing Minds

"In many cases, public education and awareness campaigns have been launched to educate the public to alter its attitudes and actions towards disabled persons." (WPA/61)

One of the simplest ways to influence somebody is to tell them about yourself. Everybody is different and difference can be frightening.

When you tell someone about yourself - about your daily life, your thoughts and feelings - you make it easier for them to understand you.

As individuals, disabled people can tell the community about their needs and what they have to offer. We need to talk to other disabled people and their friends and families, as well as people who don't have much experience of disability.

As an Organisation

The first step towards change is getting together with other disabled people. If you aren't a member of an organisation already, find out about local groups. If no organisation exists, why not start one? Decide on your aims and get to know each other.

The next stage is to tell the world about what your members want.

To make an issue widely known, you can write letters and send out press releases to newspapers, put up posters and hold public meetings, encourage members to talk to relatives and friends.

It's very important to show that your organisation is achieving something - providing a service, generating income for members, encouraging access improvements.

Point out the benefits to the whole community of improving disabled people's lives.

Having an Effect on Laws and Policies

"Legislation has in many cases been enacted to guarantee to disabled persons the rights to, and opportunities for, schooling, employment and access to community facilities, to remove cultural and physical barriers and to proscribe discrimination against disabled persons." (WPA/61)

Sometimes, the best way to affect laws, policies and services is by the kind of public awareness described above - by creating the right atmosphere for legislative change. In some cases, legislation that changes behaviour, like access laws, can encourage changes in attitudes, as people begin to see the benefits of the legislation.

Changes in laws are very important because, even if you persuade the head teacher at the local school or the boss of a big company to support education and employment for disabled people, that teacher or boss may change jobs. We want improvements to be permanent and enforceable, not temporary and based on a sympathetic individual.

If it is accepted practice in your country, you might want to make contact with an official whose work could have some influence on disability policy - a minister or one of their assistants, for example. You can offer this person direct access to the views of disabled people at the grassroots; they can offer you and your organisation a part in decision-making.

Many governments have seen the benefit of including certain groups in the policy and law-making processes. This has been particularly true for business people, religious leaders, the military and trade unions. Our cooperation, skills and votes are also important.



3. Who to Influence

"Anyone in charge of any kind of enterprise should make it accessible to people with disabilities. This applies to public agencies at various levels, to non-governmental organisations, to firms and to private individuals." (WPA/23)

Local Level

Who	Why
A. Local authorities	To influence local by-laws and budgets and to formalise change. Speak to their officers, civil servants, etc., as well. National Level
Village elders
Town planners
B. Professionals: education, health, welfare, business, law, medicine, media, etc.	For awareness-raising through community leaders and for specific action: accessible schools and churches, a local radio programme on disability. This can lead to examples of good practice which will influence the people in group A.
Trade unions
Religious leaders
C. General public	For support in campaigns from people who will also benefit from change (e.g. parents and friends, users of local facilities, mothers carrying children). This shows the policy-makers that changes are supported by a large part of society.

National Level

Who	Why
A Ministers	To influence national laws and regulations.
Civil servants
B Other statutory authorities: health, housing, transport, etc.	To influence their policies and practices and for specific action, such as community-based rehabilitation, accessible housing and transport systems, etc.
C Other (voluntary) bodies: charities, NGOs, aid agencies, trade unions	For support in campaigns. Regional Level
D Associations of professionals	To change their policies and structure to include the real needs of disabled people. To get their support in raising awareness.
E General public	To raise awareness of disability issues and to show that we are part of the general public. As at local level, show how change benefits all.

Regional Level

Who	Why
A National representatives to regional bodies	Contact with representatives of your own country means that they will support appropriate regional policies and programmes. If you can make the contact regular, your influence will be greater.
B Committees of regional bodies	Contact can also be made formally through petitions and letters. Use the WPA as a briefing document.
C UN regional commissions	Send these bodies copies of your own policy documents and plans. Ask to see any material they have produced on disability.

International Level

Who	Why
A United Nations	Each member state of the UN has a mission that represents it at the General Assembly in New York. Make contact and inform them of the views of disabled people in your country. Concentrate particularly on issues to be discussed at the Third Committee.
B Other international groupings of countries	Your country may have a representative on one of the important committees. Your influence with them can affect policy. Shared programmes on disability with countries with the same language, legal system, etc., can be very useful.
C International non-governmental organisations	International organisations share many common interests and can benefit from sharing information. Each organisation should speak on its own behalf at the UN, while recognising the benefits of speaking with one voice on some issues.
D Multinational companies	These companies have a major influence on employment and the economy in any country. They need to be aware of disability issues. They may be able to transfer examples of good practice from one country to another.

