Self-Advocacy
Disability Rights Nebraska provides the tools – information, education, and referral sources – for people with disabilities, their families, and their friends to advocate on their own behalf. We support building strong, stable organizations that are controlled and directed by individuals with disabilities and that inspire people to set their own course.
Citizen Advocacy Coordinators and Board undergo an intensive retreat every year to keep them connected to the principles and practices of Citizen Advocacy and share ideas and solutions.
Citizen Advocacy
Citizen Advocacy is a way for local communities to respond to the need for protection of individuals with disabilities who are at risk of abuse or neglect. These local, independently-operated Citizen Advocacy offices create one-to-one matches between ordinary citizens and vulnerable people in their communities who have a disability. Citizen Advocates are asked to look out for the rights and interests of the person with a disability as if they were their own. Disability Rights Nebraska provides consultation on program development, training for board members and staff, and program evaluation to citizen advocacy offices in Nebraska.
Social Role Valorization
Disability Rights Nebraska is committed to operating in alignment with the principles of Social Role Valorization. The basic premise of Social Role Valorization is that people are much more likely to experience the "good things in life" if they hold valued social roles than if they do not. Some examples of the "good things" in life include:
- being accorded dignity, respect, and acceptance in your relationships with people
- a sense of belonging
- an education and opportunities to develop and use your abilities and talents
- a voice in the affairs of your community and society and opportunities to participate in a typical way
- a decent standard of living
- a place to live that is typical of dominant society
- opportunities for work and support.
If you would like to learn more about Social Role Valorization, check out this article. And if that sparks your interest, please contact our office at info@disabilityrightsnebraska.org for Social Role Valorization training opportunities.
Our work is focused especially on people with disabilities who live, learn, or work in isolated, segregated or congregated settings, using a combination of advocacy strategies in order to protect those who are most vulnerable.
