Advocacy is acting, speaking or writing to promote, protect and defend the human rights of people. Advocacy involves promoting the interests or cause of someone or a group of people. An advocate is a person who argues for, recommends, or supports a cause or policy. Advocacy in all its forms seeks to ensure that people, particularly those most vulnerable in society, can:

• Have their voice heard on issues that are important to them
• Defend and safeguard their rights
• Have their views and concerns genuinely considered when decisions are being made about their lives

Advocacy is making your voice heard,
and also about helping people find their voice.

Self-advocacy means you know your rights and responsibilities, you speak-up for your rights, and you can make choices and decisions that affect your life. Self-advocacy helps to empower you, to speak-up for yourself and decide what YOU want.

In individual advocacy. a person or group of people concentrate their efforts on just one or two individuals. According to the group Advocacy for Inclusion “Advocacy is having someone to stand beside you if you think something is unfair or that someone is treating you badly and you would like to do something to change it.”

Systems advocacy is about changing policies, laws or rules that impact how someone lives their life. These efforts can be targeted at a local, state, or national level. The focus can be changing laws, or policy.

Voting is one of the most impactful things you can do for yourself and your community. Every person in the United States is represented by elected officials at the federal, state, and local levels of government. Voting allows the people to choose these representatives in the government. It ensures we have a voice and it ensures that our voices are heard.

You can register to vote, update your voter registration information, view voting options and much more at the Ohio Secretary of State website.

ACCESSIBLE ABSENTEE BALLOTS

Ohio has a remote ballot marking system for use by voters with a qualifying disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act.  This system allows Ohio voters with a qualifying disability, the ability to request an accessible absentee ballot via email and to mark his or her ballot privately and independently, and to then mail it in to his or her county board of elections.  

The application form for accessible absentee ballots is entitled “Application for Absent Voter’s Ballot by a Voter with a Disability & Request to Use Remote Ballot Marking System” and is available on the Ohio Secretary of State’s website. The applications should be completed electronically, printed, signed, put in an envelope (with the correct postage) and mailed to your local board of election.

You will then receive an electronic link for the absentee ballot which will allow you to use a screen reader and/or remote ballot marking device to vote privately and independently.  The completed absentee ballot can then be printed and mailed in to your county board of elections just like any other absentee ballots.

To have your voice heard between elections, research legislation  and contacting your elected officials.   Use your voice and be active on issues and public policy ideas by calling, email, written communication or visits.

• For federal legislation, go to Congress.gov
• For Ohio legislation, go to the General Assembly Search

Who are your elected officials?