Empowering Voices: Alex and Kyle's Journeys of Self-Determination and Self-Advocacy

Self-determination involves making choices for yourself and controlling how your life unfolds. Self-advocacy is about understanding your needs and ensuring they are met. Together, these concepts create an inner voice that says, "Bring it on, I've got this!" Advocating for yourself isn’t about making excuses; rather, it’s about acknowledging your struggles and expressing what you need to manage those challenges.

Understanding and embracing who you are is a beautiful experience. Often, we feel trapped trying to figure out who we should be instead of recognizing and exemplifying our greatest strengths while also acknowledging our areas for improvement. To effectively advocate for yourself, it is essential to first understand yourself. Keep in mind that self-understanding is an ongoing journey; we never fully master it, as we continually evolve and change through new experiences.

Please enjoy these two excellent examples of self-determination and self-advocacy. Continue scrolling to discover additional resources.

Meet Alex!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/ba1b13_2adab47d9799489cb361af416e5d6228/720p/mp4/file.mp4

Learn more about Farming with Friends!

https://www.farmingwithfriends.org/

Meet Kyle!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/ba1b13_af46cfbee5e641e099f1a9b319746dfd/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

Learn more about I am Boundless!

https://iamboundless.org/

I'm Determined

https://imdetermined.org/

National Technical Assistance Center on Transition

https://transitionta.org/topics/secondary-education/self-determination/

PACER's National Parent Center on Transition and Employment

https://www.pacer.org/transition/learning-center/independent-community-living/self-determination.asp

National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities

https://nacdd.org/self-advocacy-resources/

Disability Rights Ohio

https://www.disabilityrightsohio.org/resource-center

Self Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center

https://selfadvocacyinfo.org/self-advocacy/

Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities

https://cuyahogabdd.org/resources/self-advocacy

LifeCourse Nexus - Training and Technical Assistance Center

https://www.lifecoursetools.com/

PBS - A Good Life

https://www.pbs.org/video/a-good-life-RZIQPY/

OCALI

https://ocali.org/AATA/Organizing-a-Students-PINS