Public Officials and their Assistants

When it comes to influencing policy-makers and service-providers at every level, there are always two sets of people to concentrate on: the officials themselves, and the people who inform and advise them - their civil servants, officers or assistants.

Example 1

An elder may have political authority and power in your village, but there are other people around him - his brothers or sons, wife or mother, the local tax collector - who need to be influenced, as they advise and inform the elder.

Example 2

There are plans to rebuild the secondary school in your town. As well as the architect in charge of the plans and the head teacher of the school, you can talk about the opportunities for improved access with their deputies or assistants. If any of these people is disabled or has a disabled friend or relative, that can be a good starting point.

Example 3

Many countries have appointed ministers with responsibility for the welfare of disabled people. The minister will be supported and advised by civil servants. Make sure that civil servants know what you want, as well as the minister.

Whoever they are, powerful people are usually very busy. They are briefed (told about an issue) by advisers and assistants. These people decide what subjects should be considered by the official. Before you can hope to reach the people at the top, you must get their assistants to support you. Try to set up meetings with these people.

Education Professionals

"A prerequisite for successful integration is the provision of appropriate teacher-training programmes, for both ordinary teachers and special teachers. The concept of integrated education should be reflected in teacher-training programmes." (WPA/146)

An integrated approach to education is good for both disabled and non-disabled children. Talk to teachers at local schools, to parents' associations, to education boards and to teacher training colleges about disabled children's needs and about the advantages of an integrated approach.

Example

In India, a monk who ran a school for blind children realised that he was only reaching 2 or 3 per cent of visually-impaired children. He changed his school into a training centre for teachers from ordinary schools to learn about teaching children with visual impairments. There is now a qualified teacher in most of the schools in India and many more blind children are educated.

Health and Welfare Professionals

"Too often, the professional and other service personnel with whom disabled persons come into contact fail to appreciate the potential for participation by disabled persons in normal social experiences and thus do not contribute to the integration of disabled individuals and other social groups." (WPA/73)

Health and social welfare professionals, like teachers, need to be made aware of disabled people's rights. In the past, most professionals viewed us as tragic creatures to be looked after and pitied by society. Many still do.

We need to talk to these people about what we want; tell them that we have a right to services and choices, just like anyone else.

Example 1

"Important resources for rehabilitation exist in the families of disabled persons and in their communities. In helping disabled persons, every effort should be made to keep their families together, to enable them to live in their own communities and to support family and community groups who are working with this objective." (WPA/17)

PROJIMO is a small, rural community-based rehabilitation (CBR) programme in Mexico. Disabled people and members of their families take the lead in management, provision of services and decision-making. (PROJIMO is a Spanish word for "neighbour". It also stands for "Programme of Rehabilitation Organised by Disabled Youth of Western Mexico".)

CBR is characterised by innovation and community commitment. Over the last ten years, appropriate rehabilitation methods and skills have been identified and written down, as simple, clear guidelines for families. These were tested and corrected over a period of time, then put together to form the excellent reference manual Disabled Village Children (see Publications).

PROJIMO was set up by disabled health workers. The local disabled villagers have also gained many professional skills through short voluntary visits from other professionals - physical and occupational therapists, teachers, makers of prosthetic and orthotic devices - who come not to practice but to teach their skills.

Example 2

In the United Kingdom, the Royal College of Physicians, the Prince of Wales Advisory Group on Disability and representatives of the UK disability movement formed a working group to discuss the rights of disabled people in hospitals. After a difficult year of talks, the working group succeeded in drawing up a Charter for Disabled People Using Hospitals.

The main principles of the Charter are that:

• the individual needs of disabled people who use hospitals must be understood
• impairments must not be made worse by any procedure, treatment or regulation
• staff must see the difference between managing illness and working with a disabled person
• a person who has learned to live with an impairment usually knows more about it, and the way to live with it, than anyone else

This Charter, which came out of consultation between professionals and disabled people, was a huge advance for disabled people in the UK medical system. The Charter proves that we are not just patients who should be grateful for whatever we can get, but service-users with rights.

