Developing Self Advocacy Skills

Self-advocacy skills are important for everyone. Self-advocacy is simply acting on your own behalf without using a third party to negotiate outcomes. These skills are valuable in both the study environment and the workforce. Sounds simple! In fact, self-advocating can be quite intimidating mostly due to a lack of confidence, uncertainty about how to progress a negotiation and sometimes a power imbalance between the parties involved in the negotiations. The DLU endeavors to support students in developing self-advocacy skills and encourages students to see the University as an environment where these skills can be honed.

Being effective in advocating for yourself can be aided by:

• Understanding your rights – having an appreciation of what is reasonable to request both from a disability perspective e.g. the DDA and from a student perspective
• Knowing what you need (not just what you want) – these are two different things. The University will seek to provide reasonable adjustments to accommodate the impact of your disability but there are numerous factors that help determine whether an adjustment is reasonable. The University Students with Disabilities policy provides a framework for determining if an adjustment is reasonable. Be prepared to consider other methods that may meet your needs even if it is not exactly what you wanted. Negotiations consist of parties moving towards an agreed outcome - goodwill and an ability to be flexible are important.
• Understanding who you should talk to and when it is best to bring your issue to the attention of others. Thinking through your request can assist in identifying whom to speak with and when is the best time to do so. For example, if you are going to require some flexibility from your lecturer, it will be best to speak directly with this person. Making an appointment to discuss your needs prior to formal classes commencing gives the lecturer time to consider your request and to initiate actions thereby increasing the likelihood of a positive experience for you and the lecturer.

If you are a registered student with the DLU, your Disability Liaison Officer is able to provide advice and support to assist you in identifying reasonable requests and implementing your self-advocacy skills.

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