Action and Advocacy on Disability Rights

A stack of the Human Rights. Yes! book sits on a table top. The book is about one and a half inches think. A smaller booklet version is on the very top of the stack.

Human Rights. Yes! Action and Advocacy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a manual for building capacity around the 2006 UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The 2012 manual supports broad-based education on the CRPD and targeted capacity building for people trying to learn more about specific CRPD articles.

Part 3 of the Human Rights. Yes! manual focuses on advocacy: “the taking of action to advance the human rights of persons with disabilities”. The key advocacy essentials covered are:

  • Awareness of rights
  • Awareness of self (including ability to effectively advocate for reasonable accommodations)
  • Organized action (including advocacy action on public education, media, lobbying and political advocacy, and legal advocacy)

The manual also covers the key steps for advocacy planning, including:

  • Defining the change you want to make
  • Articulating your vision for the change
  • Gathering information and preparing for action (SWOT analysis)
  • Making an advocacy action plan
  • Take action
  • Follow up on your action plan