Business

There should be mutual cooperation at the central and local level between government and employers' and workers' organisations in order to develop a joint action with a view to ensuring more and better employment opportunities for disabled persons." (W PA/131)

One of the most important ways in which disabled people are discriminated against is at work and in trying to get work. We must raise awareness about our skills among employers. Why not arrange a meeting with the boss of a big company? Some international companies, like MacDonald's and IBM, have good employment policies - are they carried out in your country?

You could also approach the very influential organisations of business people, if these exist in your area, to encourage employment of disabled people and to seek sponsorship or funding.

Trade Unions

In many countries, trade unions actively support disabled people at work and in campaigns for anti-discrimination legislation. Many trade unions have divisions of disabled people. If you don't already have strong contacts with local branches of trade unions or their national offices, try to develop them. The labour movement has often been a major force for change.

Lawyers

It's very useful to know about laws and the legal process in your country. You can find this out by reading books on the subject. Another way is to make contact with sympathetic people in the legal profession. They can explain the law to you and suggest possible changes in legislation.

Example 1

The Southern African Federation of Disabled People (SAFOD) has a programme for encouraging equalisation of opportunities legislation in all its member countries. The programme has a five-person committee, headed by two disabled lawyers (one from Lesotho and one from South Africa), which travels to member countries.

SAFOD began the programme with a seminar for disabled people and government officials. Governments in Mozambique, Lesotho and Zambia are working on legislation; in South Africa, both the ANC and the government are taking part. Legislation was passed in Zimbabwe during the summer of I 992. It is supported by a commission of disabled people and their representatives, which regulates the legislation and reports directly to the minister for disabled people.

Example 2

The United Kingdom's Law Society produced a report in late 1992 on discrimination against disabled people in employment. The aims of the study were to look at whether anti-discrimination legislation along the lines of the Sex Discrimination Act and the Race Relations Act could work from a legal point of view (not to judge whether it was morally justifiable). As a result of the study, the Society now fully and publicly supports anti-discrimination legislation for disabled people, although it disagreed with it in the past.

It's also useful to know about laws and policies in other countries and at the regional and international levels. (See Part Two of this resource kit for some examples.) You can get this information from libraries, the media (newspapers, magazines, radio and television) and from contacts with disability organisations in other countries. Use what you know when you talk to your local and national political representatives.

Architecture and Transport

"Member states are encouraged to adopt a policy ensuring disabled persons access to all new public buildings and facilities, public housing and public transport systems. Furthermore, measures should be adopted that would encourage access to existing public buildings and facilities, housing and transport." (WPA/114)

The most obvious difficulty faced by disabled people, which prevents participation in community life, is the problem of access - getting into a school to learn, being able to catch a bus to work.

Speak to colleges and universities that run courses in architecture and town planning. Do they include disability issues on the curriculum? Could someone from your organisations make a presentation about access? If there is a national association of architects, make contact with its leaders to arrange a meeting or seminar on access improvements. Encourage the organisation to adopt a policy document on access for disabled people.

Try some of the same tactics with transport authorities. Remind them that accessibility means that more disabled people are able to become fare-paying passengers.

The Media

"Guidelines should be developed in consultation with organisations of disabled persons to encourage the news media to give a sensitive and accurate portrayal of as well as fair representation of and reporting on, disabilities and disabled persons in radio, television, film, photography and print." (WPA/149)

When you use the media, you are making an issue widely available to readers, listeners and viewers. Remember, an average of one in ten people in most countries has some form of impairment and one in four people - including friends and family - is directly affected by disability. Make use of the media to tell people what you are doing and what you want.

Work with organisations of journalists (newspapers, TV, radio) on imagery, through disability seminars. Draw up guidelines on the representation of disabled people and disability issues. Our first resource kit, on making the most of the media, contains more information on this.

Religious Leaders

"Measures should be undertaken to ensure that disabled persons have the opportunity to benefit fully from the religious activities available to the community. In this way, the full participation by disabled persons in these activities will be made possible." (WPA/136)

Religious leaders are at the very centre of community life, with contacts in every part of society. They are extremely influential people; their followers look to them for guidance in opinion and behaviour. Remember to include them if you arrange meetings for community leaders.

Many religious organisations, such as the Mennonite Central Committee, give substantial practical development support to disability organisations worldwide. Find out about the policies of similar organisations based in your country.

