Self-Advocacy in Motion:
Youth with disAbilities becoming tomorrow’s leaders

“This project builds confidence in youth, and lets youth practice leadership in ways they maybe haven’t before. Youth learn advocacy skills by being a leader.”
- Self-Advocacy in Motion Club Trainer and self-advocate

Self-Advocacy in Motion is a project run by youth and young adults with disabilities. Young adults set up People First Clubs in high schools and transition programs. Students with disabilities run their own meetings, elect their own officers, organize their own committees and select club projects together.

Students in this project advocate with the State legislature, local school boards, and in their own communities and lives. They learn about disability pride, culture and history. Youth speak out about what is important to them.

Young adults with disabilities mentor the students, based on their own advocacy, employment, and independent living experiences.

Ability Awareness:
We are People First and our disabilities come second

“I have learned that I can do many things even with a disability. I know I can reach my own greatness. I’m getting help from my People First Club. My club has taught me that when I’m 18, I need to register and become a voter. I also learned that I need to find a decent job to live in the community. I need to know how to budget my money. Thank you People First Club for the information I need after I graduate to have a successful life.” 
- Student from Spokane

Since 2003, youth across Washington have worked on the following in the Self-Advocacy in Motion project:

• How to speak up for one’s rights
• How to develop goals and follow dreams
• Disability History, Culture and the Disability Civil Rights Movement
• How to express an opinion
• How to practice Parliamentary Procedure
• How to lobby a bill to be a law
• Legislative issues of importance to youth with disabilities: transition funding, being in graduation ceremonies, access to transportation, and including disability history in public schools
• How to talk to a legislator
• When it is safe to talk about disability (and when it isn’t) and how to talk about disability, as a self-advocate, for accommodations or services
• What makes a leader and ways to practice leadership
• How to build leadership in others
• Why it is important to vote, how to register to vote, and how to vote
• How to advocate for oneself with an employer or job coach
• How to build a plan, with supports, for a career

We Are Our Own Experts

“My people first club has been important to me because it taught me about self-determination, self-advocacy, and how to speak up for myself. I’m the Vice-President of our club. My job is a lot of fun and that’s great, because I actually have a responsibility to keep.”
- Student from Spokane, Washington

Here are just some of the amazing accomplishments of youth from Self-Advocacy in Motion:

• Youth successfully lobbied to pass Kevin’s Law, and Disability History Month, in the Washington State Legislature
• Youth have served as President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Sergeant-At-Arms of their clubs, after campaigning and being elected by fellow youth
• Youth participate in the National Youth Leadership Network
• Youth participate in Councils and Boards of Directors, like the Developmental Disabilities Council and the Disability Advisory Council of Disability Rights Washington
• Youth have gone to Washington DC to present the SAM project
• Youth have advocated for themselves with job coaches
• Youth have become employed with the Arc
• Youth are working with Centers for Independent Living
• Youth have written legislators and provided testimony at legislative hearings
• Youth have participated in focus groups and given input to influence change in vocational rehabilitation services statewide
• Youth have become club trainers and gone back after graduation to mentor other youth
• Youth have participated in speakers’ bureaus, learning facilitation and training skills, and have spoken at events, presentations and community gatherings
• Youth have gone on to participate in (and even start their own) People First Chapters statewide
• Youth have written letters to school board members on important issues like district funding
• Youth have registered to vote, and practiced voting on accessible voting machines
• Youth have developed the advisory committee for the Self-Advocacy in Motion Project, developing the title of the project, and the mission and vision statements for the project