Becoming a Self-Advocate
This is a new role for most people with disabilities and is not a very common position for most Indian people. We debated including this section, but, at Spirit Lake Consulting, we believe very strongly in encouraging people to stretch toward their limits. So....
Whether you have a disability yourself, or whether you are seeking information for your clients, in these next few pages, we will give you some tools that will increase your odds of finding solutions to your satisfaction. SLC Consultant Willie Davis advises, before you begin, that you pick a cause that you are passionate about. If you are frustrated about the unfairness of not being able to get into the tribal administration building because it does not have a wheelchair ramp, or if you strongly believe in your heart that having every teacher in your school trained to work with students with disabilities will make a difference - then, you have found your cause. And, Willie cautions, be sure you are doing it "for the cause and not the applause". You may get some recognition and awards along the way. Or, you may not. In fact, you may be criticized for being a trouble -maker and, especially at first, have great difficulty getting people to support you and follow through. Having a true commitment to your cause will make it easier for you to keep working.
1. Get all the information that you can. You are doing that now, so you are well on your way. Know what services you can request on an Individual Plan for Employment, , whether the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act applies at your school (it does). Few things make you look worse and feel worse than going into a meeting only to find out that you were completely wrong. For example, you go in and demand that the casino manager install a ramp so that people who use wheelchairs are able to work there. You tell him that he is required to do this by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). He looks down at you and says, "ADA does not apply on this reservation. We are a sovereign nation." It turns out that he is right.
After an accident leaves you with a traumatic brain injury, you are told that you cannot return to your high school because "we are a small school and we are not set up to deal with students with special needs". You tell the school that you are entitled to a free, appropriate, public education in the least restrictive environment - and the least restrictive environment means that you spend as much time as possible in the same program as other students without disabilities. Turns out, you are right.
Being an effective self-advocate