Religious belief has often provided the most negative attitudes towards disabled people. This is often as a result of misconceptions. Disabled people should not only take part in religious activities but in discussions about attitudes to disabled people.



4. How to Influence

Research

Get to know about important people, associations and organisations, their policies and the ways decisions are made - by talking to people, watching television, listening to the radio, reading papers and magazines, asking for information.

What is being said about the issues that concern you? Who is most likely to be sympathetic to your cause? What happens at a town council meeting, in parliament or congress, at the UN? Who decides on local budget issues? What national laws are being debated? What directives, regulations, conventions and resolutions has your government ratified or supported? (To ratify is to agree to follow something that isn't automatically binding, such as a convention. Once ratified, a convention becomes part of national law.)

It might be useful to have one person in your organisation to watch out for developments. Keep a file on people, organisations. laws and policies. Remember that things can change quite quickly.

The First Approach

Before you approach an important person, learn something about them. Ask their office or people who know them about their views on disability. If they are involved in politics, try to find out what laws they have supported or opposed. If you write to them, mention what you have found out. You will appear well-informed and your views will be respected.

Be clear about what you want to achieve - what your question request or argument is. Talk to other disabled people about it first and make it clear to the official.

Introduce yourself. Call their office and ask to speak to the person in charge of appointments. Ask to set up a meeting with the official or with a staff member. If possible, mention your organisation, its aims and activities, the number of members.

You might be told that an appointment is unnecessary; that your request should be put in a letter and will be given "due consideration

If you feel that this is an excuse and that you are not being taken seriously, keep politely insisting that you would prefer to meet the person face to face - all you need is ten minutes.

If you do write, try to follow the letter up with a phone call a week later.

Timing

If you want an official to support you or to take a public position on an issue - by speaking in a meeting, voting, writing a letter to a more senior person - you need to get the timing just right.

If you write to your local representative six months before a piece of legislation is to be talked about, your letter will be filed and forgotten, but if you want money to be put aside from next years local authority budget to make a community centre accessible, you need to present a proposal before any council meetings on budget issues.

Find out when important policy-decisions are to be made at each level and how long the process takes. Contact the people involved in advance of these dates. Pick a time when the official is likely to be thinking about what's on your mind; for example, when a piece of legislation is at the committee stage, when councillors are deciding on budgets, or when an issue is being talked about in the newspapers and by the public.

Letters

Writing a letter is the easiest, cheapest and one of the best ways of contacting important people.

You could write to an official to:

• ask a question
• request a meeting
• invite them to an event
• thank them
• express an opinion, criticism or concern

Ring the official's office to ask the correct form of address for the person you're writing to. Put your address and telephone number at the top of the letter and the person's full title. Include your full name, and your position within your organisation.

Get the facts right. Make sure that you only include the important facts and that you present these clearly. Depending on his or her job, an official might receive up to 1,000 letters a week. If yours isn't easy to read, it won't be effective. If you're writing about a particular bill, include its name and number. If you're making a complaint about a school or other public building that is inaccessible, say exactly what the problem is and what needs to be done to solve it.

Your letter should be a clear argument for or against a proposed action, with backup materials if needed. Show how your solution is cost-effective and benefits the whole community.

Keep a copy, to remind yourself later of what you wrote.

If it's appropriate, get other people to write about the same issue. The more people who are involved, the more likely it is that policy-makers will take notice. It's better for people to write their own letters but, if this isn't possible, you can produce copies and get people to sign in agreement to it.

Meetings

Everyone is nervous before meeting somebody important. Change doesn't come easily and it's tempting to leave it to someone else. You are as good a person as anyone to bring about change.

Concentrate on exactly what you want. If it's a first meeting, you might be looking for general support for your work, or be trying to change the way somebody thinks. You might be telling them about disability (you're the expert) and about the views of the members of your organisation. Perhaps you want to try to set up a channel for regular contact with a political representative while legislation is making its way through parliament or congress; perhaps you need sponsorship for an income generation scheme.

Be prepared to answer questions. Think through in advance what you might be asked. Don't get angry and don't be intimidated.

Bring fact sheets, surveys, newspaper cuttings, petitions or photographs - whatever you need to support what you are saying. Leave copies to be looked at later.

Beware of vague expressions of support. Listen for action that shows real commitment. If it isn't there, return to a basic question. Does the policy-maker agree that things need changing? What are they willing to do to make change happen?

Remember, although it's useful to have the public support of important people, it's not what policy-makers say but what they do that really counts.

Be flexible. An official may only be prepared to support part of what you say. They will have to balance various demands. If partial support is all you get, don't argue. Thank the official and say that you hope they will be able to do more in the future.

You can set up regular meetings, particularly at the local level, with community leaders - heads of schools, religious groups, businesses.

Building a Relationship

Send a letter, after any meeting or telephone call, thanking the official or policy-maker for their time and support. If nothing was offered, say that you hope support will be given in the future.

After a first meeting with a politician or professional, you may be able to provide a "briefing paper" - a written description of an issue or problem, including facts and possible solutions.

Influence should be tactful, discreet and specific. Always be polite and think about the best approach for the person you are talking to. You have to keep in touch with people. Change can be slow and your aim is to set up a regular channel of communication.

Work at Every Level

"Progress in reaching the goals of the Programme could be achieved more quickly, efficiently and economically if close cooperation were maintained at every level." (WPA/155)

It's important to try to have an influence at every level - local, national, regional and international government; local, national and multinational companies; non-governmental organisations and aid agencies. Your work at one level can help indirectly at other levels as well.

Example 1

A thorough knowledge of the United Nations World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons means that you can ask your national government what it is doing in the main areas of concern: prevention, rehabilitation and equalisation of opportunities.

Example 2

Speaking to the boss of the main transport company in your country about access could have a direct affect on services to and from your village. Always point out the benefits to the whole community, and in particular to the person or organisation you are trying to persuade.

Remember that all these things take time. It may take several meetings and campaigns before you get anywhere.

Work with Everyone

You may have personal differences with the people you are trying to influence but it's very important to try to establish a relationship with those in powerful positions. Keep polite contact, whatever your feelings about them as individuals.

At the level of national government, experience has shown that disabled people's organisations are most successful when working on non-party lines - making contact with politicians from all parties. Governments and the people within administrations and parties can change. In the US, for example, where the top positions in the administration are political appointments rather than permanent posts for career civil servants, more than 2,000 jobs can change with a new president. Support from all parties is usually necessary to get a piece of legislation passed.

Disability is an issue that must be faced by everyone in a responsible and powerful position. Our needs are important; our skills and experience are valuable assets to any country.

Strength in Diversity

Work with other disability organisations - concerned with one impairment or acting as an "umbrella" group for all disabled people - at local, national, regional and international levels.

People with different impairments have much in common. but we can also profit from our diversity. Sometimes, disability organisations don't communicate or cooperate and may even see each other as competitors for scarce resources or government support. In fact, we can be stronger together - with shared aims and shared resources.

When different organisations join up on issues of interest to all disabled people, the emphasis shifts from an individual with an impairment to the social and environmental barriers that stop all disabled people participating. Experience shows that when we work together, policy-makers listen and act, rather than using our differences as an excuse for doing nothing.

Sharing Ideas

At the international level, every organisation can learn from others' experiences. Many organisations are now registered with their governments and have begun advising and working with them. This includes organisations in both developed and developing countries; countries with a variety of political systems. If you set up contacts with other organisations and keep up-to-date with activities and changes, you can get some good ideas for your own campaigns.

Through the exchange of information and experience. we can be encouraged by successes, learn from mistakes and find out what strategies have worked for disabled people worldwide.

Publicise what you are doing. Send information to national and international organisations of disabled people for their newsletters.

Skills and Confidence

"What is required is to focus on the ability, not on the disability of disabled persons." (WPA/27)

Policy-makers may seem to accept what you are saying, but make sure they really understand. You may have to keep reminding them that disabled people are the experts. This is a hard thing for many people to accept.

Decision-makers are often people with a very good education, who may have done very well in their current profession or another, like law, before taking office. They are leaders who are used to making important decisions for other people.

Among the general public, there are many who feel that disabled people are not really able to make decisions (even simple choices about our own lives) or to find solutions to the problems society has set us. You will have to remind them that you and other disabled people are the experts when it comes to disability.

This is not easy. It takes a lot of confidence. Many disabled people don't know they have rights and don't feel strong enough to demand that their needs are met, as society respects the rights and meets the needs of non-disabled people.

continue...5. Action Ideas

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Contents Consultation & Influence

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